Rowena Florece
Toronto,Canada
Summary
Experienced HR Leader with a 20-year career in Asia Pacific and North America. Collaborated with Microsoft's senior field organization in Enterprise Sales, Customer Success, Marketing & Operations, Technical Sales, and Solutions Specialists. Expertise in HR leadership, executive coaching, organizational development, talent management, and fostering organizational transformation and culture. Recipient of prestigious HR awards globally and regionally. Known for clear communication, empathy, and respectfully challenging complex HR and GTM structures. Trusted as a strategic HR Business Partner by Senior Leaders.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
HR Leader
Microsoft Canada Inc
01.2020 - Current
- HR Business Partnership with Business Leaders and their Leadership Teams across Enterprise Commercial, Public Sector Business, Customer Success, and Technical and Specialist Solution Sales organizations.
- Lead talent succession discussions, OD partnership for high-performing Leadership Team, talent development reviews, high performance conversations, and data-driven discussions relating to culture, talent, and organization.
- Owner of Career Advisory Boards for Canada Leadership Team-level career conversations
- Coach for the Manager Excellence Community Council
- Geo Focal for Flexibility@Microsoft (guidelines for location workforce transitions)
- Co-owner of Americas HR Business Partners Community connections
- Microsoft HR Modern Speaker for GTM engagements
- Owner for landing Early-in-Career Talent and mentor
- Adviser on global projects – recent: talent mapping principles for organizational design decisions; and peer-reviewed Organizational Development resources for future global use.
- Received HR Awards (internal global award)
HR Leader
Microsoft Asia Pacific HR Consulting
01.2017 - 01.2019
- Built and led the Microsoft APAC HR Consulting function across 9 countries (change management, scaled HR partnership and delivery, global employee relations and other scalable HR functions).
- Drove change management in the APAC HR transformation, co-developed and led with cross-geo collaboration on the global roadmap for the HR Consulting function.
- External tech industry HR speaking engagements
- Recognized with the prestigious Microsoft Gold Club Circle of Excellence Award (global)
- Received Asia HRD Award (external industry award)
- Received Microsoft People Manager Award (internal global award)
- Received several GTM Impact HR Awards (internal regional)
HR Leader
Microsoft Malaysia
01.2011 - 01.2016
- HR Partner for Microsoft’s Go-to-Market Country Leader and Country Leadership Team
- Co-led organizational transformations with GTM Country Leader & CMO
- HR Leadership as steward of Culture, Talent, Performance
- GTM customer business development relationships
- Microsoft’s external HR speaker for digital transformation forums.
Head of HR
Usaha Tegas Group (Investment Holding Company)
01.2005 - 01.2011
- MEASAT Satellite Systems, subsidiary entity/ HR Partner to COO
- Bumi Armada, subsidiary entity – offshore Oil & Gas energy / HR Partner to CEO
Senior Manager, HR & Recruitment
Hong Leong Assurance
01.2002 - 01.2005
Resourcing Lead
Accenture
01.1999 - 01.2002
- (+ other earlier jobs)
Education
Master of Management -
Asian Institute of Management
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
University of the Philippines
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Microsoft-INSEAD
Skills
- HR Leadership
- Executive Coaching
- Organizational Development / Leader & LT Performance / Team Alignment
- Talent Management & Succession Planning (know, develop, slate plan)
- Culture & Employee Experiences
- Data-Driven Decision Making / Systems Thinking / Governance / Organizational Diagnostics
- Global HR Operations
- Organizational development
- Diversity and inclusion
- Employee relations
- Training leadership
- Strategic planning
- Talent acquisition
- Staff supervision
Timeline
HR Leader
Microsoft Canada Inc
01.2020 - Current
HR Leader
Microsoft Asia Pacific HR Consulting
01.2017 - 01.2019
HR Leader
Microsoft Malaysia
01.2011 - 01.2016
Head of HR
Usaha Tegas Group (Investment Holding Company)
01.2005 - 01.2011
Senior Manager, HR & Recruitment
Hong Leong Assurance
01.2002 - 01.2005
Resourcing Lead
Accenture
01.1999 - 01.2002
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
University of the Philippines
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Microsoft-INSEAD
Master of Management -
Asian Institute of Management
Hobbies and Interests
Gardening, educational travel, watching stand-up comedies/live music, documentaries/autobiographies, advocacy diversity, inclusion and for kids on the autism spectrum.
Sample Speaking Engagements, Thought Leadership & Features
- 10 Things We’ve Learned about Culture
- Empowering HR Through Digital Transformation
- HR: Architect of Organizational Culture
- HR Reinvented
- Tech Femme
- Business FM Radio
- HR Magazine Cover feature
- Reader’s Digest feature
- Podcast guesting
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