About Us • SHRI
OUR MILESTONES
Journey with us as we look back at 60 years of powering human capital in Singapore
1965
SHRI was founded on 24 November 1965. Back then, we were known as the Singapore Institute of Personnel Management (SIPM) and aimed to enable local personnel managers to become more effective in their work.
1966
Our inaugural meeting was held on 31 July 1966, with Mr Steven Sim as our first President and Mr Chew Seng as our Vice President. Other annual events were organised over time, such as SIPM's first Annual Dinner in 1968.
1976
SIPM’s reputation continued to improve, achieving international recognition when our president, Mr Lawrence Mah, received the Institute of Personnel Management (IPM) Presidential Award and fostered close ties with IPM UK. Locally, our 1977 Supper Nite event was attended by Mr Devan Nair, Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and President of the International Confederation of Free Trade Union (ICFTU) - Asian Regional Organisation.
1979
SIPM's Training and Education arm was launched in 1979. This led to more developments in SIPM’s programmes and courses, including our first Diploma in HRM to provide students with formal HRM training, and the establishment of an academic board in 1984.
1987
The inaugural SIPM Award for Excellence in HRM was launched in July, with the goal of upgrading personnel management in Singapore. Awards were presented to the winners three months later at a highly successful Annual Dinner and Dance attended by over 400 members.
1989
SIPM was admitted as a member of the Asia Pacific Federation of Personnel Management (APFPM), which is affiliated to the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations (WFPMA).
1993
Members voted to have the name of the institute changed from SIPM to the Singapore Institute of Human Resource Management (SIHRM), along with a new vision.
1998
SIHRM was renamed as Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI). This transformation also led to the unveiling of a new logo, and the launch of a new website a year later in 1999.
2005
On 7 November 2005, SHRI Corporation Pte Ltd (SHRI Corp) was established as SHRl's enterprise arm. It focused on enabling knowledge acquisition and skills development at both corporate and individual levels, and offered practice-oriented corporate training, development and consultancy for skill upgrades.
2006
SHRI aided in organising the 11th World HR Congress (WHRC) in Singapore, one of the world's most prestigious and influential human resource congresses. Then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, opened the event which saw a record attendance of 2,000 delegates, including delegates from 65 countries.
2015
We commemorated our 50th anniversary with a celebratory dinner on 10 July 2015, marking five decades of championing human capital excellence. The milestone event was attended by guests including Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say and international partners from Australia, Cambodia, Chile, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
2024
Through the launch of our first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) event in 2024, titled Hearts & Hands: Fill A Bag, Fill A Tummy, SHRI worked together with volunteers from our network to pack charity bags filled with daily necessities for underprivileged families.
Moving forward, SHRI remains committed to serving the HR community and being at the forefront of the industry. This is reflected in our mission and vision statements.
Mission
To elevate human capital excellence, champion transformative people strategies, and empower individuals and organisations to drive lasting societal and economic impact.
To emerge as the leading authority in progressive HR and leadership practices, shaping the future of human capital excellence in Singapore and beyond.
We invite you to join us on our journey as we continue to make a difference for HR professionals in Singapore and beyond.
