About #SHRMIAC24
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, nurturing trust, collaboration, and openness isn’t just recommended – it’s imperative. Join us at #SHRMIAC24 as we delve into actionable approaches to foster a thriving work environment rooted in mutual respect, transparent communication, and positive collaboration.
The 13th SHRM India Annual Conference 2024 will empower HR leaders and professionals with the strategies needed to navigate conflicts, champion empathy, and ignite a culture of transparency.
Let’s redefine success and cultivate a sense of belonging where everyone is valued, listened to, and empowered to shape better workplaces and a better world.
Location
Taj Palace, New Delhi
Day & Date
17-18 Oct, 2024
Mobile
1800-103-2198 (Toll Free)
Why Partner
Showcase & Position
your thought leadership
Network & Engage
with your target audience
Grow Your Business
with the right branding
Get Noticed
by the SHRM APAC & India Network of 300,000+ professionals
Cultivate & Focus
on long lasting customer relationships
Gather & Nurture
high-quality sales leads
Envision & Ideate
new products and services
Why Partner
Showcase and Position
your Thought Leadership
Network and Engage
with your target audience
Grow your Business
with the right branding and promotional opportunities
Get Noticed by
the SHRM APAC & India Network of 300,000+ professionals
0
HR Professionals
0
CXOs
0
Global Speakers
0
Knowledge Sessions
Learning Hours
PDCs (Max.)
What you can do at #SHRMIAC24
Be a Change Agent
Theme based sessions for a future-forward focus
Leverage Trending Content
Content tracks including Workplace Culture, Leadership, WorkTech & Strategy
Upgrade your Learnings
Hands-on learning with practical takeaways
Gain New Insights
Acquire new skills and explore new knowledge realms
Rechart your Growth Path
Masterclasses, Lightning Talk Series, Debate, Spotlight Sessions and Discussions for all-round knowledge
Maximize Global Exposure
Network with fellow-leaders and engage in enriching conversations for varied perspectives
#SHRMIAC24 Speakers
Betty Thompson
Board Chair
SHRM
Betty Thompson
Board ChairSHRM
Betty Served as Former Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Booz Allen Hamilton. Since joining the firm in 2008, Betty had been instrumental to transformations that saw Booz Allen evolve to a public company, weather the market downturn, and reposition for growth.
A true pioneer in human capital strategy, Betty drives forward-leaning initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining a global workforce of more than 27,000 people. She led a complete reimagining of our employee value proposition and executive talent management processes, as well as the reshaping of recruiting, retention, and development programs. Notably she has also focused on accelerating diversity and inclusion, and propelling enterprise wellness.
Her prior corporate experience includes VP, Human Resources at Fannie Mae (1993 – 2008) and several senior Human Resource positions at IBM.
Betty holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resources and Personnel Management from American University in Washington, D.C.
Betty was recognized in 2019 as a Top 10 HR Exec to Watch by Washington Executive and in 2015 with the Activist Woman of Excellence Award by the National Association of Female Executive.
Bharat Lal
Secretary General
National Human Rights Commission, India
Bharat Lal
Secretary GeneralNational Human Rights Commission, India
Mr. Bharat Lal joined civil service in July 1988 and presently working as Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India.
Before joining NHRC, he has worked as Director General, National Centre of Good Governance (NCGG), an autonomous institution of the Government of India. Prior to joining NCGG, he was working as Secretary to Lokpal of India, the anti[1]corruption body of the country.
Earlier, he has worked as Founder Mission Director, National Jal Jeevan Mission – a flagship programme started in August 2019 to ensure clean tap water to every household of the country by 2024. He has a long experience of working in water and sanitation sector. He has also worked as Additional Secretary to the President of India.
He has a long experience of working with India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, since he took over as Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001. For a long time, he was responsible for investment promotion in Gujarat and its diplomatic outreach. He has a vast experience of policy making at the highest level, both in state as well as at the Centre.
He believes in ‘out of box’ thinking and finding solutions to solve complex problems
D Shivakumar
Operating Partner, Advent International, Chairman of Board and Board Member (Several Companies & Academia) & Conference Chair - SHRMIAC24
D Shivakumar
Operating Partner, Advent International, Chairman of Board and Board Member (Several Companies & Academia) & Conference Chair - SHRMIAC24
D. Shivakumar, or Shiv as he is popularly known, is a Bangalore born leader and a management thinker.
He is currently Operating Partner at Advent International Private Equity. Previously, Shiv has been Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy at Aditya Birla Group, and Chairperson & Chief Executive Officer at PepsiCo Holdings Private Limited, India. Prior to that he was CEO for emerging markets at Nokia.
Shiv started his career as a management trainee in the Consumer Products Division at Hindustan Ciba Geigy before shifting to Hindustan Unilever Limited where he spent 19 years in sales, marketing and general management positions. He moved to Philips, India as Chief Executive Officer of the consumer electronics division in 2003.
Shiv joined Nokia in 2006 as the Managing Director, India. Under his management, Nokia built its entire services portfolio, including Nokia Life Tools. He was also instrumental in pushing low-cost mobile devices across rural India; making Nokia a dominant brand in India. He is credited for driving Nokia’s brand from No. 71 to No. 1 in the country. He was instrumental in making Nokia one of the top most trusted brands. Shiv moved as Sr. Vice President, Emerging Markets (India, Middle East, Africa) in 2011. This market accounts for 40% of Nokia’s global business and comprises of around 90 countries. His contribution during this time have become case studies at Harvard University, ISB and other Ivy League Institutes.
In 2013, Shivakumar was appointed as the Chairperson & CEO of PepsiCo Holdings Private Limited, India where he managed brand portfolios across beverages, snacks and nutrition. He has been the driving force in bringing PepsiCo’s nutrition portfolio to the forefront with new launches under the Quaker and Tropicana brands. He is known for being the key driver for portfolio transformation and deepen consumer engagement with flagship brands. Apart from overseeing India operations, he also managed PepsiCo’s franchise business across Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
As of January 2018, Shivakumar has joined Aditya Birla Group as the Group Executive President, Corporate Strategy. Aditya Birla Group is one of the largest Indian conglomerates with businesses spread across telecommunications, cement, chemicals, mining, textiles, financial services, retail and e-commerce, among others, in 36 countries.
Achal Khanna
Chief Executive Officer
SHRM India, APAC & MENA
Achal Khanna
Chief Executive OfficerSHRM India, APAC & MENA
Achal Khanna is the CEO for SHRM India, APAC & MENA. SHRM India is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management with more than 3,00,000 HR and business executive members in 165 countries.
Achal is responsible for leading the India operations of SHRM, as well as Asia Pacific operations including Middle-East. She serves on the global SHRM Leadership Team and is responsible for building the brand, expanding its business and developing professional relationships with government agencies, and other HR and business associations in the region.
Achal has over 30 years of work experience. Prior to joining SHRM, she was Managing Director for Kelly India operations; Vice President for GE; and Country Manager for Polaroid India. She has also worked with Dupont, ITC and Cosmo Group in various capacities.
She is a recipient of the “Best Women Executive in India” award.
Achal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics; a Master’s Degree in English Literature and she is an MBA from Delhi.
M Damodaran
Chairperson, Excellence Enablers Private Limited
Former Chairman, SEBI, UTI & IDBI
M Damodaran
Chairperson, Excellence Enablers Private LimitedFormer Chairman, SEBI, UTI & IDBI
Damodaran has held a number of important positions in the Central and State Governments and in India’s financial sector, including Chairman, Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Chairman, Unit Trust of India (UTI), Chairman, Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), Chief Secretary, Government of Tripura. While at SEBI, he was elected Chairman of the 80 member Emerging Markets Committee of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions.
After successful stints at UTI and IDBI, where he successfully led the turnaround efforts, and at SEBI where he introduced improved corporate governance practices, he has set up Excellence Enablers Private Limited (EEPL), a Corporate Governance and Board Advisory consultancy firm. His pioneering role in promoting Corporate Governance in India invests EEPL with an experience-based leadership role in corporate governance advisory work. In addition, he is presently a consultant, advisor, coach and mentor. He is an Independent Director on the Boards of Larsen & Toubro and Biocon, and was till recently an Independent Director on the Boards of Tech Mahindra, Hero MotoCorp and CRISIL. He is a Nominee Director on the Boards of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company. He sits on the Advisory Boards of some foreign entities too. He was the founder Chairman of the Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli. He was the Chairman of Ministry of Corporate Affairs Committee for Reforming the Regulatory Environment for doing Business in India and Chairman of Reserve Bank of India’s Committee on Customer Service in Banks.
Ved Mani Tiwari
Chief Executive Officer, NSDC & Managing Director
NSDC International
Ved Mani Tiwari
Chief Executive Officer, NSDC & Managing DirectorNSDC International
Ved Mani Tiwari is a business leader with global experience across education and skills, transportation, urban infrastructure, renewable energy and cleantech. Currently leading the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) as MD & CEO and NSDC International, a global skill development company, as Chairman, MD & CEO. Passionate about skills and technology and how skills need to be thought from tech enabled perspective. Leading development of several technologies and frameworks for Future of Work. Transformed NSDC from a national company to global operations and from vocational education and training landscape to all-encompassing skilling mandate.
Created a technology enabled playbook for Sterlite Power, which enabled it to win significant number of auctions in Brazil, complete tough projects in sub-zero conditions in Jammu & Kashmir six months before schedule, and complete first transmission project in Brazil 28 months before schedule.
Has created and mentored winning teams and built numerous successful businesses over last 30 years for Sterlite Power, SunEdison, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC), Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), Nagpur Metro Rail Company (NMRC) Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and Indian Railways.
Credited with many firsts - setting up the first of its kind $2.5 bn power transmission development operation in Brazil and the first public listed InVIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust) for Sterlite Power, acquisition of the first large scale utility Solar Park (500 MW) business for SunEdison, setting up the first phase of Delhi Metro as part of core leadership team, developing a unique Social Marketplace led Business Model for Kochi Metro.
Engineering graduate and Postgraduate in Management from ISB. Executive Management Programs from Wharton Business School, Kellogg School of Management and FDC Brazil.
Deepak Sharma
Zone President - Greater India Managing Director & Chief Executive officer
Schneider Electric (SEIPL), India
Deepak Sharma
Zone President - Greater India Managing Director & Chief Executive officerSchneider Electric (SEIPL), India
Deepak Sharma is the Zone President – Greater India and MD & CEO, of Schneider Electric India (SEIPL).
He has 31 years of experience with 26 years at Schneider Electric handling diverse roles based out of India, France, China, and the USA across Energy Management & Industrial Automation businesses. Starting in India as a Product Manager for the Industrial Automation & Power Products business, Deepak has managed various global roles working across the hubs of Schneider Electric.
His journey took full circle when he moved back to India in 2019 and led the integration of L&T Electrical and Automation Business with Schneider Electric as SVP, Mergers & Acquisition. This integration was a key enabler in making India the 3rd largest market and one of the four global hubs of Schneider Electric with 37000+ employees and 30+ factories.
Deepak champions the usage & adoption of energy-efficient and green technologies. He aims to contribute towards a more sustainable, more electric, more digital business and societal environment.
He has graduate and postgraduate degrees, and diplomas in management & Electrical Engineering and is successfully trained, through executive education programs of IIM-Ahmedabad, INSEAD France, and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, USA.
Deepak actively engages with industrial bodies and associations. He is currently
- Vice Chair, CII National Committee on Smart Cities & Urban Development.
- Governing Council Member of Indo French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFFCI).
- Board of Director - Federation of European Business in India” (“FEBI”).
- Board of Director – Schneider Electric – Global – Diversity Equality & Inclusion
- Executive Member - Indian Green Building Council
Pranjal Sharma
Economic Analyst, Advisor & Author
The Next New
Pranjal Sharma
Economic Analyst, Advisor & AuthorThe Next New
PRANJAL SHARMA is an economic analyst, advisor and author based in New Delhi who focuses on technology, globalisation and emerging markets. He is an advisor to boards, industry associations and international institutions. His third book, ‘The Next New: Navigating The Fifth Industrial Revolution’ is about how sustainability, social impact and technology breakthroughs are collectively disrupting global business models. It was published by HarperCollins in June 2023. He read economics at University of Delhi and specialised in business media at University of Westminster, London. A former head of Bloomberg TV in India, he is a speaker at various fora in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Raj Nayak
Founder & Managing Director
House of Cheer Networks
Raj Nayak
Founder & Managing DirectorHouse of Cheer Networks
A well-known name in the Indian Media & entertainment Industry, Raj Nayak is a visionary leader, media maverick, growth spinner, trendsetter and motivational powerhouse.
In his illustrious career spanning three decades, he led some of the largest media conglomerates in the country. Raj started his career with Tata Economic Consultancy and worked at various news publications before joining STAR TV as a founding member in 1992. Starting as an Area Sales Manager, he spent 10 years at STAR TV and grew into the role of Executive Vice President; and was also a part of the Managing Committee. He then moved on to launch NDTV Media Pvt Ltd as its Chief Executive, helping redefine how news was consumed in the country. Before setting up House of Cheer Networks Pvt Ltd, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, where he steered the company to great heights.
His unique prowess to pioneer new concepts and mentor people, make him one of the most respected professionals in the industry. An advocate of happiness, Raj derives his energy from people across all walks of life and believes in the strength of diversity.
Raj has won many awards and accolades. He was awarded the Media Person of the Year 2016 at the IAA Leadership Awards, by the International Advertising Association India Chapter and in the same year, was also awarded the first “Influencer of the Year Award” by Exchange for Media. In 2018, he received the ‘Global Champion Award’ at The International Advertising Association at Bucharest. In addition, he has received the Society Achiever of the Year award for his contribution to Media & Branding, the Humanitarian Award by Amity International for his contribution towards social issues and the Giant International Award for his contribution to the Entertainment Industry. In 2019, he was inducted into the IAA HALL OF FAME by International Advertising Association – IC.
Raj has been an active participant in many industry bodies. He was the President of the Advertising Club and the International Advertising Association India. He has served on the board of Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
The Economic Times named him the second most engaging CEO on social media. Apart from driving such an enormous business, this chief is passionate about food, travel & reading. As someone who believes in spreading cheer and winning hearts, his twitter handle @rajcheerfull reflects his overall personality.
Ashutosh Khanna
Partner - Consumer Markets Practice, South Asia
Heidrick & Struggles
Ashutosh Khanna
Partner - Consumer Markets Practice, South AsiaHeidrick & Struggles
Ashutosh (Ash) Khanna is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ New Delhi office and leads the Consumer Markets Practice in South Asia. With more than 15 years of executive search experience, Ash works closely with C-suite clients to find talent solutions that address increasingly complex business challenges.
Starting with FMCG and then marketing services, his involvement has largely been within the consumer sector. His body of work includes board advisory and executive search for CEO and functional leaders. He leverages the deep relationships he formed within the marketing and advertising sectors to work with clients on senior-level searches in the consumer goods, retail, marketing services, and travel/hospitality sectors as well as digital native companies. In addition to executive search and advisory work, Ash finds satisfaction in building employer branding for start-ups with local and regional business locations.
Prior to Heidrick & Struggles, Ashutosh worked with another global executive search firm for 15 years. Before that, he was COO, India at Grey Worldwide, and with Bayer, Lowe Lintas, and WPP in several P&L roles. He was an independent director on the board of Balaji Telefilms from 2010 through 2020 and a member of the advisory board of Atria Power, a renewable energy company, since 2015.
Ash is an enthusiastic advocate for the campaign against climate change. He and his family were early advocates for saving the Aravalli Forest Range in North India, and he has been lending support to the cause for the last decade. He is also a volunteer at the local Missionaries of Charity Orphanage. During the pandemic, Ash helped in migrant relief work as well as an initiative to help supply under-equipped municipal hospitals and doctors with medical equipment.
Ash was ranked as one of the Top 20 Most Influential Professionals by Economic Times in 2006.
Ashutosh holds a Master’s degree in management studies form Bombay University and Bachelor of Science Degree from Delhi University.
Ashwani Prashara
Chief Human Resources Officer
Reliance Industries Limited - Hydrocarbons
Ashwani Prashara
Chief Human Resources OfficerReliance Industries Limited - Hydrocarbons
Ashwani Prashara is the CHRO, RIL – Hydrocarbons. He has nearly 40 years of global experience across the entire gamut of HR with expertise in driving HR transformational initiatives,
Change Management, HR Capability Building and Industrial Relations.
He has previously served in various HR leadership positions across companies such as Honeywell, Whirlpool, BILT.
Sushil Baveja
Chief Human Resources Officer
Jindal Stainless
Sushil Baveja
Chief Human Resources OfficerJindal Stainless
Sushil Baveja is the CHRO of Jindal Stainless Ltd. Jindal Stainless is the largest stainless steel company in India and ranks amongst the top 10 stainless steel conglomerates in the world.
Sushil has in the past worked across the entire spectrum of HR & IR in professionally-run Indian family business enterprises (Samtel, Dalmia and DCM Shriram) and reputed multinationals (Cadbury, Gillette, Alcatel) for over 38 years leading HR for Factory, Sales and Corporate in India and South East Asia.
Sushil is an alumnus of Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad. He has also done the Advanced Human Resource Executive Program (AHREP) from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
He has been associated with various professional and industry bodies including CII, Assocham, DMA, SHRM and NHRDN.
Prabir Jha
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Prabir Jha People Advisory
Prabir Jha
Founder & Chief Executive OfficerPrabir Jha People Advisory
Prabir Jha, an alumnus of St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and XLRI Jamshedpur is the Founder & CEO of Prabir Jha People Advisory, a boutique platform for retained strategic advisory, talent search and executive coaching.
Combining an impeccable academic and professional record, in his stint as a civil servant, he handled the entire gamut of HR & IR issues of the Indian Ordnance Factories. On his switch to the corporate world, after almost a decade in the government, his initial HR years were with Thermax & Tech Mahindra. Thereafter, Prabir served on the executive team as the Global CHRO at two NYSE-listed Indian majors, Dr. Reddy’s and Tata Motors before moving to lead HR at another Fortune 500 giant as the Group CHRO of Reliance Industries Ltd., making him the only Indian to have headed the HR function of two Fortune 500 companies. Prior to starting his own advisory firm, he was the President & Global Chief People Officer at the pharma major, Cipla.
Prabir, a distinguished HR strategist, advises firms, including startups, in India and abroad, with a special interest in Organisation Transformation, Talent Management, Executive Coaching, OD interventions, Global HR Strategy, Employer Branding, and Leadership Capability Development. Prabir has over the last many years been featured in the ‘List of Most Admired HR Professionals in India’ and has several awards to his credit. He is the recipient of the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM) Medal, the Reckitt & Colman Award, and the Citibank Leaders Award at XLRI, for the “highest level of academic performance, competence, originality, creativity, communication skills and leadership” as also the Director’s Medal in the Civil Services Foundation Course. He was conferred the Asia HRD Award - 2012 for “outstanding contribution to the field of Human Resource Development" and ‘The Distinguished Alumni’ Award at XLRI in 2016. He was named the ‘Digitalist of the Year' by SAP-Mint in 2018. He was ranked No. 1 amongst the 'Top HR Influencers on Twitter from India” by @BloggersAlliance and included in the ET HRWorld Influencers 2022 and LinkedIn Top Voices 2022 lists. He has been part of a New York based think tank of fifteen global CHROs, 'The Thinking Ahead Group'
In addition, Prabir is widely recognized as a transformation guru and an accomplished thought- leader whose views are closely followed across various media platforms. He has been among the most widely followed CHROs globally with more than half a million followers on LinkedIn. He is a sought-after speaker, executive coach, and a visiting faculty at various business schools and top management training institutes. He is on the Board of Trustees for Alcoholics Anonymous in India. He also sat on the HR Advisory Board of the Reserve Bank of India for five years and has been on the Board of companies in the Tata/ Cipla Group.
Ashok Ramchandran
Director- Human Resources
Aditya Birla Group
Ashok Ramchandran
Director- Human ResourcesAditya Birla Group
Ashok who is currently Director – HR at the Aditya Birla Group, joined the group in October 2015 as the Group Executive President, Group HR.
Ashok has over 34 years of rich and varied experience in HR, spanning multiple sectors in companies such as Asian Paints, GE Capital, Tata AIG Insurance and Vodafone India. He has also moved across roles in IR and HR, as well as heading Factory Operations when in Ankleshwar, Gujarat with Asian Paints.
Across his career, Ashok has led HR teams to deliver both strong, strategic impact as well as building depth of HR processes. Ashok is a strong believer in talent and potential and building of strong opportunities and careers for people.
Ashok was awarded the Seasoned HR Professional by NHRDN in 2015, and the CHRO of the Year – 2017 at the Business World Excellence Awards.
Apurva Chamaria
Head of Startups & Venture Capital, India
Google
Apurva Chamaria
Head of Startups & Venture Capital, India
Apurva serves as the Head of Startups & Venture Capital @ Google India. Former SVP & Chief of Staff to CEO & MD of Tech Mahindra.
Apurva has also served as Chief Revenue Officer at RateGain, world's leading SaaS player in travel and hospitality Apurva led RateGain from 20 Mn to 63 Mn ARR in 32 months.
In his previous stint at HCL, he led global corporate marketing and was responsible for brand marketing, employer brand, employee marketing, thought-leadership, digital marketing, analytics, finance and marcom. Other roles at HCL included being a part of the CEO’s office and being a Sales Director at HCL America.
Prior to moving into sales, Apurva was the Global Head of Marketing and Strategy for Enterprise Applications (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, ECMP, I V & VS, Mainframe and Mid-range, Business Intelligence, IT Consulting) leading a geographically distributed team of marketing managers. As a part of the leadership team Apurva worked to successfully identify, acquire and integrate Axon Group Plc (acquisition worth GBP 441 million). He was also involved in setting up the marketing organization, processes and systems in HCL and in the initial days worked as the Category Manager for Lifesciences & Retail.
Apurva also has pharmaceutical industry experience having worked in various sales and marketing positions at Ranbaxy Laboratories (now Sun Pharma). He frequently speaks at various industry conferences like Sales Performance Management, LinkedIn Tech Connect, Microsoft Leaders Speak, ACMP Change Management, and premier B-School events at ISB, IIM-A, IIM-Raipur, FMS, IIMC, IMI, MICA, Great Lakes etc. He was made a Fellow of the All-India Management Association (AIMA) in 2021.
Specialties: Business Strategy, Sales and Marketing Strategy & Operations, Account Management and Client Servicing, Brand Management & Integrated Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing, Sales and Marketing Training, Teaching at B-Schools.
Anish Basu Roy
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
TagZ Foods
Anish Basu Roy
Co-Founder & Chief Executive OfficerTagZ Foods
Anish Basu Roy is the Co-founder and CEO TagZfood. His commitment to health-conscious offerings and leveraging food technology has positioned TagZ Foods as a standout player in the market Anish’s vision extends beyond a single product, emphasizing growth across categories
Prior to TagZfood, he was the co-founder and CEO of Shotang, India’s first on-cloud marketplace for manufacturers, retailers and distributors.
Before co-founding Shotang, Anish spent a decade working across verticals such as sales, distribution, enterprise sales, new business development and enterprises with FMCG giants like Coca Cola and Nokia.
He has also been an active mentor with Coworks Foundry and the TiE YE program.
Anish holds an engineering degree from GEC, Bhopal. He is a management graduate with a PGDM degree from Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune.
Anish has been an avid golfer, trekker, fitness enthusiast, and distance cyclist over the last decade and loves sharing his passion for an active lifestyle with everyone. He also has a penchant for writing and updates his blog with learnings and experiences of running a start-up.
Gaurav Khatri
Co-Founder
Noise
Gaurav Khatri
Co-FounderNoise
Gaurav Khatri, Cofounder of Noise is a celebrated D2C leader and one of India’s youngest entrepreneurs who has built India’s leading and globally top 5 smartwatch brand. A certified commercial pilot and winner of ET 40 under 40, Forbes India Leadership Award, and Exhibit Tech Entrepreneur of the Year, Gaurav champions innovation and strategic growth with a deep understanding of the smart wearable industry and the Indian audience. Gaurav has written a playbook for building India’s largest bootstrapped D2C company only to welcome Bose as their first strategic investor.
A travel enthusiast, Gaurav loves to explore different cuisines and is a gadget fanatic.
His Mantra – Fear of Failure Leads to Failure
Partha Neog
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Vantage Circle
Partha Neog
Chief Executive Officer & Co-FounderVantage Circle
Partha is the CEO and Co-founder of Vantage Circle. He has over two decades of expertise in product and executive management. Partha has a proven track record of scaling great businesses and was instrumental in developing and launching 99acres.com.
He gained remarkable expertise in various industrial verticals when he worked for Aricent, Hughes Software Systems, and Bharat Electronics. He has gained deep insights in unlocking employee productivity using employee recognition and engagement through his experience with several companies and HR departments. His strategic skills in a learning and entrepreneurial environment, where complexity can require a dive into the content and creativity, problem-solving skills and intelligence are maximally utilized.
Partha is a strong believer in being able to have an impact together with a team. He leads the company with innovative flair, a reason why Vantage Circle enjoys a sustained competitive position in the market. Under Partha's leadership, Vantage Circle has become a globally recognized HR Tech company, establishing itself as one of the leading Employee Rewards and Recognition SaaS-software in India, UAE and North America.
Zsolt Feher
Vice President
Hogan Assessment Systems
Zsolt Feher
Vice PresidentHogan Assessment Systems
With 25 years of experience in the consulting industry, Zsolt has delivered numerous workshops on leadership, company and project management, public speaking, and HR development. Zsolt drives the growth of Hogan’s direct marketing and thought leadership campaigns across the globe, and he is also responsible for strategic planning and growth in Hogan’s global business channel.
Working with key global partners, distributors, and multinational consulting companies to integrate Hogan’s solutions into current business offerings, Zsolt also explores new alliance relationships in unrepresented geographies.
Zsolt is a Hogan certified trainer, coach, and leadership advisory specialist. He is also an expert in client assessment systems consulting, business development, and marketing and supply channel optimization. He has authored over 100 articles and publications and is a frequent presenter specializing in leadership and organizational management.
Dr. Pradnya Parasher
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
ThreeFish
Dr. Pradnya Parasher
Founder & Chief Executive OfficerThreeFish
Pradnya is the Founder and CEO of ThreeFish Consulting. She has 20+ years of experience in Strategic HR, Talent Management, Executive Assessment & Coaching. An Industrial-Organizational Psychologist by training. Pradnya has lived and worked in the United States and India.
She is co-author of the book, The Secret Life of Organizations: Invisible Rules of Success for the Young Indian Professional, - which gives an insider view of what makes organizations tick, and helps young professionals take the smart path to the top. Instrumental in bringing Hogan Assessments to India, Pradnya has provided Hogan feedback to hundreds of business leaders. As the Master Distributor for Hogan Assessments in India, she is responsible for ensuring scientific rigour in the application of Hogan solutions across clients, resellers and solution partners.
In the past, she has held various HR leadership roles including Director – People & Organization Capability for Microsoft India, Senior Director & Country HR Head for eFunds, Director & Country HR Head for Discovery Communications, and AVP HR for InterGlobe Enterprises. Her last role was as a Global Talent Assessment Program Manager for Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, USA.
She brings rich experience across a variety of industries and deep understanding of workplace behavior and organizational dynamics to her coaching and consulting engagements. Pragmatic & result focused, Pradnya believes in human potential for transformation. At ThreeFish, she leads the design and implementation of coaching, consulting and learning solutions.
Pradnya has a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida and is a member of the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP). She is a regular attendee and presenter at the Annual SIOP Conferences. She continues to be a Life Member of the National HRD Network in India
Shikha Gupta
Chief Human Resources Officer
Luminous Power Technologies
Shikha Gupta
Chief Human Resources OfficerLuminous Power Technologies
Shikha Gupta is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Luminous Power Technologies, Pvt. Ltd. She holds more than two decades of experience across different sectors in the HR & People domain. Her core skills include employee engagement, talent management, performance management, coaching and mentoring, leadership and HiPo development, career management, and succession planning.
She has joined Luminous from Schneider Electric, where she was the Director of HR and DEI for India and South Asia. In her last role, she was driving people priorities across multiple businesses and functions like Services, Customer experience, Finance & Governance, and Data office and had been instrumental in leading Services evolution and Finance transformation. Additionally, she has been leading the DEI agenda, influencing leaders and employees to bring a shift towards a more equitable and inclusive workplace.
At Luminous, she is spearheading people strategy, policies and practices, strengthening the talent landscape and establishing inclusive culture, to effectively support the business priorities, corporate strategy, and growth agenda. She is also in charge of CSR and administrative functions at Luminous.
Shikha holds a degree in Management from The Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata, and a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Jiwaji University, Gwalior along with a certification in Hogan Assessment. Her educational background and extensive industry exposure has given her a nuanced understanding of industry needs and practices, which she adeptly applies to drive the growth and success of people & CSR functions at Luminous. Her expertise plays a pivotal role in shaping the organizational culture and building collaboration among the Schnieder Electric group companies, including Luminous.
The rapid pace of energy sector evolution promises immense potential and opportunities for Luminous. Shikha’s expertise in building agile and future-ready workforce supports this vision of growth and transformation at Luminous.
Before joining Schneider Electric, Shikha has been associated with WNS Global Services, JP Morgan Chase, Wipro Ltd, and Infosys Tech.
Rachna Kumar
Chief Human Resources Officer
Hero MotoCorp
Rachna Kumar
Chief Human Resources OfficerHero MotoCorp
Rachna is a seasoned HR professional with over two decades of diverse experience in various industries like consumer goods (FMCG and durables), oil and gas, and retail.
In her last assignment, Rachna was the Head – Human Resources, Asia at the Whirlpool Corporation, where she was part of the Asia and Global Leadership teams. Before that, she worked with large MNCs such as Trent Ltd., The Coca-Cola Company, Castrol and Philips.
An MBA, Rachna specializes in simplifying HR processes and fostering inclusion. During her illustrious career, she has been recognised for building agile and effective organization structures, embedding performance-oriented cultures, enhancing organisational capabilities and enabling progressive employee relations.
She has a proven track record of partnering closely with business leaders to align HR strategies. Dedicated to creating synergies throughout an organisation, she believes in driving a fair and inclusive culture with authenticity, collaboration and simplicity. Beyond her corporate commitments, she has been engaged in multiple causes for the uplift of women in India.
Rachna joined Hero MotoCorp as the Chief Human Resources Officer in January 2024 to lead the company’s diverse and global HR function.
Sourabh Deorah
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
AdvantageClub.AI
Sourabh Deorah
Co-Founder & Chief Executive OfficerAdvantageClub.AI
Sourabh Deorah is the Co-founder & CEO of AdvantageClub.AI. A Master’s degree holder in Computer Science from UCLA, majoring in AI. AdvantageClub.ai is redefining employee engagement with 5Mn+ employees, has a presence in 100+ countries, and has partnered with 1000+ corporate companies across the globe. AdvantageClub.ai plans further to revolutionize employee engagement with AI in their solution. Sourabh has been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by The Economic Times Ascent and recognized as one of Times 40 Under 40 Achievers.
Ruchi Mago
Chief Human Resources Officer
Orange Business
Ruchi Mago
Chief Human Resources OfficerOrange Business
Ruchi is a dynamic HR leader with nearly 20 years of transformative experience across all facets of human resources.
As part of the Global HR leadership team at Orange Business Internationally, she currently heads Human Resources and Employee Experience for India and serves as the APAC Diversity Lead.
Renowned for her strategic thinking, agility, and ability to lead diverse teams across geographies, Ruchi has driven numerous global initiatives, including building a Center of Excellence for Talent Acquisition and establishing GCCs in India and Malaysia. Her expertise spans Total Rewards, Talent Management, and Strategic HR projects, making her a pivotal force in shaping innovative HR solutions and creating high-performing teams.
Madhuri Mehta
Chief Human Resources Officer
Emaar India
Madhuri Mehta
Chief Human Resources OfficerEmaar India
Ms. Madhuri Mehta is the Chief Human Resource Officer at Emaar India. With a stellar career spanning over 23 years, she leads the company’s HR initiatives. Her trajectory demonstrates her unwavering dedication to building a people-first organization by nurturing talent, promoting ethical principles, and leading value-driven initiatives.
Ms. Mehta has been instrumental in developing Emaar India as an ethical and transparent organisation, based on the ethos of hard work, commitment, loyalty, ethics & integrity. Her distinctive approach as an HR leader is firmly rooted in her close partnership with business stakeholders. She has been instrumental in developing talent strategies that synergise with organisational objectives and implementing these in an ethical manner. Her extensive experience covers industries such as telecommunications, manufacturing, consumer business, and real estate, demonstrating her adaptability and versatility in dynamic business environments.
Ms. Mehta shares Emaar India’s commitment to delivering excellence in the real estate landscape and developing a process-oriented organisation. She is responsible for the entire spectrum of HR functions, including culture development, capability enhancement, organizational design, change management, diversity and inclusion, talent acquisition, learning and development, CSR, and employer branding, under her capable leadership. She has effectively elevated Emaar India’s people culture by establishing HR Policy benchmark, review & realignment, people & culture focused growth, performance & development and strategic recruitment to name a few.
Ms. Mehta’s achievements reach beyond corporate corridors. Her strong ethical perspective, combined with a values-based management style, marks her as a leader who values both outcomes and the ethical means by which they are achieved. She has received many prestigious awards in recognition of her invaluable contributions. Her leadership connects with people around her, promoting an environment of growth and collaboration.
Before joining Emaar India, she held the position of Head of Human Resources at Dalmia Bharat, where her primary focus was on facilitating growth through both organic and inorganic expansion. During her tenure, she established a robust HR system to actively drive and support the company's growth initiatives.
Ms. Mehta’s illustrious career trajectory as a Chief Human Resources Officer has been marked by a transformative approach, an unwavering commitment to ethical practices, and a desire to give back to the community. Her focus on giving back to society displays her dedication to societal well-being, outside the realm of her corporate responsibilities. She is also the founder of Ble Orb Foundation which focuses on holistic development of children and works in the field of value education. She continues to inspire HR professionals and others at Emaar India, embodying the fusion of human resources excellence with ethical and societal values.
Ravi Jayasekera
Acting Chief Executive Officer & Chief People Officer
Hemas Holdings PLC
Ravi Jayasekera
Acting Chief Executive Officer & Chief People OfficerHemas Holdings PLC
Ravi Jayasekera is the Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief People Officer of Hemas Holdings PLC, Sri Lanka. With over 20 years in HR leadership, Ravi is known for his ability to transform organisations through innovative, people-focused strategies.
Ravi's career began in the banking sector, starting in business roles at ANZ Grindlays Bank before transitioning to HR. He has held senior HR leadership positions at Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC, including roles such as Head of HR for Sri Lanka, Australia, and Mauritius, and Senior Manager Group HR at HSBC. His notable achievements include leading the People and Culture transformation at Union Bank of Colombo following its acquisition by TPG.
As Vice President of the Association of HR Professionals, Ravi champions community building in HR and advocates for continuous upskilling of HR professionals.
A firm believer in the power of human potential, Ravi is driven by his mission to help organisations change and people succeed.
Mayank Rautela
Chief Human Resources Officer
Apollo Hospitals
Mayank Rautela
Chief Human Resources OfficerApollo Hospitals
Mayank Rautela, the Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Apollo Hospitals, brings over 23 years of extensive professional experience. He is heading the strategic HR functions for India’s largest healthcare organization.
Mayank has led teams and managed cross-functional projects to drive business strategies. He also has international experience of heading HR in European Emerging Markets and Middle East.
He is an inclusion and diversity enthusiast and passionate about organizational change management and HR transformation.
His background also includes leadership roles across various industries, including hospitality, healthcare, and financial services.
Raj Tanwar
Chief Human Resources Officer & Chief Strategy Officer
Advantage Club
Raj Tanwar
Chief Human Resources Officer & Chief Strategy OfficerAdvantage Club
Raj is an official Forbes HR Council member and a well-known and recognised HR professional in the industry. In his two decades of global, cross-cultural HR experience, he has worked in various industries, including IT/ITES, Oil & gas, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering and Manufacturing. He has lived and practised HR in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Russia, and Europe.
He is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Advantage Club (AC). It’s a Global HR Technology (SaaS) platform serving 3.5 million employees in employee engagement, well-being, financial health, benefits, perks, rewards and recognition on a single platform. Headquartered in Delaware, Advantage Club has a strong presence in approximately 100+ countries worldwide, serving more than 1000+ Corporates and offering exclusive deals on more than 10,000+ brands.
In his previous role, Raj led Concentrix's global digital talent strategy across 40 nations. Additionally, he spearheaded the line HR department for 70,000 employees across 13 locations in India and the ASEAN region. Raj played a crucial role in the company's expansion into Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. He also started the automation and modernization of Concentrix's HR operation. Leading newspapers, business journals, TV stations, and international conferences feature his opinions and perspectives. He has also received many prestigious industry honours for his various contributions.
His formal qualifications include PGDM from Symbiosis and further study in Digital Transformation from Columbia Business School, Managerial & Leadership Effectiveness from IIMA, and Design Thinking & Innovation from Emeritus, Singapore. He is also a certified M&A Specialist from Aon Hewitt.
Gopal Mehrotra
Head Human Resources
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited - Mittal Energy Limited
Gopal Mehrotra
Head Human ResourcesHindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited - Mittal Energy Limited
Gopalji Mehrotra is a strategic HR leader partnering Boards and CEOs in leading large scale global transformational programs for businesses at inflection point.
He has three decades of deep and diverse experience in 6 industry sectors (FMCG, Manufacturing, Pharma, Automobiles, IT, Energy and Chemicals) with first hand exposure to cultures in 21 countries gained while contributing to growth of businesses via accelerated global expansion, cultural transformation, mergers and acquisitions.
He currently heads HR at HMEL, leading change for future-readiness of a $12 billion Oil and Chemicals business into a $25 billion Integrated Energy Corporation.
Passionate about building hi-performing teams and nurturing leaders while growing businesses, he is also an ICF certified MCC Coach and a mentor to CXO’s. Beyond the boardroom he is a history buff with a penchant for discovering evolution of world civilizations and their cultures. As an intrepid explorer he loves adventure and nature and can be found on Himalayan treks and off-roading trails.
Billy Elliott
Regional Director, Asia-Pacific
Top Employers Institute
Billy Elliott
Regional Director, Asia-PacificTop Employers Institute
Billy Elliott is the Top Employers Institute's Regional Director for APAC and has been with the firm for over 15 years. He has worked in various positions covering marketing, sales, HR auditing and operations. Exposure to different business units and a passion for people management have given him the solid foundation needed to oversee the APAC Certification Programme. He is responsible for the APAC region's commercial success, working closely with the marketing, client success and certification delivery clusters to support our clients in achieving their HR & business goals. Billy strongly believes in the Top Employer Institute's purpose and is dedicated to accelerating the impact of HR strategies and practices to enrich the world of work.
Rohit Vishal Gupta
CHRO
Varun Beverages
Rohit Vishal Gupta
CHROVarun Beverages
Rohit has been the Head Of Human Resources with high performance track record in various industries including FMCG, IT, Healthcare, Packaging & Printing and Apparel industries. Highly Skilled in Talent Management, Strategic HRM, Industrial relations and Employee Engagement with proven credentials in handling scale globally and built capabilities for scaling up of businesses in Subcontinent and working across global stakeholders.
Rohit was a Global Leader at Wipro Ltd for Talent Management, Behavioral L&D, CHRO technology org and HR and prior to that CHRO Wipro GE Healthcare South Asia, Director HR- GEBE. Head CSR & Head Education Solutions Initiative.
He was CHRO and Management Committee Member - Printing and Packaging Business and Personal Care products business in ITC Group
Rohit is Certified Coach, Post graduate from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Graduate in Industrial Chemistry with top honours from Delhi University
Irani Srivastava Roy
Chief Human Resources Officer - India Subcontinent
Signify
Irani Srivastava Roy
Chief Human Resources Officer - India SubcontinentSignify
Irani Srivastava Roy, CHRO, Signify India (earlier known as Phillips Lighting), the world leader in lighting. She leads HR for the India organisation and is based out of Gurgaon. She is responsible for aligning the organization’s people strategy with business objectives, building a transformational and diverse organization, talent development and management and implementing HR systems and policies.
Irani is an accomplished leader and brings with her a rich experience of over 23 years of HR Leadership, Strategy consulting, and business partnering in both domestic and international markets.
Before joining Signify India, she was part of Max Life Insurance as the Head of HR for Distribution, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and CSR. Some of the other organizations she has worked earlier for are Accenture Strategy Consulting, IMGC, RBS, ABN Amro, HDFC Bank, and PwC.
She completed a Post Graduate Diploma holder in Business Management from IMI, Delhi. On her personal side, she has interests in travelling and forest & wildlife conservation and actively works with tribal villages in Jharkhand towards this purpose.
Sulbha Rai
Chief People Officer
RenewBuy
Sulbha Rai
Chief People OfficerRenewBuy
Sulbha has a multi-faceted 18 years of experience in the Human Capital profession focused on Strategic HR interventions driving business optimization. Her strength is designing and conceptualizing sophisticated processes, driving organizational and people capabilities.
She has developed a Global perspective and cross-cultural competence through her experiences and has strong networking and relationship management skills. She nurtures an excellent connection with Leadership and people across levels and organisations.
She has earlier worked at EY, driving strategic and innovative People Strategy.
She later started her entrepreneurial journey and founded People Matrix – an HR consulting firm committed to leveraging ‘People’ assets to organizations success and creating a winning proposition for business and people.
Currently, she is the Chief People Officer at RenewBuy, an insurtech player which brings insurance and financial products to end consumers through its large distribution model.
She has a BE in Electronics and Comm and an MBA in HR & Finance.
Rajan Kalia
Co-Founder,Salto Dee Fe &
Faculty, The Fast Future Executive
Rajan Kalia
Co-Founder,Salto Dee Fe &Faculty, The Fast Future Executive
Rajan works in the area of Business Enablement and Leapfrogging Organisations to the next orbit of growth. His firm focuses on 4 practice areas - Talent Management, Organisation Transformation, Executive Search and Leadership Skilling. He and his team has cre-ated the revolutionary One Minute Feedback mobile application tool, Karma Notes.
Rajan has a rich and varied 28 years experience in Human Re-sources . He does cuNng edge Talent Management work with Marc Effron for Fortune 100 companies across the globe, closer home he is involved with Harvard Business Press, Stanford Seed and SHRM advising, consulting, teaching and coaching their clients.
For the past 9 years Rajan has been consulting, advising, training, coaching and launching organisations in their next growth orbit. He has worked with over 100 clients in varied sectors including Fortune 100 Global, Indian private and public sector companies. His clients seek his advice to solve complex Talent/ Performance Management issues, build robust Talent strategies and Transform Organisations.
Since 1992, Rajan has garnered his expertise through hard-won experience across multiple sectors – in manufacturing industry he worked with Eicher and Ballarpur Industries, in FMCG with Coca Cola, and in consul;ng with Eicher Consultancy Services (ECS), before geNng into financial services with Max New York Life Insurance (MNYL). He spent over a decade in the financial services industry.
In his corporate career, Rajan has been instrumental in seNng up HR functions, formulating the philoso-phy, strategy and policies of the function. He has specific expertise in the areas of Performance Man-agement, Compensation, Feedback & Talent Management. He has been instrumental in Transforming Organisations over the last 15 years. He regularly tweets and publishes on LinkedIn.
Rajan has been trained by Harvard Business Publishing in Case study methodology, DDI in Performance Management & Coaching, by SHL in OPQ Assessments. He is an international speaker, expert in the areas of Human Resources & Performance Feedback.
Rajan is Masters in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He is certified in Organisation Design from IIMB and in Behaviour Economics 101 from Rotman School, Toronto.
Pallav Popli
Chief Revenue Officer & Employee Engagement Evangelist
Vantage Circle
Pallav Popli
Chief Revenue Officer & Employee Engagement EvangelistVantage Circle
Pallav is a highly accomplished business leader with over 17 years of experience in various industries, including HCM, SaaS/PaaS/IaaS, HR outsourcing, and rewards and recognition. He has a proven track record in business and leadership and possesses a deep understanding of consulting, benefit strategy, HR technology, rewards and recognition programs, and growth strategy.
Pallav's ability to simplify complex products and services and communicate them effectively to entrepreneurs and business/People leaders is widely recognized. His extensive experience in HR technology, coupled with his expertise in rewards and recognition, makes him a valuable asset to any organization. He understands how technology can drive HR strategy in rewards and recognition and streamline HR processes, which is an added advantage.
As the CRO and Employee Engagement Evangelist at Vantage Circle, Pallav is responsible for driving growth, overseeing success of rewards & recognition programs, new logo acquisition, and channel management. His strategic leadership skills, combined with his extensive knowledge and experience, make him a highly respected and valuable asset to Vantage Circle and the industry as a whole.
Aarti Srivastava
Chief Human Resources Officer - India
Capgemini
Aarti Srivastava
Chief Human Resources Officer - IndiaCapgemini
Aarti Srivastava has been appointed as the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) for Capgemini in India, effective 2022. Before taking this role, Aarti was the CHRO for Business Services GBL at Capgemini.
Prior to joining Capgemini, Aarti has performed on various leadership and strategic roles in HR at FIS, Deutsche Bank
Aarti is a seasoned people leader with over two decades of expertise in multiple dimensions of human resources. Her experience includes organization design and development, employee experience, and leadership development. She has successfully executed multiple global programs driving change management, M&A integration, overall business growth and functional transformation.
Aarti holds an MPM degree in HR from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM). She has also completed her certification in ‘Strategic HR’ from NSU, Singapore and ‘Strategic Thinking’ from London Business School.
Nitu Bhushan
Chief Human Resources Officer, South Asia
Pernod Ricard
Nitu Bhushan
Chief Human Resources Officer, South AsiaPernod Ricard
Nitu Bhushan is the CHRO for South Asia at Pernod Ricard.
With over two decades of experience in HR, she has worked across various sectors managing HR operations in different capacities and roles including Accenture, Asian Paints, HSBC, Mondelez International and Abbott.
Nitu completed her postgraduation in personnel management from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. She also has an engineering degree in electronics and telecom.
Suhail Ghai
Chief Digital & Information Officer
Maxlife Insurance
Suhail Ghai
Chief Digital & Information OfficerMaxlife Insurance
Suhail is an IT Professional with over 20 years of Experience Leading IT/MIS Teams, Building Capability, Implementing Business & Technology & Digital Transformation Projects across Multiple Geographies and Business lines - BFSI & FMCG.
His expertise includes management exposure in leading transformation agenda across multi cultures. Ability to Manage Large Inhouse Captive for Global Support and Project Delivery. Extensive exposure to ERP implementation and managing of application Portfolio. Implement Large Technology project across Countries. Manage IT function, align IT strategy with Business and manage IT budgets. Exposure to SAP Project + Sustain, GTM Solutions, Supply chain planning & Optimization solutions. Vendor Management in International Operations. Extensive Knowledge of Business process across domains of Finance, Supply chain and Sales across Foods & Personal care. Experience in managing large GTM Projects enabling field force productivity and generating insights for Business.
Sunita Rebecca Cherian
Chief Culture Officer & Senior Vice President - Corporate Human Resources. Member - Wipro Executive Committee
Wipro
Sunita Rebecca Cherian
Chief Culture Officer & Senior Vice President - Corporate Human Resources. Member - Wipro Executive CommitteeWipro
Sunita Rebecca Cherian serves as the Chief Culture Officer & Senior Vice President – Corporate Human Resources at Wipro Limited Wipro Limited operates across 65 countries and employs over 230000 people in diverse regulatory and labour environments.
Sunita’s career close to three decades has spanned Sales, Human Capital Strategy, Board Strategy, Total Rewards Strategy, Workforce Transitions, Mergers & Acquisitions, Organizational Design, HR Shared Services, Sustainability, and Inclusion & Diversity. As a Human Resources leader, she helped shape the HR strategy and has led change strategies for leadership and across the talent landscape for various divisions including a start-up unit.
Sunita is currently on the HR Advisory Board of TA Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) and was on the Board of Bangalore International Centre (BIC) as well as Chair of NASSCOM National Diversity & Inclusion Council. She is Chair of Wipro’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and spearheads the Culture change initiative across the organization. She is a member of World Economic Forum – Global Future Council as well as World 50 I&D Impact Community.
Under Sunita’s guidance, Wipro Limited has been widely recognized for its Inclusion framework and Sustainability initiatives in the last decade. “Women of Wipro” transformed the pace of inclusion and empowerment of women employees and was much awarded.
Sunita is an Electrical and Electronics Engineer and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. She is a Master Coach, a Hogan specialist, and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
Rahul Walia
Executive Director
Deloitte, India
Rahul Walia
Executive DirectorDeloitte, India
Rahul is an Executive Director in Forensic & Financial Crime practice within Deloitte India.
He is a seasoned professional with close to 3 decades of experience in B2B enterprise sales, business development, account management, and general management to propel gains in startup, growth and turnaround climates in blue chip Indian and multinational corporates.
He has been a change agent with proven success in high value concept sales, solution-based sales, and relationship management. He possess exemplary ability to foster strategic alliances with major clients and business partners.
Rahul has a diploma in hotel management and holds an MBA degree in Marketing.
Anurag Patnaik
Director - Human Resources South Asia Region
Nestle
Anurag Patnaik
Director - Human Resources South Asia RegionNestle
Mr. Anurag Patnaik is the Director, Human Resources Nestlé South Asia Region.
Through his current role, Anurag led the Human Resources function during the turbulent Covid 19 crisis. With people centric approach, introduced new policies and provided all best possible support for the employees & their family’s well-being. He is keenly driving some of the best-in-class benefit reviews for the organization, working to broaden the scope of diversity and bringing in renewed focus on employee engagement.
Prior to the current role Anurag was Head of Total Reward (COC) for Asia Oceania and Africa, and after completing a successful assignment in Malaysia, returned to Nestlé India. He was responsible for delivering important structural changes in the organization, improving Field Force Effectiveness and growing manager capabilities. In 2014, he became Head of Total Rewards Manager for the Market and drove major advances in the region’s pay and performance practices, overhauled sales incentives and medical plans, and deployed new communication strategies. In 2016, Anurag moved as the H2R Deployment Lead for Zone AOA, and enabled the transformation in CWAR, EAR, Japan, the Philippines and SAR, as well as in Italy.
Anurag has successfully led the Total Rewards COC for the AOA region. He has been instrumental in setting up the new structure and building a strong Rewards team. His collaboration with the markets to establish new ways of working, was key to unlocking the value of the COC and to enhance the Service Delivery. He has successfully led various initiatives in the markets to further improve the Total Rewards service delivery to our businesses. In addition to AOA region, Anurag also led the successful transition of Reward Service delivery for the markets of ESAR and CWAR, from the Dubai hub.
Anurag joined Nestlé as a Management Trainee in 2005 from XLRI, and since then, increasingly took on senior HR positions in Recruitment, Total Rewards & Senior HR Business Partner for Nestlé Nutrition, Nestle Health Science and Finance &Control.
Hema Mani
Regional Director-Human Resources, Asia Pacific
Lennox International
Hema Mani
Regional Director-Human Resources, Asia PacificLennox International
Hema Mani has over 25 years of experience in Strategic Human Resources Capacity , with wide ranging Multinational experiences from Kelly Consultants, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Jain Group of Institutions, i2 Technologies and Honeywell .
She is a Leadership Coach certified under Korn Ferry Leadership Architect & Marshall Goldsmith and certified OD Facilitator from International OD Federation
She is currently Regional Director, Asia Pacific HR at Lennox International, part of her responsibility in Lennox India & Asia sourcing leadership team. Her responsibilities include HR, Leadership Development, Culture building, Site Operational Management, Driving Community Engagement, External Communications for the company in this region
Under her leadership, Lennox India has won several honors for HR such as the 13 best workplaces in Tamil Nadu by Times of India, 100 Best places to work for women in India 2016 by Avatar, Best places to work in Chennai by Economic Times, Dream companies to work in 2016 by Times Ascent. Best Community engagement Award by Economic Times. Lennox India has been certified as Top Great Places to work thrice in row, More recently Lennox was Certified as the Top 15 Great Places to work under her leadership.
She was the past Chairwoman for CII-Indian Women Network in Tamil Nadu and part of her role she is focused on develop Leadership talent among women, Mentoring initiatives, Gender Parity diagnostics & facilitation in corporations and POSH activities. This year she is leading the CII-IWN Southern Regional efforts in Leadership Development
She has represented on topics of Human sciences in forums of IHRD, NHRD, ISTD, CII, Nasscom and SHRM. She has published a couple of papers on Execution Excellence in HR which is compiled into a journal released by Indian Institute of Science and another one on Innovative learning strategies was recognized by Nasscom. She is recognized as one of the 30 Women Super Achievers and One of the TOP HR Innovators in 2023
Shri K. S. Shetty
Director-Human Resources
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
Shri K. S. Shetty
Director-Human ResourcesHindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
Shri K. S. Shetty is Director-Human Resources at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Prior to joining HPCL as Director-Human Resources, Shri K. S. Shetty was Executive Director-Human Resources with additional charge of Executive Director-Employee Relations in HPCL.
Shri K. S. Shetty has over 25 years of experience in HR in various capacities at HPCL. In his current role at HPCL, he is responsible for the entire gamut of HR/ER functions ranging from Talent Acquisition, Capability Building, Career and Succession Planning, Performance and Rewards Management, Discipline Management etc. He also has in-depth knowledge of various Statutory/ Regulatory requirements under various Labour Laws.
Shri K. S. Shetty is a Gold Medallist in Human Resource Management from Andhra University and a distinguished alumnus of the Swedish Institute, Stockholm from where he completed his Diploma in Sustainable Development in 2012. He has also completed his Advanced Management Program from MDI, Gurgaon / ESCP Europe Business School, Paris (2016).He is an SHRM, USA - Senior Certified Professional and is currently on the AIMA Core Committee on HR and also on the National Council of the Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD). He is also on the Board of HPCL’s Wholly Owned Subsidiary Company (HPLNG), effective October 10, 2022.
Sathish Gopalaiah
President, Consulting
Deloitte South Asia
Sathish Gopalaiah
President, ConsultingDeloitte South Asia
Sathish Gopalaiah is President, Consulting and member of the Executive Committee of Deloitte South Asia. He has over 25 years of experience, including 23 years in the management consulting space.
Throughout his consulting career, Sathish has focused on advising global conglomerates in core strategic focus areas including merger integration, corporate strategy, organization structuring, revenue enhancement, cost reduction, advanced analytics, and digital transformation.
Working across 40 countries, Sathish has held leadership positions across various areas including markets, the TMT Sector, served as Lead Client Service Partner to iconic clients, and worked as Engagement Partner for Indian and global organizations.
He believes in Diversity & Inclusion and is actively engaged in driving policies that reinforce their importance within the firm.
Nanjappa B S
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Infosys
Nanjappa B S
Senior Vice President, Human ResourcesInfosys
Nanjappa B.S is a seasoned Human Resources professional with a career spanning 22 years. In his current role, he is Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Infosys Ltd. At the center of his responsibilities lies employee experience, business partnership, engagement and employee relations at Infosys.
He leads the creation and sustained development of global employee engagement initiatives as well as industry-leading HR frameworks. In addition, Nanjappa leads the team that drives strategic people initiatives and cultural transformations across the organization.
Nanjappa holds a PGDM along with a certification from Stanford for an Executive Leadership Program. He is an avid sports enthusiast and has been a national level athlete. He is an active contributor to HR publications and is a speaker at industry events.
Irene Tan
Vice President, Human Resources India & Southwest Asia
The Coca-Cola Company
Irene Tan
Vice President, Human Resources India & Southwest AsiaThe Coca-Cola Company
Irene Tan, the Vice President of Human Resources for India & Southwest Asia brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of driving organizational growth through talent acquisition, performance enablement, and employee development.
Her journey with The Coca‑Cola Company began in 2012 in Singapore as a talent sourcing consultant for the Asia Pacific Group. Over the years, Irene's dedication and expertise led her to become the lead talent acquisition partner for Greater China & Korea, where she spearheaded innovative campus recruitment programs, fostering both gender and generational diversity.
In 2015, Irene transitioned to the role of Executive Recruiting Director in Singapore, overseeing numerous executive search mandates across the Asia Pacific region, including the Bottling Investment Group (BIG). In 2020, she was appointed as the Talent & Development (T&D) Director for Asia Pacific where she played a pivotal role as part of the global T&D Leadership team, championing the talent agenda and nurturing a diverse succession pipeline. She successfully launched Learning and Enterprise Capability initiatives in the region, further solidifying her reputation as a transformative leader.
Prior to joining The Coca‑Cola Company, Irene was affiliated with the international executive search firm Spencer Stuart and holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the National University of Singapore
Philippe Pelletier
HR VP Transformation & Asia, India HR Head and Global Business Services Managing Director
Renault Group
Philippe Pelletier
HR VP Transformation & Asia, India HR Head and Global Business Services Managing DirectorRenault Group
Philippe Pelletier joined RNTBCI as Head of Human Resources in October 2022. Philippe Pelletier joined Renault Group in 2019 as VP Human Resources, Transformation and Organization.
Previously Philippe had held Global Senior HR Positions at General Electric between 2002 and 2017 across multiple Businesses and Regions. He started his career in 1987 with Schneider Electric in Human Resources. In 1994, he joined Mars in HR. He has worked and lived in France, UK, Czech Republic, Hungary and India.
Philippe graduated with a degree in Economics & Political Sciences from Institute d ’Etudes Politiques de Paris and a Degree in Law from Paris University.
Ipsita Dasgupta
Senior Vice President & Managing Director
HP India, Bangladesh, & Sri Lanka
Ipsita Dasgupta
Senior Vice President & Managing DirectorHP India, Bangladesh, & Sri Lanka
Ipsita is a P&L, Marketing and Strategy Leader with extensive operating experience across international markets (including on ground leadership in US, China, India, and South East Asia) and diverse industry experience ranging from Digital Content/Services to Manufacturing / Industrial Goods to High Tech.
Ipsita has spent half of her career leading P&Ls across multiple industries (Video Subscriptions, Digital Services, Healthcare/Medical Devices, Industrial Goods, Sports) and the other half leading Marketing, Strategy and Growth functions for global multinationals (both B2B and B2C), with regional and global responsibilities.
She has managed large sales teams, marketing teams, operations and engineering teams, and customer account teams across markets. She has held multiple nonprofit board positions through the last two decades, including the HBS Alumni Associations in NY and Mumbai
Oshana Dias
Chief People Officer
Fortude
Oshana Dias
Chief People OfficerFortude
Oshana is a Human Capital Management expert with 18 years of experience, transforming employee alignment strategies for global organizations in various industries. As the Chief People Officer at Fortude, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role.
She is an EXCO Member of the Association of Human Resource Management, a SHRM-SCP certified trainer, and a PCC-accredited Professional Coach from the International Federation of Coaching. She conducts training sessions for the HR community and coaches individuals to achieve their goals.
Allwyn Dsilva
AVP & Head of Learning & Development & Future of Work
Tata Communications
Allwyn Dsilva
AVP & Head of Learning & Development & Future of WorkTata Communications
Allwyn serves as the AVP and Head of Learning & Development (L&D) and Future of Work at Tata Communications. Prior to this, he held the role of Global Head of HR at Tata Communications Transformation Services (TCTS), where he led the development and implementation of a business-focused HR strategy aimed at building a best-in-class organization.
As a key member of the HR leadership team, Allwyn supports business leaders in making key talent decisions and provides strategic guidance on leadership development through expert advice and consulting. Recognized as one of the most iconic leaders in learning and development, he has made significant contributions to the field.
He carries a rich experience of over 2 decades working across the value chain in Telecom and Managed Services. He is also a Tata Communications veteran and has been with the company for nearly 18+ years. Allwyn was also part of the Internal Communications and Employee Engagement team earlier. He has championed organizational development initiatives for Employee Value Proposition, Business Restructuring, Learning Academies & Skills transformation.
Dinusha Jayamanne
Senior General Manager - Human Resources
Brandix
Dinusha Jayamanne
Senior General Manager - Human ResourcesBrandix
Dinusha Jayamanne is a seasoned HR professional with extensive experience in the industry. She currently serves as the Senior General Manager in Human Resources at Brandix. She has also held positions as Director of Human Resources at Fonterra Brands Lanka and is also currently the Vice President of the Association of HR Professionals (AHRP) in Sri Lanka. Dinusha is known for her expertise in professional development and knowledge sharing, playing a pivotal role in uplifting HR standards in the country. She has been instrumental in promoting transformational coaching and sustainable positive change within organizations. Her leadership and commitment to excellence have made her a respected figure in the HR community and professionals.