Santen [TYO: 4536]

Kathleen Kee, Head of HR–EMEA & Asia , drives people strategy as a catalyst for business growth at Santen, a global pharmaceutical company, specialized in eye health, offering innovative products and services in over 60 countries worldwide. With experience across ASIA and EMEA, she aligns talent, leadership, and culture to enable innovation, compliance, and performance in ophthalmology, empowering organizations to thrive in regulated, fast-changing environments.

In an exclusive interview with CIOReview APAC, she shared invaluable insights on how HR becomes most valuable in regulated industries when it drives talent, leadership, and organizational capability for growth.

 

1. Can you share your career journey and the key experiences that influenced your philosophy and led you to your role at Santen?

My career journey has been shaped by a deep belief that people strategy is inseparable from business strategy. I started my career in tax consulting, which gave me a strong foundation in financial fluency and commercial acumen. That early experience taught me to view organisational decisions through both a people and a business lens a perspective that has stayed with me throughout my career in HR.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading people strategy and organisational transformation across APAC and EMEA in complex, matrixed multinational environments. My roles in HR consulting, business partnering, and operations have allowed me to partner closely with executive leaders to architect and execute enterprise-wide programmes, whether in organisational design, leadership development, talent management, or performance enablement.

“HR is not just about processes, it’s about shaping cultures, enabling people to thrive, and aligning talent with strategy to drive sustainable business growth and impact.”

I’ve led major transformation efforts that boosted business performance while embedding a culture where employees can be at their best creating an engaging, inclusive environment for both hybrid and virtual workforces. Each of these experiences I’ve led major transformation efforts that boosted business performance while embedding a culture where employees can be at their best creating an engaging, inclusive environment for both hybrid and virtual workforces. Each of these experiences reinforced my philosophy: that HR’s role is strategic and can enable both people and the business to thrive, with decisions grounded in data, strategic insight, and authenticity.

What drew me to Santen was its mission-driven focus on improving quality of life for patients, combined with the challenge of transforming the HR function to be more strategic. The role offered the opportunity to apply my HR experience in a way that directly supports the organisation’s growth ambitions while fostering a high-performing, purpose-led environment through meaningful and impactful HR initiatives. Today, I continue to be energised by shaping cultures where people can realise their full potential, knowing that this directly drives our ability to make a positive impact on the lives of patients worldwide.

2. How do you approach aligning people strategy with commercial imperatives across such diverse economic and regulatory landscapes?

For me, alignment really begins with understanding the business deeply - its strategy, market dynamics, and growth priorities across each region. I work closely with senior leaders to make sure our people strategy supports those goals, whether that means building leadership bench strength, increasing organisational agility, or improving talent retention.

Given the diversity of economic and regulatory environments, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. I focus on creating regional frameworks with clear standards and guiding principles, while still allowing the flexibility to adapt to local realities like labour laws, market maturity, or cultural nuances.

Data is key in connecting people strategy with commercial outcomes. I rely on insights into workforce trends, productivity, and engagement to guide where we invest and to measure impact, making sure every initiative drives business value while enhancing the employee experience. Ultimately, it’s about striking the right balance between consistency and adaptability so our people strategies feel regional but resonate locally.

3. As expectations around employee autonomy rise, how do you ensure compliance doesn’t become a barrier to innovation and flexibility?

I see compliance and innovation/flexibility not as opposing forces, but as partners in building a high-performing, trusted workplace. It starts with designing policies and processes that are principlesbased rather than overly prescriptive setting clear boundaries on the ‘what’ and allowing teams more freedom in the ‘how.’

In a highly regulated industry, we embed compliance into everyday ways of working through education, tools, and leadership role-modelling, so it becomes part of our culture rather than a box-ticking exercise. There are many initiatives to ensure employees understand the ‘why’ behind the rules, because only then are they more likely to take ownership and act responsibly.

By creating that foundation of trust, we enable greater autonomy whether it’s flexible work arrangements, agile decision-making, or experimenting with new ways of delivering value without compromising on regulatory obligations or ethical standards.

4. In the highly specialized field of ophthalmology, where Santen focuses on prescription medicines for eye-related diseases, where does HR create the most leverage as a strategic partner rather than a back-office function?

In a highly technical and regulated industry, HR creates the most leverage when strengthening the organisation’s ability to innovate, operate compliantly, and compete for top talent. That means building a workforce with the right technical expertise, leadership capability, and adaptability to navigate constant change while embedding a culture where compliance is second nature, not a constraint.

We act as a strategic partner by aligning talent strategies with the company’s growth priorities, whether that’s accelerating product development, expanding into new markets, or deepening specialist skills. At Santen, the people strategy is a key pillar of its 5-year strategic plan to strengthen its leadership in eye health. HR also plays a critical role in leadership succession, organisational design, and fostering cross-functional collaboration, which are essential in bringing complex, regulated products to market efficiently and responsibly.

Ultimately, our impact is greatest when we’re not just managing processes, but shaping the organisational capability and culture that turn strategy into measurable results.

5. What advice would you give HR leaders on driving meaningful change in fast-moving industries, especially when the path forward isn’t fully clear?

In today’s fast-moving world, we’re often challenged to ‘build the plane as it flies’ we rarely have the luxury of perfect information or time to get everything right up front. The first step is to embrace uncertainty and prioritize the problems that need urgent attention.

As you tackle these challenges, be crystal clear about the outcomes you want to achieve and the value those results will bring to the organisation. Acting quickly is important, but it’s equally critical to maintain regular communication and collaboration with key stakeholders. Securing their buy-in is often the difference between successful change and stalled initiatives.

Ultimately, meaningful change requires a balance of speed, clarity of purpose, and consistent collaboration.