Finance Podcast: Rest's Karen Tan - Strategic Transformation

Driving Transformation Through Adaptability and Leadership

In an increasingly complex financial landscape, organisations must balance growth, governance and resilience while navigating constant change. In the latest episode of the Finance Podcast, Karen Tan, General Manager of Strategic Procurement and Workplace at Rest, joins host Liam Coleman to discuss strategic transformation, leadership, procurement and the importance of professional networks in driving organisational success.

Building a Career Through Curiosity and Adaptability

Tan's career journey was anything but conventional. Originally educated in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia, she studied English and Mathematics before entering financial services through a short-term contract role at Westpac. What began as a six-week opportunity evolved into a career spanning banking, wealth management, operational risk, supplier governance, strategic transformation and procurement.

Throughout her career, Tan has consistently embraced unfamiliar challenges, volunteering for complex projects and stretching beyond traditional job descriptions. This willingness to adapt, learn and tackle difficult assignments became a defining characteristic of both her professional growth and leadership style.

Creating a Procurement Function from the Ground Up

One of the defining moments of Tan's career came when she joined Rest to establish its procurement function from scratch.

Tasked with building the capability in a rapidly growing organisation, she faced the challenge of creating policies, frameworks, governance structures and teams while simultaneously guiding the business through significant cultural change.

Rather than tackling the challenge alone, Tan leaned heavily on her professional network, seeking advice from experienced peers who had successfully built similar functions. Their guidance helped shape her early roadmap and reinforced the importance of collaboration when navigating unfamiliar territory.

The experience highlighted a lesson that continues to influence her leadership approach today: transformation is rarely achieved alone.

Why Relationships Matter More Than Ever

Throughout the discussion, Tan repeatedly returns to the value of professional relationships and reciprocal networks.

She believes many professionals underestimate how willing others are to offer support, advice and mentorship. By actively building relationships and creating value for others, leaders can access perspectives, expertise and opportunities that accelerate both personal and organisational growth.

For Tan, leadership is not about having all the answers. Instead, it is about recognising when to seek support, bringing the right people together and creating environments where teams feel empowered to solve problems collectively.

Redefining Procurement Beyond Cost Savings

The role of procurement has evolved significantly in recent years. While traditional procurement functions often focused heavily on cost reduction, Tan argues that modern procurement leaders must take a broader strategic view.

Today, supplier decisions are increasingly influenced by resilience, sustainability, cyber security, reputation and long-term partnership potential. Organisations must assess whether suppliers can support future strategic ambitions, withstand market disruption and align with corporate values and ESG commitments.

This shift requires procurement teams to move beyond transactional relationships and focus on creating sustainable value across the entire supplier ecosystem.

Building Resilient Organisations in a Volatile World

As geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility and supply chain disruption continue to impact businesses globally, resilience has become a critical success factor.

Tan explains that procurement leaders now play a central role in assessing supplier sustainability, operational stability and long-term viability. Organisations must carefully evaluate whether suppliers can support future growth strategies while maintaining service continuity during periods of disruption.

This broader approach helps businesses strengthen their operations while protecting customers, stakeholders and long-term financial outcomes.

The Power of Strategic Partnerships

For Tan, the strongest supplier relationships are built on shared goals rather than purely commercial negotiations.

When evaluating potential partners, Rest looks beyond pricing and contractual terms to understand cultural fit, executive alignment, innovation potential and long-term collaboration opportunities. By establishing strong foundations early, organisations are more likely to unlock meaningful value throughout the life of a partnership.

This approach allows procurement to act as a strategic enabler of transformation rather than simply a cost-control function.

Conclusion

Karen Tan's career demonstrates the value of adaptability, resilience and collaboration in modern finance and procurement leadership. By combining strategic thinking with strong professional relationships, organisations can successfully navigate transformation, build more resilient supplier ecosystems and create sustainable long-term value.

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