This year’s bold reinvention of the new Tiffany & Co T collection—the Tiffany T1 —seeks to celebrate the first and deepest connection which we experience, that with our truest selves. Its transformative design by the brand’s chief artistic officer Reed Krakoff looks to represent courage, strength and optimism – much like the women who wear it. This next chapter of the fabled Tiffany T collection from the 80s combines clean lines and graphic forms with feminine proportions, elevated by expertly set diamonds.
“At Tiffany, we believe that luxury should be effortless and irreverent,” said Krakoff, “While designing Tiffany T1, we wanted to honour the legacy of the iconic ‘T’ motif, but also elevate and modernise it with hand-set diamonds in the beveled edges. Through these pieces, we convey that precious stones aren’t just for special occasions—they can be worn every day as a celebration of yourself.”
Here, we spotlight personalities whose personal and professional ventures reflect their own indomitable spirit; where glass ceilings are shattered, and new paths paved for the women that are yet to come.
Dato’ Hamidah Naziadin
Group Chief People Officer, CIMB
Board of Directors, Maxis
Board of Directors, Nestle (Malaysia)
Across an astounding career spanning over three decades at CIMB, Dato’ Hamidah’s initial foray into Human Resources began with her proficiency and academic credentials in law – which helped propel her into a leadership position by the age of 28. From there, her career progression mirrored that of CIMB’s growth (which now possesses a staff strength of 36,000 across 16 countries). Her roles within the group included being Group Chief People Officer, Head of Group Corporate Resources, Head of Marketing & Communications as well as CEO of the CIMB Foundation. Under her stewardship, Human Resource was reconceptualised as a key business enabler, which contributed to the group’s rapid growth as a leading ASEAN financial institution.
With her firm belief in supporting employees, and the bank’s value proposition of workplace wellness, a series of HR initiatives included work-from-home policies for mothers with children below the age of five and the establishment of a crèche in 2014 to support the bank’s working parents. She also introduced an award-winning programme i.e. The Complete Banker (TCB) which focuses on grooming future leaders at CIMB with many progressive HR policies which represented a first for the industry segment such as six months of paid maternity of first-time mothers, a month’s paternity leave, a Staff Rejuvenation Programme and many more. These strategies also led to the retention and development of talent, augmented by workplace wellness programmes which helped sustain a productive environment which has been proven in the numerous industry and peer recognitions and awards.
What has been your most valuable lesson at work, in ascending the corporate ladder?
The most valuable lesson I took away from my career is that; we ought to place the interests of the organisation above self-interest. And balance the competing interests among various stakeholders, that is, the customers’ satisfaction, employees are fairly treated and an organisation’s interests are not compromised. When we are able to do all these, it is no longer an ego trip. Our work will naturally be recognised and we will ascend the corporate ladder.
What has been your most important experience of self-development in the corporate field?
Learning and appreciating the dynamics of business is important to self-development; about how businesses grow in good times and hunker down in bad. We must seize the opportunities to be ahead of our competitors. All these experiences turned wisdom become beneficial when I apply it to my personal life. It taught me to stay level headed and humble in good times, and remain resilient during bad times. All these, in a way, have taught me to focus on what I can do, instead of lamenting on what I can’t.
Who is your mentor and the business personality you model yourself after?
I’ve been fortunate to have been guided by many mentors; Gan Soo Jin my first boss made me head of HR at the tender age of 28 amidst a booming stockbroking industry. He taught me an important lesson: age is no barrier. Another mentor Dato’ Mohd Shukri taught me about human compassion – he appreciated human weakness and believed in giving second chances to make things right. Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak – my ex-boss, nurtured and launched me into a leader to build a HR brand for the firm and taught me trust and epowerment. HR became a strategic role and I got a seat in the boardroom. He was visionary and courageous, always bouncing back higher when he fell. I also learnt the importance of health and fitness from Tengku Dato’ Zafrul, my previous boss, and I really admire his determination and discipline.
What did you learn in this time of pandemic with regards to managing human resources?
Throughout this pandemic, I learned humility – I penned down these thoughts on my social media; how one tiny creature we can’t see with our bare eyes can smite any of us – from the powerful, rich, successful to a healthy young man in his prime. It reminds us of how small and vulnerable we are. When humans are being challenges, we were able to set up a home office speedily, had onboarding activities for new employees amidst life-threatening pandemics and CIMB even had our first virtual AGM with its shareholders recently.
Can you recall the most challenging period of your career and how you overcame the odds?
The most challenging period of my career had to be when I had to manage two young kids. I was climbing the corporate ladder trying to be the perfect wife, perfect mother and perfect employee all at one go. My wanting to be perfect in everything I did eventually took a toll on me. I overcame the odds by learning to prioritise and let go – and I also learnt to build a strong support system for personal and emotional well-being.
In all your time managing and inspiring people, what has been the biggest takeaway for you?
Don’t judge people. No one is perfect and while everyone has their own gaps and weaknesses, they also have their own uniqueness and strengths. People have good intentions and will want to do their best – as the saying goes: “There is a story behind every person and a reason why they are the way they are.” So, by not drawing conclusions from the onset, I have become more curious and observant about people, and more understanding. This has helped me to make better decisions and, for that, I have become a happier and wiser person.
What is your idea of happiness?
With the recent pandemic, I have had a deeper appreciation for happinness and my idea of it is to be surrounded by people who matter to me, and accept me for who I am, knowing that they are happy and healthy and seeing my chidlren gow up with good values and principles, and that they are happy with their lives.
What do you like about the Tiffany T T1 Collection?
As a woman, I feel this design is delicate and distinctive. It makes a bold statement for the woman who wears it.
On Dato’ Hamidah:
Tiffany T1 wire bar earrings in 18k gold with diamonds; T T1 wide diamond ring in 18k rose gold and T T1 wide diamond hinged bangle in 18k rose gold, medium.
Videography: Felix Khu/Shepherd Studios
Art Direction & Styling: Wee Chee
Hair: Bibian Leong and Keith Ong
Makeup: DECORTÉ Malaysia
