Nora Manaf

Datuk (Dr) Nora Manaf is a distinguished leader in human capital development and strategic transformation, recognised globally for her expertise in aligning people, purpose, and performance. As former Group Chief Human Capital Officer of Maybank, Malaysia's largest listed company, she reshaped organisational culture and workforce strategy, with her leadership profiled in a Singapore Management University case study. A Chartered Accountant, Chartered Banker, and Master Professional with credentials from Harvard and Cornell, she received the World Top 10 Women Business Leader Award in 2026 and contributes to Malaysia's 13th Malaysia Plan productivity framework. Her sessions equip leaders and organisations with practical strategies for workforce transformation, inclusive leadership, and sustainable performance in an evolving digital economy.

When Datuk (Dr) Nora Manaf took the helm as Group Chief Human Capital Officer at Maybank in 2008, she set in motion a workforce transformation that would become a defining case study in strategic human capital leadership. Her approach to reshaping culture and performance at Malaysia's largest listed company earned recognition from Singapore Management University, which profiled her methods in a detailed case study examining how organisations can align people, purpose, and performance at scale. In 2026, her sustained contributions to business leadership were recognised internationally when she received the World Top 10 Women Business Leader Award at the World Women Economic and Business Summit in Penang.

A Chartered Accountant, Chartered Banker, and Master Professional credentialed by IHRP Singapore, Datuk Nora has built her expertise through rigorous study at Harvard, Cornell, Heriot-Watt, and UiTM. Her multifaceted career spans strategy, governance, diversity, and sustainability, positioning her as a thought leader on workforce readiness and organisational resilience. She continues to share this expertise through her roles as Adjunct Professor at Universiti Utara Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, whilst contributing to Malaysia's 13th Malaysia Plan, where she plays a key role in shaping productivity frameworks and leadership development targets for 2026 to 2030. Her advisory work extends across multiple national initiatives, including the Future Skills Framework and Maybank's Sustainability Culture and Governance Pillar. As founder sponsor of eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN and Executive Sponsor of Maybank's Women Mentor Women Council, she actively champions gender equity and youth empowerment throughout the region. Her mentorship through the ICAEW-TalentCorp Women in Leadership Programme reflects her commitment to developing the next generation of inclusive leaders.

Datuk Nora equips organisations and leaders with practical strategies for navigating workforce transformation in an evolving digital economy. Her sessions translate complex human capital challenges into actionable frameworks, enabling leaders to build cultures that drive sustainable performance whilst fostering inclusion and innovation. Audiences leave with clarity on how to develop future-ready talent pipelines, embed diversity into decision-making, and lead with purpose in times of disruption. Her insights resonate across sectors, offering organisations tangible pathways to align their people strategies with long-term business success and societal impact.