In theory, most HR professionals aspire to be strategic partners trusted advisors who influence decisions, shape leadership thinking, and help drive measurable business outcomes. In practice, few can clearly articulate how they earn that seat at the table.
Charlene Tan, Regional HR Leader for Southeast Asia at SUEZ, can.
Over nearly seven years with the 160-year-old water and waste management company, Tan has transformed her role from modernising traditional HR practices to leading people strategy across six diverse markets. Her journey offers practical insight into some of the most pressing challenges faced by HR business partners today: building credibility with technically driven leaders, balancing regional alignment with local realities, and preparing organisations for a rapidly evolving workforce.
At the centre of her approach lies an uncommon combination data analytics, coaching methodology, and what she calls “anticipation with clarity.”
Laying the Groundwork Before Driving Strategy
When Tan joined SUEZ, her initial focus was not grand strategy but execution.
Her early work involved revitalising long-standing HR processes to align them with modern business needs. Clear guidelines, structured systems, and reliable processes became the foundation for everything that followed.
“Once we had clarity and consistency in place, it allowed us to move beyond execution and truly lead,” Tan explains.
That shift became essential as business expectations of HR evolved rapidly—driven by digitalisation, organisational transformation, and the disruption of the pandemic years.
“In today’s environment, agility is no longer optional,” she says. “Even organisations with a strong legacy cannot afford to rely on past practices.”
For Tan, legacy and agility are not opposing forces. Instead, she sees adaptability as a responsibility—especially for HR professionals tasked with enabling change.
From Reactive Support to Strategic Anticipation
One of the defining differences between transactional HR and strategic HR lies in timing.
Reactive HR responds to requests. Strategic HR anticipates them.
“A true HR business partner doesn’t wait for the business to ask,” Tan says. “We understand the strategy deeply enough to anticipate needs and proactively shape initiatives that drive outcomes.”
This forward-looking mindset allows HR to enter conversations at the planning stage rather than during execution when decisions are harder to influence.
On a personal level, Tan says anticipation provides clarity. It enables her to connect individual initiatives to the broader business picture, reinforcing HR’s role as a strategic contributor rather than a functional enabler.
Where Data Meets Coaching
Data analytics has become a cornerstone of modern HR, and Tan is no exception. She regularly uses data to identify workforce trends, engagement signals, performance patterns, and talent risks.
“Access to data today allows us to move conversations from opinion to evidence,” she says.
Analytics help frame discussions around opportunity and risk often before issues escalate. But Tan doesn’t stop there.
As a World Association of Business Coaches (WABC) Registered Corporate Coach, she integrates coaching techniques into her leadership conversations.
Rather than presenting recommendations for approval, she facilitates dialogue that helps leaders uncover insights themselves.
“Coaching creates space for leaders to think differently,” she explains. “It builds ownership and trust.”
This dual approach combining evidence with reflective dialogue has helped Tan establish credibility with senior stakeholders, positioning HR as a thought partner rather than a support function.
Leading HR Across Six Countries
Managing HR strategy across Southeast Asia brings inherent complexity. Each country operates under distinct labour laws, cultural norms, and market dynamics.
Tan addresses this challenge through what she describes as principled flexibility.
“One size never fits all,” she says. “But a clear framework provides direction.”
By setting common principles while allowing local adaptation, HR initiatives remain relevant without losing strategic alignment. Open communication and mutual respect are critical to gaining local buy-in, enabling teams to co-own solutions rather than merely implement them.
Through this experience, Tan believes the most valuable skill she has developed is the ability to build trust and collaboration across diverse teams.
Earning a Voice in Technical Environments
In a company driven by engineering, sustainability, and operational excellence, HR influence must be earned.
Tan reframes HR’s relevance by linking people strategy directly to business sustainability.
“Sustainability isn’t only technical—it’s human,” she says. “Talent, leadership, and culture are essential to delivering long-term outcomes.”
By using workforce data to highlight talent gaps, succession risks, and retention challenges, HR helps technical leaders understand how people decisions directly impact operational success.
This evidence-based connection has strengthened HR’s credibility in highly technical discussions.
Co-Creating the Next Generation of Talent
In 2024, SUEZ launched its first regional Young Talent Development Programme in Southeast Asia, attracting more than 900 applicants. The initiative was repeated in 2025 with similar success.
The programme was designed in response to clear business needs building a strong local talent pipeline to support regional growth.
Business and technical leaders were involved from the outset, co-designing assessments, participating in interviews, and jointly selecting candidates. Development activities combined mentoring, technical projects, and site exposure, with HR and business leaders sharing accountability for participant progress.
For Tan, the programme’s success lay in its partnership model where HR facilitated, but business leaders co-owned outcomes.
The Skill That Underpins Everything
As the HR business partner role continues to expand, Tan believes one capability matters above all others: trust.
“HR sits at the intersection of employee advocacy and business priorities,” she explains. “Balancing both requires credibility, reliability, and empathy.”
Trust is built through consistency following through on commitments, providing data-driven insights, and approaching complex decisions with balance and integrity.
At the same time, Tan stresses the importance of remaining human. Empathy, listening, and genuinely representing employee voices ensure HR remains grounded even as it becomes more strategic.
Preparing for Gen Z and the Future of Work
Looking ahead, Tan sees two forces reshaping the HRBP role: accelerating digitalisation and generational change.
Advances in AI and automation will require organisations to redesign work itself shifting focus from fixed roles to adaptable skill-based models. Meanwhile, the growing presence of Gen Z in the workforce will demand new approaches to engagement, purpose, and career development.
“HR will sit at the centre of transformation,” Tan says. “Guiding leaders through change, ensuring people remain at the heart of decisions, and helping employees grow alongside technology.”
Her vision for HR is one that seamlessly integrates analytics with empathy where data informs strategy, and coaching ensures humanity is never lost.
By bridging business strategy, analytics, and human-centric solutions, Tan believes HR can help organisations and their people thrive through change.