Ms Joy Xu was appointed Group Chief People & Culture Officer in August 2023, responsible for leading DFI’s People & Culture and operationalise its ambitious People & Culture Strategy across all functional areas, formats and banners in all markets.

Ms Xu brings 30 years of international expertise in HR leadership roles across the globe, having worked in the US, China, UAE, Germany and Hong Kong. She previously held leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Sandoz (formerly a Novartis company) and Manulife.

Ms Xu has received various international awards for her contributions to HR, including being named a Global Rising Star by Global Women Forum in 2007 and 2008. She was honoured with an HR Excellence award by World HRD Congress in 2010 and named one of the 501 Most Fabulous Global HR leaders by the same organisation in 2020. In 2022, she received the Imergey Luminary Award and in 2024 and 2025, she was named one of Asia’s Most Inspirational Women in Leadership by House of Rose Professional.

Ms Xu served as a board director at LumiVoce Foundation Limited, a Hong Kong based education charity supporting biodiversity learning through the arts.

Ms Xu holds a bachelor’s degree in applied English from the South China University of Technology and a postgraduate degree in organisational leadership from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Synopsis

Where Talent Grows and Thrives: Building People, Businesses and Possibilities in a Changing World

In “Where Talent Grows and Thrives,” Ms Joy Xu will explore how DFI Retail Group is building a multi-generational workforce and creating an environment where people, regardless of age or career stage, have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Drawing on DFI’s experience, she will share how a connected development journey can support colleagues from frontline and store roles through to leadership, while learning, career mobility and internal opportunities help people build meaningful and evolving careers. She will also consider how AI can amplify human potential, enabling people to learn, contribute and create value in new ways.