Hartini Jaapar brings over 9 years of progressive experience in Human Resources, spanning think tanks, education, semi-government agencies, and government services. She began her career as an Assistant Director at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) before advancing to SME Corporation Malaysia as an Assistant Manager, strengthening her foundation in organisational development and talent management. Her career progressed significantly at Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), where she served as the sole HR personnel for six years, managing end-to-end HR functions including workforce planning, policy formulation, performance systems, staff well-being, and strategic HR alignment. She later joined St. John’s International School as Human Resources and Training Manager, leading HR audits, ISO 9001 internal audits, annual budgeting, cost controls, and the institution’s full audit cycle.

As the Senior Manager, Operations at IDEAS Malaysia, Hartini oversees 3 critical units—Human Resources, Programme Secretariat, and Administration—ensuring robust organisational systems and seamless coordination across the think tank and the IDEAS Autism Centre (IAC). Her portfolio covers workforce planning, policy and process improvements, performance management, and operational support across departments, contributing to stronger systems and culture at IDEAS.

Hartini’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons.) in International Business from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), complemented by her professional certification as a Human Resource Manager. Her diverse cross-sector experience and strong institutional leadership continue to strengthen IDEAS’ internal capacity, operational excellence, and organisational resilience.