Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Additional Information
Personal Information
Timeline
Generic
FARAH FAZIRA UMAR

FARAH FAZIRA UMAR

Regional Manager - Compensation & Benefits
Malaysia

Summary

Experienced HR professional with expertise in Compensation & Benefits, Payroll, Recruitment, and Organizational Development. Proven ability to lead major C&B projects, improve workforce planning strategies, and promote employee engagement. Proficient in managing global mobility programs, payroll processes, and implementing HR systems for operational efficiency.

Overview

20
20
years of professional experience
2006
2006
years of post-secondary education

Work History

Manager – Regional People Excellence (Regional ASIA)

Petronas Lubricant International Sdn Bhd (PLI)
08.2024 - Current
  • Manager, Regional People Excellence overseeing Employee Relations, Capability Management, Compensation & Benefits, and People Planning & Organizational Development across the Asia region. Responsible for implementing key people strategies, fostering a high-performance culture, and ensuring alignment of workforce planning, engagement, and compensation strategies align with organizational goals.
  • Strategic Planning & Execution: Develop and execute HR strategies for employee engagement, relations, capability development, compensation & benefits, and workforce planning to support organizational objectives. Provide strategic insights and actionable recommendations to senior leadership based on workforce analytics and trend reporting.
  • Employee Relations & Engagement: Lead employee engagement and relations initiatives to enhance workforce satisfaction and organizational culture. Oversee capability-building programs to ensure a skilled and future-ready workforce.
  • Compensation & Benefits Management: Direct payroll, benefits administration, and statutory compliance across the Asia region, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to company policies and local regulations. Conduct compensation analysis, ensuring market competitiveness and alignment with industry trends.
  • Workforce Planning & Organizational Development: Drive workforce planning initiatives, aligning talent acquisition, retention, and business objectives to optimize resource utilization within budget constraints. Lead organizational design and job evaluation processes to enhance structural efficiency and support operational excellence.
  • Leadership & Team Development: Manage and mentor a team of professionals across employee relations, capability development, compensation, benefits, and organizational development functions. Set strategic direction to cultivate a collaborative, high-performance culture that drives business success.

Compensation & Benefits Manager (Group Position)

Petronas Lubricant International Sdn Bhd (PLI)
06.2021 - 07.2024
  • Global Compensation & Benefits Manager Strategic HR leader overseeing the full spectrum of Compensation & Benefits at the group level, managing policies and programs across 23 countries. Responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing total rewards strategies to drive employee engagement, retention, and organizational performance.
  • Annual Review & Incentive Programs: Led the Global Annual Review for 2022 & 2023 and the Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP) across 23 countries, presenting findings and recommendations to the PLI Board of Directors.
  • Global STIP Framework: Developed and launched the 2023 Global STIP Framework, conducting cost analysis, financial impact assessments, legal reviews across 23 countries, employment terms & conditions reviews, and global STIP communication and briefing sessions.
  • Talent Mobility & Development: Implemented global Short-Term and Long-Term Assignment programs to enhance talent retention and upskilling initiatives.
  • Benefits Enhancement: Spearheaded the rollout of the PLISB Benefits Enhancement program, introducing wellness initiatives, education assistance, and admission support programs. Launched the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to strengthen employee well-being across all regions.
  • Market Adjustments & Compensation Analysis: Developed cost-of-living allowance (COLA) strategies for Turkey (2022–2024) due to currency depreciation. Conducted total cash reviews for 13 EMEA countries and salary structure revisions in Turkey, Egypt, and Belgium. Provided salary increment cost analysis for Argentina, considering high inflation rates.
  • Long-Term Incentives & Compensation Framework: Designed and launched the Long-Term Incentive Program (LTIP) for GCEO & N-1 leadership. Led the development of the Global Salary Structure (2021 & 2024) for 23 countries, ensuring competitiveness and alignment with market trends.
  • Sales Incentive Program (SIP): Currently overseeing the global review of SIP mechanisms and payout factors to enhance performance-based compensation strategies.
  • Regional HR Leadership: Held key Compensation & Benefits leadership roles across Asia (2021), EMEA (2022–2023), and Americas (2024), ensuring seamless execution of total rewards strategies across diverse markets.

Reward Specialist

Maxis Broadband Berhad
09.2020 - 06.2021
  • Company Overview: Converge Solutions/Telecommunications
  • Managing the whole spectrum of Rewards department.
  • Center of Excellence (CoE): Lead companywide compensation and benefits initiatives, ensuring strategic alignment and operational efficiency.
  • Annual Performance Bonus & Sales Incentive Plan (SIP): Manage end-to-end execution of annual bonus and SIP processes, driving performance-based rewards across the organization.
  • Annual Salary Review: Responsible for salary review exercises, ensuring market competitiveness and internal equity in compensation adjustments.
  • Compensation & Benefits Administration: Responsible for promotions, salary adjustments, acting allowances, spot awards, and other benefits schemes to support talent retention and workforce motivation.
  • Payroll & Compliance: Supervise monthly payroll movements, including salary changes, incentive payments, new allowances, ex-gratia, and completion bonuses. Ensure accuracy and compliance with company policies and regulations.
  • Market Benchmarking: Participate in remuneration surveys conducted by Mercer and conduct salary benchmarking exercises to ensure competitive compensation structures.
  • Budgeting & Forecasting: Responsible for monthly budgeting and forecasting for the HR division, ensuring optimal resource allocation and cost management.
  • Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP): Manage LTIP processes during grant and vesting periods to support executive compensation strategies.
  • Role Evaluation: Review and refine the company's job catalogue and job profile framework to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment with organizational structure.
  • HR Advisory & Strategic Guidance: Provide expert consultation and cost analysis to HRBPs on compensation-related matters, supporting informed decision-making and equitable reward strategies.
  • Converge Solutions/Telecommunications

Reward & Mobility Specialist

SBM Offshore
01.2019 - 01.2020
  • Company Overview: Oil & Gas
  • Manager, Compensation & Benefits and International Mobility Experienced HR leader overseeing the Compensation & Benefits (C&B) and Mobility functions, ensuring competitive reward structures, policy compliance, and seamless global mobility processes.
  • Compensation & Benefits Unit: Lead end-to-end bonus cycle payments for local and expatriate employees, ensuring alignment with company performance targets and individual contributions. Develop and execute the Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP), including salary bridge and balloon payment exercises to support retention and motivation. Oversee the Annual Salary Review and Promotion cycle in line with group directives, ensuring fairness and market competitiveness. Formulate salary proposals for new hires (local, regional, and local-plus) based on peer group, market, and internal benchmarking data. Manage annual budget exercises and provide quarterly forecasts to optimize resource allocation and financial planning. Conduct salary benchmarking and remuneration surveys with Korn Ferry to ensure competitive compensation structures. Evaluate, recommend, and enhance Benefits and Rewards programs, providing expert consultation to HR partners and managers on compensation matters. Review and develop SOPs, policies, and guidelines to ensure global alignment with business objectives. Oversee company-wide medical insurance programs, including Group Term Life, hospitalization, and outpatient services. Manage Employee Share Acquisition Plans (ESOP) and reimbursement processes. Conduct salary analyses and financial modeling to support management decisions. Lead HR roadshows and engagement sessions to communicate compensation strategies to employees.
  • International Mobility Unit: Serve as a subject matter expert on international mobility, providing insights and consultation to HR Business Partners, TA Partners, and Line Managers. Ensure compliance with SBM Global Mobility policies and standards in the administration of assignments, permanent transfers, and localization packages. Manage end-to-end mobility processes, collaborating with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure smooth transitions. Develop and recommend expatriate compensation packages for inbound and outbound assignments, balancing competitiveness and cost efficiency. Handle mobility exceptions, providing financial impact assessments and strategic recommendations to Group International Mobility in line with the exception process.
  • Oil & Gas

Deputy Manager – Compensation & Benefits and Payroll

Land Public Transport Commission
04.2013 - 12.2018
  • Company Overview: Transportation
  • Compensation & Benefits Unit: Led the establishment and ongoing review of company-wide medical insurance programs, including Group Personal Accident, Group Term Life, hospitalization, and outpatient services. Provided consultation during renewal and tender exercises, leading presentations at Members of Commission (MOC) meetings. Conducted cost analysis and managed medical utilization in collaboration with medical insurance providers to optimize healthcare expenditure. Oversaw back-end processing for medical-related transactions, including invoice reconciliation, medical card enrollments and terminations, guarantee letter issuance, GTL claims, excess recovery, and employee inquiries. Designed and executed Annual and Mid-Year Review exercises, offering strategic recommendations to management based on market research and benchmarking data. Led the process from data analysis to promotion nominations and issuance of increment letters. Evaluated, recommended, and enhanced benefits and rewards programs, providing strategic consultation to HR partners and managers. Participated in market remuneration surveys conducted by Korn Ferry to ensure competitive compensation structures. Developed and updated SOPs, policies, and guidelines to maintain alignment with business objectives and industry best practices. Collaborated with government agencies and GLCs to ensure compliance with local labor laws and regulations. Managed bonus payment cycles in accordance with government circulars, prepared resolutions for MOC members, and coordinated with payroll teams for accurate disbursement. Prepared salary proposals for new hires, promotions, and adjustments, ensuring alignment with peer group comparisons, market data, and internal benchmarks. Administered employee leave records across multiple leave categories, ensuring accuracy and policy adherence. Processed compensation and benefits-related transactions, including promotions, salary adjustments, movements, confirmation letters, bank letters, AMEX card applications, SOCSO applications, and clearances. Conducted salary analyses and financial modeling to support management decision-making.
  • Payroll Unit: Managed end-to-end payroll processing, including data gathering, calculations, and input validation to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Ensured payroll transactions, documentation, and filing were maintained with compliance and efficiency. Acted as the final gatekeeper for payroll transactions, overseeing payroll variance analysis and reconciliation. Led payroll-related queries regarding payslips, tax calculations, deductions, and statutory obligations (EPF, SOCSO, IRB, etc.). Developed and maintained payroll policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards and organizational policies. Served as a subject matter expert (SME) for all payroll processes, providing guidance on best practices and compliance.
  • HR Generalist: Subject matter expert (SME) for employment-related legal inquiries, providing guidance on the Employment Act 1955. Project Manager for the implementation of the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) within Compensation & Benefits and Payroll functions including user requirement studies, data migration, user training, UAT, parallel testing, and live deployment, ensuring seamless integration and operational efficiency.
  • Transportation

Executive – Compensation & Benefits

ABB MALAYSIA SDN BHD
02.2008 - 04.2013
  • Company Overview: Utilities, Power Engineering
  • Assist C&B Manager in managing annual salary reviews, performance bonus cycles, sales incentive plans, promotions, and salary adjustments to ensure fair and competitive compensation structures.
  • Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for company medical insurance, overseeing Group Term Life, hospitalization, and outpatient services to ensure comprehensive employee healthcare coverage.
  • Manage C&B data administration, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and seamless integration with payroll and benefits processes.
  • Oversee the Employee Share Acquisition Plan (ESAP) for Malaysia, ensuring smooth execution and compliance with company policies.
  • Develop and present salary proposals for new hires, promotions, and salary adjustments, leveraging peer group comparisons, market benchmarks, and internal data.
  • Coordinate monthly payroll movements, including adjustments, promotions, new allowances, ex-gratia payments, and other compensation changes.
  • Participate in market remuneration surveys conducted by Mercer and Korn Ferry to benchmark compensation structures and maintain competitiveness.
  • Provide expert consultation, cost impact analysis, and strategic guidance to HR Business Partners on compensation-related matters, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
  • Utilities, Power Engineering

Executive – Compensation & Benefits

Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd
07.2007 - 02.2008
  • Company Overview: Manufacturing
  • Support the Compensation & Benefits Manager in executing key C&B processes, including annual salary reviews, performance bonus cycles, sales incentive plans, promotions, and salary adjustments.
  • Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for company medical insurance, overseeing Group Term Life, hospitalization, and outpatient services, ensuring comprehensive employee healthcare coverage.
  • Manage C&B data administration, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and seamless integration with payroll and benefits processes.
  • Process compensation-related allowances and deductions, ensuring compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
  • Conduct market remuneration benchmarking by participating in Korn Ferry surveys to assess industry trends and maintain competitive compensation structures.
  • Manufacturing

Executive – Human Resources

Prince Court Medical Centre Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of PETRONAS)
10.2005 - 06.2007
  • Company Overview: Health Care
  • Assist in developing the Recruitment Plan, Manpower Planning, Nomenclature, and Organizational Structure for both Clinical and Non-Clinical divisions, ensuring operational readiness.
  • Prepare and update weekly Manpower Planning reports for management meetings, providing data-driven insights to support staffing decisions.
  • Responsible for end-to-end recruitment process, including advertisement postings, CV management, interview coordination, and offer letter preparation, ensuring timely and efficient talent acquisition.
  • Health Care

Education

Bachelor Science - Human Development

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
Serdang, Selangor

Skills

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Operations management

Analytic

Additional Information

Detail-oriented, Motivated, Self-assured, Collaborative, Diligent, Capable of working independently, RM15,990.00, RM120 per month, 3 months

Personal Information

  • Age: 42
  • Date of Birth: 10/27/83
  • Gender: Female
  • Nationality: Malaysian
  • Marital Status: Married

Timeline

Manager – Regional People Excellence (Regional ASIA)

Petronas Lubricant International Sdn Bhd (PLI)
08.2024 - Current

Compensation & Benefits Manager (Group Position)

Petronas Lubricant International Sdn Bhd (PLI)
06.2021 - 07.2024

Reward Specialist

Maxis Broadband Berhad
09.2020 - 06.2021

Reward & Mobility Specialist

SBM Offshore
01.2019 - 01.2020

Deputy Manager – Compensation & Benefits and Payroll

Land Public Transport Commission
04.2013 - 12.2018

Executive – Compensation & Benefits

ABB MALAYSIA SDN BHD
02.2008 - 04.2013

Executive – Compensation & Benefits

Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd
07.2007 - 02.2008

Executive – Human Resources

Prince Court Medical Centre Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of PETRONAS)
10.2005 - 06.2007

Bachelor Science - Human Development

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

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FARAH FAZIRA UMARRegional Manager - Compensation & Benefits