Betty Gervasini: Pioneering HR Tech Industry with Passion and Vision

Facing obstacles, failures, and setbacks is part of the journey to success 

Betty Gervasini

Fueled by her passion for innovation and deep understanding of the tech landscape, Betty Gervasini, Founder and CEO of HR Forte and Partner at Acclime Group, has made a significant mark as a leader in the industry. With a vision to revolutionize the HR payroll landscape, she is committed to providing innovative and flexible solutions that empower businesses across the region. As a forward-thinking founder, Betty Gervasini prioritizes team empowerment, collaboration, and continuous learning to create an ecosystem of growth, resilience, and success.

In an interview with CIO Women Magazine, Betty Gervasini shared her insights from over 20 years of experience. She talked about what makes a good leader, her career journey, and the changing challenges and opportunities in today’s business landscape. Discover her wisdom!

Let’s start by discussing your educational background. How did your journey after high school shape your professional path?

After completing high school in Malaysia in 1995 with top academic results, I continued my studies at Metropolitan College, Malaysia, excelling once again. I then had the option to attend Curtin University in Australia or Queen’s University in Belfast, UK. I chose Queen’s University and graduated with honors in Accounting in 1999. During my first year, I earned a scholarship for being among the top 10 students.

After graduation, I moved to Dublin, Ireland, and started as a trainee auditor at Big4 while studying part-time at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) to become a Chartered Accountant. Later, I joined Lowry & Associates, where I gained deeper insights into auditing under Mr. Lowry’s mentorship, all while working part-time at a local supermarket to build practical skills. In 2003, I became a qualified Chartered Accountant.

With such a diverse educational and early career experience, what inspired you to transition from a stable corporate job into entrepreneurship, especially in a foreign country like Vietnam?

Though Mr. Lowry offered me a partnership, I chose to pursue entrepreneurship in Asia. Upon returning to Malaysia, I took on lecturing roles and briefly worked as Finance and Admin Manager at a Malaysian local consultancy firm. I then moved to Vietnam in 2006, drawn by the opportunities there despite language and cultural barriers. Over the next 13 years, I founded Finex, a company providing corporate services to foreign investors. The company quickly gained multinational clients and expanded its services. In 2020, Finex was acquired by Acclime Group, where I became a Partner, driving business development across Asia while continuing to support my team in Vietnam.

You’ve made great strides in the HR tech industry. Can you tell us more about the creation of HR Forte? What inspired you to establish it?

HR Forte was established in 2017. It primarily offers a comprehensive, cloud-based HR payroll SaaS solution designed to handle payroll processing across multiple Asian countries. The platform includes a range of HR functionalities such as employee data management, eLeave, eClaims, eTimesheet, eApproval, eReports, and eSigning. Additionally, HR Forte integrates with third-party systems through RestAPIs, providing flexible payroll management solutions for various industries. The company’s sister system, Octopro, further enhances payroll management by offering an aggregator system that consolidates payroll functions for multinational companies in a single platform.

Today, HR Forte operates across Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Payroll engine for Indonesia will be launched in Jan 2025 and with plans to cover Dubai and India by Q1 2025. Additionally, Octopro Systems, developed alongside HR Forte, simplifies payroll management by consolidating payroll functions into a single, user-friendly interface for multinational companies.

What would you say sets HR Forte apart from other payroll solutions currently available?

HR Forte stands out with its customizable, user-friendly payroll solution that integrates seamlessly with HR systems, offers real-time analytics, and ensures compliance and automation for greater efficiency.

1. HR Forte is among the few SaaS solutions enabling users to manage payroll across multiple Asian countries and process international payrolls seamlessly. Our platform includes data analytics features through Octopro, our aggregator system, along with a comprehensive suite of HR Management Systems (HRMS).
2. HR Forte’s simple and flexible design makes it easy to handle different payroll situations. Whether you are a service provider catering to diverse client needs or an HR leader managing employees in different countries, our platform provides the flexibility required for each local payroll.
3. Our SaaS pricing model ensures that you have access to advanced technology at affordable rates, backed by exceptional customer service.

As technology continues to reshape industries, how do you think business leadership has evolved? What skills do you believe modern leaders need to succeed in today’s tech-driven world?

Business leadership has transformed with the rise of technology. Modern leaders must be tech-savvy, adaptable, and forward-thinking to navigate the complexities of today’s business environment. They can now manage teams remotely using tools like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. With big data analytics, leaders have access to vast amounts of data to guide their decision-making, shifting leadership toward a more evidence-based approach rather than relying on intuition. AI has made many tasks easier, allowing leaders to focus more on big-picture goals.

As technology and globalization advance, leaders must adopt a global perspective and understand how to navigate different cultural and regulatory environments. The key to success is embracing change, encouraging innovation, and constantly leveraging new technologies to stay competitive. A Modern leader should empower their teams to take ownership, avoid micromanagement, promote collaboration, and always stay committed to learning, as technology and AI continue to evolve quickly.

Leading a SaaS company in such a competitive market must require a particular set of priorities. From your perspective, what are the most important responsibilities of a CEO in this space?

As a modern CEO of a SaaS company, there are several key roles to embrace in today’s fast-paced and competitive market.

1. Visionary: Setting a clear vision and strategy for company growth.
2. Customer Focus: Enhancing product development and customer experiences based on feedback and trends.
3. Innovation and Product Development: Promoting innovation to stay ahead of competitors and meet customer needs.
4. Partnerships and Alliances: Cultivating strategic partnerships and managing key relationships for mutual benefit.
5. Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, and Security: Ensuring compliance with standards and mitigating data security risks to protect the company’s reputation.
6. Stakeholder Communication: Keeping board members and employees informed and engaged through transparent communication.

Every leader has role models or sources of inspiration. Who are your mentors, and what important things have you learned from their experiences? 

I don’t have a specific role model that I follow throughout my journey. Instead, I draw inspiration from legendary entrepreneurs by reading their biographies. Their stories of how they started, the challenges they faced, and their determination to overcome obstacles offer me great motivation. I’ve explored the lives of figures like Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk.

From these entrepreneurs and my own experiences, I’ve learned several important traits:

• Trust your instincts and believe in what you feel is right, even if it goes against the norm.
• Stay persistent and never give up when facing challenges.
• Be passionate about your work and truly believe in what you’re doing.
• Emphasize delegation—focus on what you do best and trust your team to handle the rest.
• Keep learning and growing.
• Maintain a humble attitude.

Looking back on your career, what are some of the major milestones that stand out to you? Have you received any notable recognitions along the way?

Reflecting on my journey, several major milestones have shaped who I am today as a leader in the HR tech space. Along the way, I’ve also been honored with a few notable recognitions, which reflect the hard work and innovation I’ve dedicated to this field.

• 2011: Had the opportunity to be interviewed by Leaderonomics, where I shared insights on how to start a business in Vietnam. Watch here.
• 2012: Featured on BFM 89.9, a Malaysian radio station, discussing the complexities of doing business in Vietnam. Listen here.
• 2017: Founded HR Forte, which initially served internal purposes. However, in 2020, we pivoted to become a SaaS provider.
• 2019: My previous venture, Finex, which I established in Vietnam to provide a full range of corporate services, was recognized by APAC Business Headlines and CIO Advisor for its outstanding service to global companies and in staffing and recruitment across the Asia-Pacific region. Learn more here.
• 2020: Finex was acquired by Acclime, and I became a partner in the Acclime Group. Read more here.
• 2022: I was honored to be included in the fifth edition of Britishpedia’s “List of Successful People in Malaysia.”
• 2023: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) invited me to write an article for their Tax.Point magazine, where I discussed Hong Kong and Singapore as tax havens. This article reached over 30,000 global members.

You’ve faced various challenges in your career. How do you typically approach setbacks, and what strategies help you move forward when things don’t go as planned?

With over 20 years of corporate experience, I’ve learned that facing obstacles, failures, and setbacks is part of the journey to success. Here are some essential traits for overcoming challenges.

1. Stay Calm: Remaining composed is vital, as anxiety can create more problems and erode others’ confidence. A clear mind enables effective solutions and the ability to seize opportunities.
2. Teamwork: Collaborate with colleagues for fresh ideas and perspectives that can lead to innovative solutions.
3. Respect Others and Control Emotions: Managing your emotions is crucial; expressing anger can demoralize those around you.
4. Separate Work from Home Life: It’s important to leave work issues at the office. Quality family time helps gain fresh perspectives and fosters a positive environment, enhancing your ability to tackle challenges.

Balancing work and personal life can be challenging, especially in demanding leadership roles. How do you manage work-life balance, and what are your hobbies outside of work?

After over 20 years in the workforce, I believe there’s no perfect balance between work and life. While many see work as a means to earn a living and hobbies as leisure activities, I genuinely enjoy my work. I’m passionate about the products I develop and find fulfillment in collaborating with clients and teams. Instead of striving for a strict work-life balance, I view it as prioritization. I take pleasure in my work as much as my time, and this balance can shift over time.

In addition to work, I have several hobbies I cherish.

• Sewing: I love designing and creating projects, including clothing for my family and various gifts. The satisfaction of seeing my finished creations is immense.
• Crafting: I enjoy arts and crafts, involving my kids in projects to spark their creativity. My projects include designing and printing greeting cards, creating custom apparel and miniatures, and making jewelry and ornaments.

I also enjoy jogging, Pilates, skiing, singing, cooking, and baking.

As you look toward the future, what do you see as the biggest challenges business leaders will face, especially in terms of technology and innovation?

I believe that in the near future, one of the biggest challenges for business leaders will be managing the vast amounts of data and information available for decision-making. With today’s technology and AI tools, leaders will have access to detailed and extensive data. This means they need to make informed decisions quickly. Being tech-savvy and having a solid understanding of these tools will be essential for future business leaders to navigate this landscape effectively.

To wrap up, what specific tips do you recommend for young professionals who want to climb the career ladder? 

Follow your passion in your work, and focus on managing your time effectively. Prioritize tasks, as many things can seem urgent or important. Never forget—you can’t do it all alone. Delegating tasks is key, even when you feel no one else can do them quite like you. Keep learning, and make technology your ally—it’s a game-changer.