With the rise of advanced technology, comes the emergence of multi-faceted companies that leverage such technologies to better serve their customers and the community in general.
For Human Managed CEO, Karen Kim, she believes that there is always a human element at the heart of all technological solutions. This belief pushed her to establish a company that is rooted in a deep understanding of the business context of enterprises and decision-makers.
“My unique perspective is to understand the problems we are trying to solve from a ‘non-technical’ perspective and define the core of Human Managed solutions,” she explained in an exclusive interview with The Exchange Asia.
During the early days of her career, Kim honed her skills in the telecommunications sector which exposed her to the evolving landscape of cloud and software infrastructure and taught her valuable lessons in adapting technology for optimal business outcomes.
In 2017, Kim’s path intertwined with Saleem Javed, the visionary founder of Human Managed, during their tenure at a shared firm. Saleem’s vision of harnessing data intelligence to revolutionise service delivery resonated deeply with Kim. It was this shared vision that propelled her to join Human Managed.
Kim also began to gain an understanding of how skillsets help people get jobs done rather than just relying on academic qualifications.
Stepping into the role of CEO at Human Managed, Kim focused on defining what value means to them intrinsically and to their customers and partners. Despite initial uncertainties, she embraced the challenge with determination and a learner’s mindset.
“One day, I was one of many account managers at a social networking company, and the next day, I was the CEO of a start-up with big and scary ambitions. The prospect was daunting. Could I, at 30, lead a company with no prior ‘relevant’ experience?
“If the decision had been left to my own devices, I probably would have listened to my inner voice that I was not good enough and would disappoint everyone. However, the founder, Saleem, believed in my capabilities. My partner, friends and family encouraged me to go for it,” she revealed.
Today, Kim’s leadership style is a blend of emotional intelligence and operational excellence. She emphasises transparency, inclusivity, and a flat organisational structure at Human Managed, fostering an environment where diverse talents thrive and contribute across various functions.
Leading for Diversity
During her childhood, Kim migrated to Hong Kong from Seoul, which helped her to be more open to new experiences even at a young age. More specifically, it has influenced her leadership approach as an adult.
“When I moved to Hong Kong at age eleven because of my father’s business, it wasn’t easy to be uprooted from Seoul. I couldn’t even speak English and was enrolled at the American International School. But soon, I learned to make new friends, moved to a British school, and eventually moved to the UK for university.
“My parents helped me embrace fundamental principles – to see the world, embrace different cultures, and be open to possibilities – making me believe that I could work and grow through changes. Looking back, I realise that my parents taught me resilience through their actions, jumping into the deep end of unknown environments with me,” she said.
Today, Kim adopts a similar approach to life, which is to try new things and give it her best shot while doing so.
“In my early days of being a CEO, I struggled with trying to conform to the stereotypical expectations of a CEO or an entrepreneur. I emulated different leadership styles even though it didn’t come naturally to me. I began to focus instead on the operational aspects of the business – problem-solving and meeting customer needs.
“I actively collaborated with my team, learning from their expertise and understanding what was necessary to achieve our goals. This marked a shift towards a more hands-on, operational style of leadership,” Kim went on.
“As a leader, I remain eager and without preconceptions, as so much of what we do has never been attempted before—it’s become a baseline mode of operations for us at Human Managed,” she added.
Having that in mind, Human Managed embraces diversity in all forms, fostering an inclusive culture that values varied perspectives and talents.
According to Kim, a key element of the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy is flexibility in roles and responsibilities. Rather than being confined to fixed roles, individuals can explore and contribute to different functions across the platform based on their skills and interests.
Many employees at Human Managed have taken on roles different from their educational background, previous jobs, or experience. This approach empowers the team to take ownership of their work and drive initiatives aligned with their passions.
“Ultimately, our focus is on the work and the tasks at hand, valuing each individual’s contributions and fostering an environment where everyone feels respected and appreciated. This inclusive mindset is the foundation of our success as a diverse and vibrant team,” Kim said.
Bringing Enterprises Advanced Tech Capabilities
Central to Human Managed’s approach is its I.DE.A (Intelligence Decision Action) platform – a sophisticated framework comprising modular functions and microservices that integrate data sources and deliver personalised intelligence.
“Companies operate in complex data environments with many different technologies working independently. Additionally, there may be older tech architectures that are not effective.
“Along with possible tech talent shortage, the business may be using solutions without fully understanding their business context or relying on incorrect metrics, eventually leading to information overload. This, in turn, can cause indecisiveness and inaction, exposing companies to potential threats and missed opportunities,” Kim explained.
With I.DE.A, the platform exemplifies Kim’s vision of leveraging AI to solve complex business challenges by integrating data from any source while generating relevant and personalised intelligence, decisions, and actions for cyber, digital and risk use cases.
Looking ahead, Karen envisions a future where AI-driven technologies democratise access to advanced tools, catalysing digital transformation and innovation across industries. She advocates for responsible AI deployment, emphasising the importance of data privacy and ethical considerations in technological advancements.
“I see technologies evolving to make applications of AI easier, faster, and useful while preserving privacy and protecting assets. This will involve service-centric solutions to improve data interoperability, model performance, model output relevance, data privacy, and interaction with data.
“Globally, these technologies will democratise access to advanced tools, levelling the playing field for businesses of all sizes,” she opined.
While Kim’s journey from humble beginnings in telecommunications to her current role as CEO of Human Managed is a testament to her resilience, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to leveraging technology for human-centric outcomes, her story serves as inspiration for aspiring leaders in technology and business, demonstrating the transformative power of embracing challenges with courage and conviction.
