Navigating Career Transitions and Future-Ready Workplaces: Vanessa Teo

Vanessa is a strategic HR leader with over 20 years of experience driving business success by empowering people and fostering innovation. As Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources at ST Engineering, she leads talent management and supports teams in creating smart urban solutions.

Previously, Vanessa held leadership roles at AbbVie, LVMH Group, and Target Corporation, gaining global expertise across HR and commercial functions. An adjunct faculty member and INSEAD graduate, she is passionate about shaping future HR leaders and turning human capital into a competitive advantage.

In this episode, Vanessa Teo shares her journey navigating career transitions from merchandising to HR, highlighting the pivotal moments that shaped her path. She offers insights on building future-ready workplaces, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), talent management, and organizational transformation. Drawing from her experiences as a parent to neurodivergent children, Vanessa provides a unique perspective on creating inclusive and purpose-driven work environments.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:55 Welcome to the HR Impact Show

01:58 Vanessa's Career Journey

05:34 Cross-Functional Moves and Key Takeaways

07:45 The Importance of Mentorship

11:05 Traits for Successful Career Transitions

14:52 Building and Maintaining a Network

18:26 Elevating Employee Experience and Future Readiness

20:25 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

25:42 The Ideal Workplace of the Future

28:29 Advice for HR Professionals

29:47 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Resources

[Free] Get this episode key insights here: https://blog.engagerocket.co/the-hr-impact-show/career-transitions-vanessa-teo

Connect with Vanessa Teo: linkedin.com/in/vanessa-teo-60798052

Connect with Dorothy Yiu: linkedin.com/in/dorothy-yiu

Youtube: youtube.com/@TheHRImpactShow

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-hr-impact-show

Career Transitions Podcast: careertransitions.buzzsprout.com

Book Recommendation: Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra – A must-read on making successful career transitions through small, incremental experiments.

Thank you for tuning into The HR Impact Show. Don't forget to hit Subscribe! If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share with your friends.

Are you hungry for more? Join our HR Impact Community for monthly insights from global HR leaders and event invites: https://www.engagerocket.co/hrimpact

About The HR Impact Show

Join top global people leaders for honest conversations about how to build and transform high-performing cultures.

Hear from CHROs and HR experts from global and world-renowned organisations as they share their top people analytics tips, leadership journeys, lessons and challenges while navigating the complexities of transformation and the multi-generational and diverse cultures in Asia.

Hosted by Dorothy Yiu, EngageRocket's CEO & Co-founder and Fung Tai, EngageRocket's VP of Customer Success.