Suzhou, December 17, 2014 -- In the recently announced 17th China Staff Awards, Ms. Marie Wang, head of ABB China Human Resource Center, won "HR Director of the Year 2014" by virtue of her effective initiatives in talent management.

China Staff Awards is an annual event in Greater China, known as "Oscars of HR” in the human resources field. This year’s awards focus on recognizing organizations and individuals who have helped improve the enterprise through innovations in human resources management.

Marie said: "I feel so honored to receive this award. It is not only the recognition of my personal work but also the recognition of ABB’s HR strategy and culture of innovation. Innovation is ABB's DNA and is not only reflected in the field of R&D but also deeply rooted in ABB’s business processes and organizational structure. HR management also requires constant innovation to explore and optimize training programs, thus to better support the company's business to step into the next level."

Marie has rich experience in HR management and has worked at various HR positions in ABB. During the time she served as the HR partner of ABB China Power Products Division, she launched a young people development program, organizing young talents to form cross-business teams to complete different projects, cultivating talents to support the company’s business development. In addition, Marie has also initiated a series of innovative HR programs, such as internal mobility at Power Products Division, a communication mechanism for expatriate staff and the female employee development plan, bringing innovation into every aspect of talent cultivation to support staff growth at ABB.

Talent is the driving force for ABB’s development. ABB attaches great importance to local talent cultivation and actively creates a good development space for its employees. Currently, ABB has a complete talent cultivating system ranging from employee selection to evaluation and ongoing training. ABB has also established a learning system which allows its employees to access learning opportunities and practically apply what they have learned, and the company has provided its employees with training courses in management, leadership, expertise and interpersonal communication to improve their competency on all levels.

Meanwhile, ABB provides its employees with clear career development, including paths for management and technical expertise, and has built up a career development platform for its employees within China and the Group. ABB currently has China employees working overseas in more than 10 countries and regions. In recent years, ABB has appointed more locally-cultivated employees to important positions both in the Group and in branches in other countries. In addition to training, ABB has also cultivated talents for the development of the society and the whole industry through projects like the University Innovation Contest and collaborative R&D with universities.

SweeSeng Lee, Head of Human Resources, ABB North Asia and China, said, “Talent is the foundation of ABB’s development, and provides the impetus for long-term development of ABB’s business in China. With inspiring and capable employees, ABB will attract more talents, customers and business partners to achieve goals of the Next Level strategy, and to make the company what we want it to be for all stakeholders: ABB - the place to be for everyone.”

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 19,000 employees, 37 local companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 109 cities.