Aon Hewitt and Sasin share the Best Employers' value proposition and outlook into 2016

Bangkok , 5th Novem ber 2015 - Today Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), and global leader in human resources consulting and outsourcing solutions, and Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University held a media briefing to launch the 8th annual Best Employers - Thailand 2016 Program at Sasin Royal Hall, Chulalongkorn University. Guest of Honour Mrs. Vilasinee Puddhikarant, Chief Customer Officer of Advanced Info Service (AIS) shared the experiences that led to AIS becoming a Best Employer in Thailand for the second consecutive year.'

Professor Dipak C. Jain Ph.D., Director of Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University, said, 'One of the drivers of business success in the 21st century is the ability to acquire and retain human talent. Sasin has been a proud partner of Aon Hewitt for 15 years because, in addition to recognizing the best employers in Thailand, this program focuses on knowledge creation and dissemination - sharing best practices with all of the participants - which is also at the heart of Sasin's mission as a school of management.'

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siriyupa Roongrerngsuke, Director - HRM Program, Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University and Honorary Research Fellow in HRM and Leadership of Birkbeck College, University of London has shared her experience as a chairman of the judging panel in the Best Employers program :'One of the major reasons that Sasin decided to partner with Aon Hewitt in conducting the Best Employers program in Thailand for more than a decade is our devotion to the academic excellence in Human Resources studies. We focus on the accuracy of the research methodology, and the 360-degree data collection from CEO, HR unit, and employees. Besides thevery strict research methodology, the judging members have extensive knowledge and experience in different management functions. Thus we can ensure that the results of the judging panel represent world-class standard. The process is fair and transparent as the judges are not allowed to know the name of any participating organisations. And for the participating organisations, joining the studycan be compared to a big 'check-up' for them. They learn details about their strengths and weaknesses and about their people management in comparison to otherorganisations that are excellent in people practices. So they can improve their practices with more focus.'

Dr Adisak Chandprapalert, Managing Director of Aon Hewitt Thailand, discussed the relevance of the Best Employers program to the business community, especially to those in the human resources field. He said: 'This annual study highlights the human resources-related factors that can expand an organisation's capabilities and its ability to gain a sustainable business advantage on a journey to become a Best Employer that every employee would like to work for. This program aligns with Aon Hewitt's vision of empowering organisations and individuals to secure a better future through innovative human capital solutions'. In his remarks at the media briefing, Dr Adisak focused on the 'challenges facing modern CEOs and the in-depth key findings from the Best Employers - 2015 Program'.

According to the IMF, Thailand's economy is currently in a recovery phrase and Thailand's CEOs remain confident regarding the growth of their organisations. Nevertheless, human resources management poses the most challenge to both Thai and Asian's CEOs. According to Best Employer's research, CEOs in Thailand believe that critical skill shortages, rising salaries, and an inadequate leadership pipeline present the top human resources challenges. 'Human factors have posed the top challenges for Thai management for many years. It is a shocking fact that many organisations do not have an expedient backup plan to manage this risk', said Dr Adisak. He continued: 'The organisations that have been recognised as Best Employers are more ready in all aspects of human resources management. They exhibit high employee engagement, a compelling employer brand, effective leadership, and a high-performance culture - all are important factors that create sustainable business growth.'

Ms. Jutharat Winitchaiyanan, Best Employers 2016 Project Manager at Aon Hewitt Thailand said, 'The Best Employers study demonstrates that the HR department is an important mechanism that drives the organisation towards success.' This perspective aligns with the findings from 400 CEOs in Asia and underscores the strategic importance of the HR role in business. Moreover, Ms Jutharat revealed that the key to the success of every Best Employer is based on HR's active role in business development in

  1. determining the HR strategy in relation to other business functions;
  2. the alignment of different stakeholders through strong communication and action planning; and
  3. placing great emphasis on work process by benchmarking with external organisations and prioritising the work results.

The Best Employers program results demonstrates that companies recognised as Best Employers have better business outcomes compared to other organisations in both revenue and profit. Therefore, HR is no longer limited to simply 'managing human capital'; it exerts a clear impact on business outcomes.

Mrs. Vilasinee Puddhikarant, Chief Customer Officer of AIS, recognised as a Best Employer for two consecutive years, said: 'The Best Employers is an award to prove that our organization values our employees and our effort has been recognized by the world's international standard. Most importantly, it guarantees that AIS Call Center's success comes from our employee's believes and confidence in the future of our organization. Therefore they are willing to put in their full effort in their works in order to grow and develop sustainably together with the organization'

Ms. Jutharat Winitchaiyanan commented, 'Many organisations are concerned about participating in the Best Employers program because they look on it as a competition. Therefore, they say they will participate only when they feel ready. But in fact, their level of readiness will be enhanced by active participation in Best Employers. The decision to participate in the Best Employers program marks the start of the journey toward becoming a Best Employer.'

Thai language version of this press release is available, please contact bestemployersthailand@aonhewitt.com

ENDS

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global provider of risk management, insurance brokerage and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 69,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative risk and people solutions. For further infor­mation on our capabilities and to learn how we empower results for clients, please visit: http://aon.mediaroom.com

About Sasin
Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University In 1982 the founders of the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration set out to create a graduate-level management school that would stand side by side with the world's best management schools. To achieve this, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's pre-eminent university, collaborated with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, two of America's globally-renowned business schools.

About the Aon Hewitt Best Employer 2016 Program
The largest program of its kind globally, Best Employers has been running for 15 years in Asia Pacific. The 2016 program will be conducted in twelve countries in Asia Pacific: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, as well as Australia and New Zealand. The Aon Hewitt Best Employers program aims to provide rich insights on how to create real competitive advantage through people, exploring what makes a workplace of choice, and identifying the Best Employers in the region. For the organisations that are interested in participating in the 2016 program and require further detailed information, the program is open now until February 29th 2016 or contact us at 02-305-4700. For more information and registration, please visit: www.bestemployersasia.com

Media Contact Aon Hewitt :
Romy Serfaty
Tel. 852.2917.7952
romy.serfaty@aonhewitt.com

Media Contact Sasin:
Praewthip Danwarawijitr
Call. 02.218.3853-4
praewthip.danwarawijitr@sasin.edu

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