By Anandpreet Kaur | Malaysia |
Scania Southeast Asia has appointed Sharmeel Kaur as its new human resources director, effective January 2026, reinforcing its focus on people-centric leadership across the region.
Sharmeel, who oversees the HR portfolio for the transport solutions and services provider, emphasises transparency, fairness and consistency as the cornerstones of effective leadership.
“If you want to be in a strategic leadership role, you must be honest, transparent and forthright about goals, challenges and change. That sets the tone for employees to trust you and to share their thoughts openly,” she told Asia Samachar.
In her role, Sharmeel reports to managing director Joyce Antar. Based in Shah Alam, Selangor, she leads the human resources function for a geographically diverse workforce spanning Southeast Asia, while also supporting regional and global HR initiatives across Asia Pacific and Oceania.
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Sharmeel describes herself as a “city girl” who attended an all-girls convent school along Jalan Peel. She credits her upbringing and family values as central to shaping her leadership outlook.
Her father, Bhajan Singh, served as a government officer with the Public Works Department (JKR), while her mother, Gurdiep Kaur, worked as a blue-collar employee at Texas Instruments.
“I had very hard-working parents who worked until they retired. They were my pillars and shaped my values and way of thinking. I owe everything to them,” she said, adding that she has a younger brother who is now settled in Melbourne, Australia.
Sharmeel described her father as the philosopher of the family, instilling the importance of financial independence, education and ethical conduct. Her mother, she said, was uncompromising on standards and discipline, ensuring the children were always challenged to do better.
“Watching them work extremely hard to achieve what they did motivated us to become who we are today. We grew up without luxuries, but they ensured we received a top-notch education,” she said.
Scania is a global provider of transport solutions and services, including trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and operates across multiple markets worldwide.
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