Coming full circle

A desire to keep learning pushed Sophie Jones to leave her hometown of Hastings and become the first in her family to attend university. In high school she took part in the Young Enterprise Scheme, an experiential programme which gives year 12 and 13 students a taste of entrepreneurship. It sparked an interest in business that led her to enrol in a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science conjoint at the University of Auckland in 2021, majoring in marketing, management and applied sports and exercise science.

Now in her fourth and final year, she has developed a strong skillset with a key takeaway being the importance of stepping outside her comfort zone. “Never say no to opportunities,” she says, citing a University of Auckland Women in Business (UAWB) networking event she attended as an example. “I could’ve sat at home and not gone; I didn’t know anyone there. We got to listen to amazing women industry leaders share their journeys and I met the CEO of a major bank. When would I ever be in that position otherwise?”

This is a sentiment shared by University alumna Dr Susan Chen, who is a trailblazer in the HR world. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in 2005 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce in 2007, she obtained a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a PhD from the University of Stavanger, Norway. Prior to founding her own boutique HR consultancy co:grow in 2023, she spent three years leading offices in ten countries for the video game developer Riot Games Asia.

Based in Singapore, she established the co:grow & Chen Scholarship this year to inspire the next generation of HR professionals. “This scholarship is deeply personal to me,” she explains. “The name Chen represents my family and the values they instilled in me, combined with my company’s mission to make an impact through co:grow. This is our way of giving back, creating opportunities for future HR leaders to challenge the status quo and make a meaningful difference in their careers.” 

Sophie is thrilled to be the inaugural recipient of the co:grow & Chen scholarship. A highlight of her studies was the third-year course ‘Managing People’, which she says fuelled her desire to forge a career in HR. “It’s really nice to be rewarded for your passion – not just your hard work, but your passion. Something you really want to do in the future and make an impact in,” she says.

She is also grateful to be following in the footsteps of a young industry leader. “Dr Susan Chen is all over the world making a difference in so many places. She’s my inspo! It’s so cool to see women being supported by women.” The scholarship allowed her to take time off from her four part-time jobs and focus on her final exams and assignments, while also taking in her last moments at university. With a full-time job lined up for 2025 as an International Management Trainee at Kraft Heinz, she’s excited to develop her business career and see what the future brings. “If I’m not saying ‘no’ to things, I could end up anywhere. But making a difference is the goal.”

Susan wants the scholarship recipients to approach HR with curiosity and embrace innovation as they effect change. “I hope they become leaders who challenge conventional thinking in HR,” she says. “I want them to have the courage to push businesses and leaders to be the best versions of themselves. The future of HR depends on those willing to disrupt traditional methods.”