“While overall talent shortage and competing for talent are still key trends, there is an increasing focus on the skills economy,” says Horace Chow, Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft China, and a keynote speaker at AmCham China’s upcoming 21st Annual HR Conference.

“While we want to be more intentional about people's priorities and related strategies, the challenge is in visibility and data-driven insights,” adds Chow, who will deliver a talk entitled “People and Culture: Using Workplace Analytics to Create Visibility and Make Better People Decisions.

When it comes to improving business performance through the use of technology, Chow knows what he is taking about. Under his leadership, Microsoft China was recognized as Microsoft’s Top Subsidiary globally in 2018, a distinction granted for outstanding business performance, and for transforming Microsoft China into a leading Cloud and AI technology provider.

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His current focus is on maximizing the workforce, not through gut feelings or impulses, but by hard data. “We need to take behavioral analytics to the organization level and build an environment to foster innovation and employee engagement, and to attract top talent and boost productivity,” says Chow. “With that, we are able to address some of the biggest challenges to successful transformation – people and culture.”

Click here for the full 2020 HR Conference agenda

As COO at Microsoft China, Chow is responsible for driving business performance for Microsoft’s Sales, Marketing, and Operations organization across China. Since taking the role in July 2017, he has led the China team to enhance Microsoft’s influence across the country, strengthening relationships with public-sector stakeholders, expanding local partnerships, and helping enterprise customers of all sizes across a range of different industries to achieve digital transformation.

Chow joined Microsoft in 2012, serving as general manager of Microsoft Hong Kong for five years, where he oversaw strategy, business operations and outreach for the company’s subsidiary in the region. He has previously held roles at SAP, Sybase, and KPMG.

Click here for the full list of HR Conference speakers

Join us on October 16 at the YiCheng Fortune Center at Beijing Etown tech park, where Horace Chow will join a star line-up of speakers for AmCham China’s 21st Annual HR Conference, “An HR Conversation for All of Us: Learn to Become Resilient Together”.