Pallavi Poddar Appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer at Knauf India

Swati Rustagi leads the Employee Experience strategy & team for Adobe India, the company’s second-largest region. With over 25 years of HR leadership across FMCG, healthcare, financial services, and e-commerce, she has held impactful roles partnering with Clevel executives and leading specialized functions such as rewards, leadership development, talent, employee relations, DEI & talent acquisition. Swati is known for building value-driven, high-growth ecosystems and has consistently helped shape resilient organizations through transformative business partnerships. She holds a postgraduate degree in Human Resources from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and an undergraduate degree from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai University. She is certified in ISO, TPM, Change Management, and is also a certified OD professional via the National Training Lab, US. Recognized for her contributions to the HR community, Swati has received the Margadarshak Award at FOSTIIMA for her work in DEI and was named one of Business World’s “Most Powerful Women in HR.” She actively contributes to the broader HR ecosystem and serves on the board of the National HRD Network in India, a non-profit professional body for HR practitioners.

Wessam Bahgat is a senior HR and Human Capital leader within Big 4 consulting and professional services, with 16+ years of impact across multinational and regional organizations. She has built and led people strategies that directly support business transformation, leadership readiness, and workforce sustainability across complex, fast-paced environments.

Throughout her career, Wessam has led hundreds of executive assessment centers and structured feedback engagements, delivered extensive leadership and capability-development programs, and driven large-scale talent management, succession planning, and learning & development initiatives. Her contributions include designing and launching career development and internal mobility frameworks within multinational organizations, strengthening leadership pipelines, and enabling data-driven people decisions. As a Certified Assessor, content designer, and facilitator, she is recognized for translating human capital strategy into measurable organizational outcomes.

Beyond corporate impact, Wessam is deeply committed to societal and ESG leadership. She has led and sponsored initiatives focused on environmental sustainability and community well-being, including Nile River clean-up campaigns, planting over 100 trees in local Egyptian schools, promoting responsible waste management, and supporting carbon-reduction awareness initiatives. Her work reflects a belief that HR leadership plays a critical role in shaping not only organizations, but also the broader future of work and society.

Simin Askari is a seasoned people and business leader with over three decades of experience across diverse industries, including manufacturing, media, technology and diversified conglomerates. Her professional journey reflects a rare integration of commercial acumen, strategic HR leadership and organisation-wide transformation, anchored in a deep belief that sustainable business success is achieved when people, purpose and performance move together.

An Economics graduate with a Master’s degree in Business Management, Simin began her career with reputed organisations such as HCL and The Times of India. She embarked on an entrepreneurial journey before returning to the corporate world holding senior leadership role within the Apollo Group, where she headed Human Resources for Apollo International Ltd., the diversified businesses of parent company, Apollo Tyres. These experiences built a strong foundation in managing complexity, scale and multicultural workforces.

In her last corporate assignment as Group CHRO and Head – Business Excellence at DS Group, Simin led strategic HR and business excellence initiatives for a ₹10,000 crore, multi-business conglomerate. Her mandate spanned organisation design, leadership capability building, policy and process standardisation, performance management and large-scale digital transformation of people and business processes. She played a pivotal role in strengthening organisational capabilities, improving operational efficiencies and embedding governance, consistency and fairness across diverse businesses.

Simin’s leadership philosophy is grounded in systems thinking and leadership accountability. She views culture as the organisation’s operating system and engagement as an outcome of leadership behaviours, transparent processes and meaningful growth opportunities—not as standalone initiatives. By designing robust frameworks for performance, development and rewards and by introducing digital interventions across HR and business processes, she has consistently focused on creating resilient, high-performance organisations.

Beyond her corporate roles, Simin is an active contributor to the broader HR and leadership ecosystem. She serves on advisory boards of professional and academic institutions, is associated with NHRDN, the Delhi Management Association and CII HR & IR committees, and has also chaired the CII Western UP HR & IR Committee. She regularly mentors young professionals and future leaders, reflecting her commitment to building leadership capacity beyond organisational boundaries.

Simin’s contributions have been widely recognised. Her accolades include the Women Super Achiever Award (2010 Global HR Excellence Awards), Women Leadership Award (2014), recognition as one of the Great Yodhas of Indian HR (2017), and her recent felicitation among India’s top HR leaders at the Fortune Leadership Awards 2025.

Today, Simin engages as a Board and Executive Advisor, partnering with organisations and leadership teams on people strategy, organisation effectiveness, business excellence and digital transformation. She brings a practitioner’s depth, a system leader’s perspective and a strong governance mindset to help organisations build sustainable, future-ready enterprises.

Le Hong Phuc is one of the most influential architects of the HR profession in Vietnam and across ASEAN. He is the Founder and President of the Vietnam Human Resources Association (VNHR), which he established in January 2001 as Vietnam Human Resources Club and subsequently scaled into the country’s largest and most respected not-for-profit HR professional body.

Under his leadership, VNHR today brings together 1,200+ senior HR leaders and practitioners across Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Vung Tau, the Mekong Delta and other provinces. Over 60% of members are in management roles, representing nearly 800 organizations, half of them multinational corporations. VNHR hosts more than 50 professional activities annually, including knowledge forums, training programs, consulting circles and flagship events such as the Vietnam HR Summit (since 2015) and the Vietnam Labor Law Conference (since 2009)—the most prestigious HR platforms in the country.

Regionally, Phuc is a Founding Member and former Chairman (2021–2022) of the ASEAN Human Development Organization (AHDO), contributing to policy dialogue, research and regional HR capability building across ASEAN.

Alongside his association leadership, he has held senior HR and executive roles with leading global and regional organizations including Samsung Electronics Vietnam, Intel Corporation, Avery Dennison, and Novaland Group, serving as HR Director, CHRO and Deputy CEO.

Recognized among the “100 Most Influential Global HR Professionals”, Le Hong Phuc continues to shape Vietnam’s HR ecosystem—bridging enterprise leadership, professional community building and ASEAN-wide human development.

Glynnis E. Swan, GPHR, GMS-T, PCC, is a globally respected HR leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing HR operations, talent mobility, and leadership effectiveness across multinational organizations. An immigrant from Bermuda to the United States, she brings a culturally fluent global perspective shaped by cross-border experience and enterprise-scale leadership.

Her professional journey includes 15 years of consulting with Big Four firms EY and Deloitte, followed by senior global HR operations and program management roles at Xerox and Microsoft Corporation. She currently serves as a Senior Leader in Global Mobility and Workforce Transformation at Vialto Partners, overseeing global consulting teams that deliver complex talent mobility programs across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.

Glynnis, a three-time published author in the Triumph in the Trenches anthology series, is the founder of The Edge of Audacity™, a coaching practice focused on career strategy, leadership development, and conflict management. She is also a long-serving coach and Senior Advisor with The Black in HR™, where she was named 2024 Coach of the Year. Her work is widely recognized for advancing ethical leadership, career sustainability, and inclusive excellence across the global HR profession.

Glynnis has delivered measurable global impact through teaching, coaching, and leadership development across regions. She has mentored and coached more than 800 professionals and leaders across North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean, with a focus on culturally responsive leadership and cross-border workforce effectiveness.

Glynnis is a highly sought-after global speaker and educator on the future of work, delivering keynote addresses, executive panels, and university lectures on global mobility, leadership development, toxic workplace culture, and conflict intervention. She has also designed and facilitated leadership programs and workshops for globally distributed teams navigating transformation, translating complex organizational challenges into practical leadership behaviors that scale across geographies.

Beyond corporate leadership, Glynnis demonstrates a sustained commitment to service, mentorship, and access. She mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star and was recognized as Mentor of the Year in 2023. She also serves as a volunteer mentor for women in HR and technology with UpNotch, a leadership coach at Spelman College, and a community partner with the University of Texas at Arlington’s Office of Access and Achievement.

Through her coaching and advisory work, Glynnis has provided hundreds of pro bono coaching and mediation hours to students and underserved communities. She also serves with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she holds local and regional leadership roles. Her work reflects a deep, sustained commitment to advancing equity, leadership readiness, and workforce access across generations and geographies.

With over 17 years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources, she had invested into HR career with a lot of efforts, she is one of the global Certified assessors world wide in the field of Talent Assessments, She has also an MBA holder specializing in HR to leverage her passion about HR. Rana is a dynamic and results-driven HR Head who has shaped high-performing cultures across the BPO she worked in . Known for driving organizational excellence through people, Rana specializes in talent strategy, Talent Sourcing, employee engagement, performance management, and leadership development in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Passionate about building inclusive workplaces where she had the courage and strength to transform start-up companies to a very tenured mature stage by strengthening employer brand, and enabling operational excellence through people.

Rana was recognized Recognized for driving employability at scale through partnerships with educational institutions, NGOs, and government bodies to help job seekers find the most relevant jobs in Egypt, and accordingly decrease the unemployability in Egypt. , enabling workforce readiness, youth employment, reskilling, and digital inclusion. Leads transformational programs in leadership development, DEI, internal mobility, and learning academies, empowering employees to progress from entry-level roles into sustainable careers.

Sirisha Kommireddi is a global leader in Talent Strategy, Culture, and Organization Development with over two decades of experience driving enterprise-scale workforce and leadership transformation across industries and geographies. Her career spans leadership roles at the erstwhile Satyam Computers, HCL Technologies, Capgemini Financial Services, Kantar’s Global Delivery Center, and Cigniti Technologies.

She is currently serving as Vice President Client Partnership & Success at Enablr*- Covasant’s AI-first Global Capability Center (GCC) practice, where she leads strategic GCC build and transformation initiatives, designs future-ready talent and operating models, and partners with clients to deliver sustainable business outcomes through disciplined, human-centered people strategies.

Known for bridging strategy with execution, Sirisha has consistently built inclusive, resilient organizations that enable leaders and teams to grow through complexity and change. A strong advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), she also contributes actively to the profession and society—serving on the Management Committee of ISTD, Hyderabad, advising the Board of Studies (Management) at MGIT, Hyderabad, and volunteering with initiatives supporting survivors of domestic abuse and underprivileged children.

Guille currently works in PECOM as a Sr. Partner for Culture & OT supporting C- level and HR as a whole.

With more than 25 years of experience in multinational companies leading Human Resources, Communications, Talent and Sustainability functions globally, her focus has been on always transforming organizations and teams into better versions of themselves.

Guille began her career at Grupo Zucamor, in the Early Career Program (at that moment owned by International Paper) in Argentina. She worked for six years in the Training area, moving later to an HRBP role and supporting many M&A processes along the way. After this, she joined VOLVO CE to establish its operations in the southern cone, supporting the business for the first 12 months until they were settled and had corporate processes well-established.

Then, she joined Avery Dennison as an HRBP for Argentina & Chile. supporting all functions. Within Avery she had the opportunity to work for the HQ inside the Corporate HR team in the US in many key initiatives (Performance Ratings, Communication for multicultural audiences, Leaning Systems, Org efficiency, among others). She later lead the Global Talent Process for the Materials Business, and thanks to her assignment in the US, she came back to Argentina with a brand new position for the region: Leadership & Organizational Development Regional Manager. This constituted a new beginning for the function in the region, which was already exporting talent across the globe.

After 8 years in Avery, Guille joined hibu as a Talent VP, supporting the company in two radical changes: one was helping leaders and teams move from the successful Yellow Pages Business, to manufacturing, marketing and selling digital products; the second was dealing with a take over at the exact same time this transformation was occurring: brand, identity, culture and all. In 2018 she joined San Miguel Global, a fresh produce and processed ingredients company. Originally family owned and local, now a global strong player. Helping SAMI through that integration, upskilling and culture transformation was her main goal as a CHRO.

Lastly, Guille joined Axilalent as a COO and also Client Partner.

She was born in Buenos Aires and lives with her husband and two children. She enjoys nature, spending time with her family and travelling to experience new cultures.

Handi Kurniawan is SVP – Group Head of Human Capital Strategy & Talent Management at Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest bank by assets. With over 25 years of leadership experience across banking, multinational corporations, and diverse industries in Asia, he has led large-scale human capital transformation, leadership development, and workforce capability initiatives. Previously, he held senior roles at Standard Chartered, General Electric, Sinar Mas, Jardine Matheson, and Shangri-La Group. In 2025, he was recognised as one of the 100 Most Influential HR Leaders in Southeast Asia. Handi holds an MBA from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan.

Handi is also a best selling author of 4 career and management books. He actively contributes to the society being mentor and lecturer to students and professionals in the SEA Region and Hong Kong

For three decades, Kathy Vizachero has grown people to grow organizations. Currently the Global Head of Organizational Development at AAK, she drives strategic transformation initiatives to bolster the effectiveness and efficiency of the plant-based oils company; her remit includes global efforts in talent development, succession planning, culture and engagement, performance management, and learning and development.

Kathy’s experience as an HR and talent executive, working as a thought partner to top leaders, includes leading human resources for MedTech multinational SprintRay, corporate learning functions at T. Rowe Price and Cristal Global, and large-scale federal change at MITRE and Booz Allen. She has worked with teams in Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas across healthcare, financial services, IT, professional services, and nonprofit sectors. Her work has enabled organizations to achieve top recognition from the Association for Talent Development and Best Places to Work programs. A consistent thread throughout her career is a pragmatic and persistent focus on creating organizations fit for human beings.

Shreshtha Desai is a strategic and deeply operational People Operations leader recognized for building resilient, human-centered companies at scale across global and distributed teams. With over a decade of progressive HR leadership, she brings a distinctly international perspective to designing people systems that balance regional nuance with enterprise-wide consistency. Her work translates business strategy into disciplined, cultural intelligence and scalable People practices enabling tech companies to grow responsibly while fostering connection, trust, and performance across borders, functions, and cultures.

Equally respected in the leadership group and alongside teams, Shreshtha is known for a leadership style grounded in partnership and collective success. She operates as a trusted advisor to C-suite, founders and executive teams during periods of rapid growth and transformation, while remaining deeply attuned to the employee experience at every level of the Company. With a teams-first mindset and a steady global lens, she brings clarity to ambiguity, rigor to decision-making, and credibility to the People function, building companies where leaders are accountable, teams are aligned, and people are empowered to do their best work,

Dr. Naresh Kumar Puritipati is a seasoned HR leader with over two decades of comprehensive experience across India and Southeast Asia, spanning FMCG, retail, manufacturing, and large-scale supply chain operations. He is currently the Human Resources Director at Lactalis Group – Lactalis India, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping people strategy, leadership capability, and organizational effectiveness for one of the world’s largest dairy multinationals.

Prior to Lactalis, Dr. Puritipati served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Spencer’s Retail, where he focused on attracting, developing, and engaging talent to drive consistent business performance in a dynamic retail environment.

A significant part of his career has been with the The Coca-Cola Company ecosystem, including Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, where he held multiple senior leadership roles over more than a decade. His responsibilities spanned Integrated Supply Chain HR, Market Operations, Organization Development, and Cadre Building, covering 22 manufacturing units across India. Internationally, he served as HR Director (Country Head–HR) for Coca-Cola Myanmar and was part of the senior leadership teams of Coca-Cola Bottler Malaysia, supporting greenfield operations and capability building.

Known for building future-ready organizations, Dr. Puritipati brings deep expertise in talent pipeline creation, leadership development, employee engagement, succession planning, and HR analytics, making him a respected people leader across the region.

A seasoned HR Leader with extensive expertise in all HR areas. With past working experience covering large geography in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, I have developed deep understanding about culture and business context in a highly dynamic part of the world. My experience has always been in challenging complex matrix organizations involving stakeholders across the Globe in either developed and mature markets as well as developing and unregulated markets. Working with various industries including Telecom, Manufacturing, Building Materials, Energy Projects/Products, Automotive and Retail sharpened my business acumen significantly.

I was so fortunate to co-lead the integration plans and culture transformation in multiple countries following GE acquisition of power generation and transmission business from Alstom, the well-known French industrial conglomerate in late 2015. I lead synergy projects, engagement initiatives and leadership team integration during times of uncertainty in a mature, fair and professional manner reflecting a balanced focus on people and business. Above all, I am proud to have been contributing to coaching/developing several business leaders and building very resilient and high-performing teams in many organizations I was part of.

Shazmi Ali is a visionary global HR leader currently serving as Vice President of Human Resources for Shell Business Operations (SBO) and Shell Malaysia, where he oversees HR strategies for 30% of Shell’s workforce (30,000+ employees) across international hubs in Asia and Europe. With a focus on nclusive leadership, digital transformation, and organizational agility, he drives Shell’s business evolution through future-ready talent development, culture change, and DE&I initiatives. In Malaysia, he manages the full HR spectrum for 4,500+ employees across Upstream, Downstream, and Integrated Gas operations, strengthening leadership pipelines and high-performance cultures. A polyglot with 20+ years of experience at ExxonMobil, Pfizer, and CAE, Shazmi is known for his strategic foresight, change leadership, and ability to build globally aligned, locally empowered teams. An advocate for cultural intelligence and purposeful leadership, he loves blending academic rigor with a passion for workforce innovation in the energy transition era

Carmen Wee, is the Founder & CEO of her HR Advisory Services firm, Carmen Wee & Associates.

As an accomplished Global CHRO with over 25 years of international business experience, driving large-scale business transformation & change management within fast-growing companies with multiple & complex mergers and acquisitions, she has led large, complex, and multicultural teams globally, coaching business leaders, building high-performing teams, and influencing stakeholders across the business ecosystem.

She is the author of two books, ‘From The Kampung To The Boardroom: My Leadership Journey’ and ‘Board Vibes, Lessons From My Journey’ which was published in February 2025.

As an experienced Board Member spanning commercial, government, academia and public institutions in Singapore, US and the UK, she had served as Compensation Committee Chair, and member of the Audit & Risk, Finance and People Committees.

For the past decade, she has served to transform the HR ecosystem and build capabilities. In recognition of her contributions, she was conferred the Pioneer IHRP – Master Professional status by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower Minister.

Carmen holds degrees from the National University of Singapore and Regent University, US and is a Senior Accredited Director with the Singapore Institute of Director.

Vice President People & Culture at Volvo Trucks Europe South & West, based in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Executive Board Member at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Sweden, responsible for External Relations and Finance

Multilingual global Human Resources Leader with a sustained experience record of delivering people strategies that align to business priorities, develop leadership and enhance employee engagement. Broad and diverse leadership experience in both generalist and specialist HR functions, while working and living across multiple countries and industries.

Laurence Yap stands as a revered thought leader and innovative pioneer at the intersection of Human Resources and Generative AI. With a distinguished career spanning more than 20 years, Laurence has adeptly managed HR and Organizational Development (OD) challenges for world-class corporations, including Fortune 500 giants like Pfizer, PayPal, and First Solar. His expertise covers a vast sectoral landscape, from semiconductors and technology to retail and hospitality, allowing him to deliver bespoke, transformative solutions across multiple global regions.

Laurence’s impact is defined by his commitment to “Glocal” strategies—successfully launching cultural communication and career development programs in China and across APAC that significantly boosted employee retention and engagement. A specialist in OD for nearly 15 years, he has led high-impact initiatives in Lean Manufacturing, Leadership Academies for hundreds of managers, and Corporate Strategy Management.

Today, as the Dean of the School of AI at UOA Academy, Laurence leads the charge in democratizing AI for non-technical professionals. He is the author of Supercharge Corporate Learning and pens a highly regarded AI newsletter with over 6,000 subscribers. His leadership in the HR community is unparalleled; as the lead organizer of the CHRO Nexus Forum and a founding member of several elite HR networks, he actively drives global collaboration. A multi-award winner—including the MIHRM HR Best Practice Award and World HRD Congress Honors—Laurence continues to shape the future of work by seamlessly integrating advanced technology with actionable business outcomes.

Over the past 20 years, he has built and led strategic HR and People & Culture functions in global and regional organizations, primarily within the automotive, technology, and travel industries. He has held executive leadership roles including CHRO, Head of Communications & Sustainability, driving cultural transformation, leadership development, employee engagement, and operational excellence across multi-country environments. His work has delivered strong business outcomes through high employee engagement, low attrition, scalable talent and onboarding programs, major restructurings, and the implementation of global and regional HR systems and incentive frameworks. He has also played a key role in establishing a new company following a bankruptcy and successfully helping an organization recover and regain stability after a major business reconstruction.

Salika Suksuwan is one of Malaysia’s most influential People & Culture leaders—widely respected for pioneering inclusive workforce transformation, advancing women participation, and shaping future-ready talent ecosystems across financial services and professional services industries. Currently serving as Executive Director and Country Head of Human Resources at UOB Malaysia, Salika brings nearly three decades of end-to-end human capital leadership experience, combining strategic business acumen with deep advocacy for diversity, youth development, and work-life integration.

Across senior leadership roles at UOB, PwC Malaysia, PwC Acceleration Centers, TalentCorp Malaysia, AXA, Accenture and Standard Chartered Bank, Salika has architected some of Malaysia’s most progressive people practices. She is widely credited for launching national-impact programmes such as Malaysia’s Career Comeback initiative, driving flexible work frameworks that later became critical during the pandemic, introducing non-degree “Earn While You Learn” employment models, and leading large-scale HR digital transformations including Workday HRMS implementation and process automation.

Beyond enterprise leadership, Salika has made enduring contributions to society and national policy, having been seconded to TalentCorp Malaysia where she influenced Diversity & Inclusion policy, strengthened employer partnerships, and expanded women workforce participation. As a mentor, advisory council member of CIPD Malaysia, and education leadership advisor, she continues to shape future leadership pipelines across education and industry.

Educated at the University of Warwick and University of Malaya, Salika’s mission remains unwavering:
to build compassionate, inclusive and digitally empowered workplaces that unlock human potential and elevate Malaysia’s social and economic progress.

Somnath Bhagavatula (Som) is the Vice President, Human Resources for the Asia Pacific region for AtkinsRealis. Som partners with Leadership Teams across multiple businesses in Asia Pacific in delivering HR solutions to complex business challenges. He has been associated with the businesses in a number of roles across Human Resources and Business Operations. Som is a part of the HR leadership team of the AtkinsRealis Group.

Som’s previous experience spans many multinational companies (including GlaxoSmithKline and HSBC) and includes a gamut of HR roles across multiple geographies within a variety of industries across professional services, banking, healthcare, pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare industries.

Dudi Arisandi is a senior Human Resources leader with more than 25 years of experience across diverse industries, including retail, technology, consumer goods, and food and beverage. He began his HR career as an HR Officer at Hero Supermarket, later serving as HR Operation Manager at SOGO, HR Director at SC Johnson, and People & Performance Director Southeast Asia & PNG at Kraft Heinz.

Since January 2019, he has been the Chief People Officer at tiket.com one of leading OTA in Indonesia, where he leads HR transformation and has helped the company earn recognition as one of the best workplaces in Asia for five consecutive years, along with multiple industry awards. His leadership has been acknowledged through accolades such as Asia’s Best HR Leader in Asia 2024 by SpeakIn, Indonesia Distinguished HR Leader 2024 by Economic Review, inclusion among the top 50 HR leaders of 2024 by PeopleHum, and Indonesia HR Icons 2023–2025 by ETHRWorld Southeast Asia..

Beyond his corporate role, Dudi is also a professional coach and mentor for various organizations and individuals, a lecturer, podcaster, and an active speaker at numerous conferences and industry events. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Padjadjaran University and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Bandung Institute of Technology. He also contributes to the broader HR community as Chairman of PMSM Indonesia (Indonesia society of HRM) , and part of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry committee, and the Council of Experts of DPP AMSI IHHRMA (Hotel & Hospitality HR Association).

Josh Craver is a global HR and operating leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing leadership effectiveness, business transformation, and organizational resilience across more than 40 countries. He has held senior global roles spanning management consulting, financial services, education, and technology, including leadership positions at Booz Allen Hamilton, Satyam (Tech Mahindra), Western Union, HSBC, FIS, and Guild Education, helping organizations translate talent strategy into measurable enterprise impact. His work has contributed to Booz Allen Hamilton, Satyam, and Western Union achieving #1 rankings in the Association for Talent Development’s BEST Awards, and earlier in his career he was recognized as Training Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40.

Josh is a sought-after global speaker on leadership, talent management, and the evolving role of HR in business transformation. Known for integrating values-based leadership with operational excellence, he advises CEOs, boards, and senior leaders on building long-term value for all stakeholders. He is an adjunct professor teaching leadership and emotional intelligence, a strategic advisor to AI and HR-focused startups, and currently serves as Fractional Chief Operating Officer for The Autism Community in Action. He has also served on numerous HR industry boards, contributing to the strategy, standards, and long-term vision of the HR profession globally. An author and thought contributor on talent and leadership, and through his work as an operator, advisor, educator, speaker, and nonprofit leader, Josh continues to influence the HR profession and shape how organizations build capability, responsibly integrate AI, and deliver human-centered performance in the future of work.

Shri Debi Prasad Satpathy, Director (Human Resources), BEML Limited is a seasoned HR Professional with over three decades of experience across Central and State Government sectors.

A Certified Executive Coach accredited by ICF, Shri Satpathy has played a pivotal role in driving HR transformation through strategic innovation, digital integration, and progressive people practices. At BEML, he spearheaded the implementation of SAP HCM and customized IT- enabled HR solutions, significantly advancing HR digitalization, operational efficiency and data-driven decision making. He has pioneered numerous people-centric policies that reflect his forward-thinking approach and empathetic leadership. He has consistently championed the rights and welfare of employees and has proactively addressed the challenges faced by employees.

A firm believer in holistic employee development, Shri Satpathy has introduced structured policies for learning and development, ensuring capability building remains institutionalized and outcome-driven. He has also initiated impactful L&D practices, including Building Internal Capability for People Development, Train the Trainer, and the mentoring scheme “BANDHAN”, which has been widely appreciated. His active contribution towards establishing Assessment Development Center and strengthening the Performance Management System (PMS) across the company has further enhanced organizational effectiveness.

From driving ERP implementation and custom HR-IT modules to streamlining administrative systems, he has seamlessly integrated technology into HR operations. Also, he pioneered the implementation of a comprehensive ORACLE ERP- based HR solution at Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd., underscoring his long – standing commitment to technology – led HR modernization. His emphasis on systems thinking has not only improved efficiency but also fostered a culture of accountability and accessibility across the organization. He has actively fostered inter-PSU collaboration by executing strategic partnerships with other CPSEs to jointly drive learning and development. These alliances reflect his larger vision of knowledge sharing, and cross-functional integration. He made enduring contributions to employee development by establishing a Centre of Excellence at BEML’s manufacturing unit at Bangalore.

An alumnus of Berhampur University with postgraduate qualification in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Shri Satpathy’s career is marked by a constant pursuit of excellence, and his legacy is one of meaningful change, progressive policy-making, and deep-rooted impact in the field of Human Resource Management.

A fitting recognition of his outstanding contributions is reflected in his being a recipient of the prestigious Golden Peacock HR Excellence Award -2024, and National HR Excellence Award 2025 – National Institute of Personnel Management.

Dr. Tapas Kumar Pattanayak is a seasoned Human Resource leader with over three decades of experience across large public sector enterprises in the core, infrastructure, and energy sectors. He began his career with Hindustan Copper Limited at the Malanjkhand Copper Project, gaining early exposure to HR function.

He subsequently joined IOCL, a Maharatna CPSE, where he served for more than 30 years in diverse HR leadership roles across multiple locations before joining NALCO. His stints at Refineries provided deep expertise in industrial relations, administration, employee services.

A defining phase of his career was his pivotal role in the 15 MMTPA Greenfield Paradip Refinery, where he established HR systems from inception, led large-scale manpower mobilisation, and managed sensitive stakeholder issues involving land-losers and displaced persons. He later served at IOCL’s Refineries Headquarters as Executive Director (HR), overseeing HR function of nine refineries. He also served as Executive Director (HR), Pipelines Division.

Jaclyn is a seasoned HR Professional with close to 30 years of experience in the full spectrum of Human Resources at both Singapore and the regional level. She has led major strategic changes in the various organizations that she has worked for and possesses rich experience in managing large-scale HR projects at local, regional, and national levels. She is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer for Certisgroup, a leading outsourced services partner those designs, builds, and operates multi-disciplinary smart security and integrated services. As CHRO of Certis Group, covering 25,000 global employees, she steers the global human resources strategy, aligning it with our corporate vision to drive excellence, innovation, and growth across our diverse operations. Her role involves fostering a high-performance culture that values diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning, ensuring Certis remains at the forefront of the security industry.

In Jaclyn’s previous role as Chief Human Resources Officer for the Singapore University of Technology and Design, she worked with the board, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), senior academic leadership, and the Ministry of Education, to set up the initial strategic roadmap, talent strategy, as well as the human resource frameworks and structure needed to build the fourth public university.

Jaclyn sits in many national committees such as the Job Redesign Centre of Excellence (IHRP), panel advisory member in IAL, Board Director in ITE Education Services. She was a previous council member at Singapore Human Resources Institute.

She is the recipient of the Public Administration Medal (Silver), Skills Future Fellowship, and was named one of Visier Top 50 HR Global leaders in 2026.

Angela works at the intersection of business, talent and technology as an innovative HR leader and advisor, focused on maximizing people’s potential to transform and grow businesses, create vibrant careers and strengthen communities. Most recently, Angela was the chief leadership and human resources officer at Accenture, where she was responsible for 750,000+ people serving clients across 120+ countries. As a change leader, Angela led numerous talent transformations including designing a model of shared success that aligned goals with incentives, reimagining performance and rewards, achieving dollar for dollar gender pay equity, and driving large-scale AI talent rotation with 600,000 people upskilled in Gen AI and Agentic fundamentals. She championed cultural and operational HR reinvention, with double digit gains in HR productivity, experience and cost savings. She also worked extensively with Accenture’s Board of Directors, leading the interactions of the Compensation, Culture and People Committee.

Before joining Accenture in 2015, Angela spent 15 years at Towers Watson as a consultant and ultimately practice leader where she advised CHROs and other leaders across industries on HR transformation, engagement, and total rewards. She speaks frequently on these topics as well as reinventing work with AI, skills, pay equity, executive incentives, and performance innovations.

Committed to learning both as a student and teacher, Angela earned her doctorate from Georgetown, with an interdisciplinary concentration in organizational psychology, behavioral economics, and cognitive neuroscience. She completed an apprenticeship in teaching at Georgetown and is currently pursuing certification as a leadership and performance coach through Brown University. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in speech communication from Colorado State University where she taught public speaking.

Angela is a member of the Women’s Leadership Board of the Public Policy program at Harvard’s Kennedy School, HR50, the CHRO Association (formerly the Human Resources Policy Association) and the Center for Executive Succession.

Allan Ang is a global Chief People Officer and people & culture leader with over 15 years of HR leadership experience across some of the world’s most recognised brands, including Visa, Estée Lauder Companies and Yum! Brands. Now CPO at Reap, Allan partners closely with the founders and leadership teams to build a high-performing and rapidly-scaling organisation.

Known for his straight-talking, values-led approach, Allan specialises in building leadership capability, scaling organisations with purpose, and creating cultures where people feel trusted, clear on their role, and able to do their best work. His career spans Europe, the Middle East and Asia, leading complex transformations that connect culture, performance and growth.

At the heart of Allan’s work is a simple belief: great businesses are built when leaders create clarity, teams are genuinely enabled, and empowered. His leadership style is anchored in partnership, transparency, humility and accountability – setting teams up to win.

Beyond his corporate role, Allan is deeply committed to giving back. He serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Sussex Business School and actively mentors and supports others to realise their potential, driven by a strong belief in ethical leadership and global citizenship.

Mr. Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL (India) Ltd is a 1992 batch Electrical Engineer from IIT Roorkee, MBA in Operations Management & P G Diploma in Human Resources Management. He has over 34 years of varied and rich experience in the field of Human Resource Management, Projects, Operations and Maintenance in Oil & Gas Sector and Process Industry.

Mr. Gupta is working with GAIL since last 27 years. He is among the youngest Directors to be on the Board of GAIL India Ltd. He is a strong proponent & practitioner of sustainable business practices and ensuing highest standards of safety in plant & pipeline operations. He has taken several initiatives to promote gender equality & women empowerment.

During his tenure at GAIL, Mr. Gupta had been instrumental in introducing various initiatives, such as Spandan (Monthly Wellness Hour dedicated towards enhancing employees’ physical, mental and emotional well-being), Ojas (young employees engagement & development platform), Abha (for educating, mentoring and hand-holding of spouses of GAIL employees for their entrepreneurial ventures), Samanvay (Care, Connect & Commit – to establish a periodic two way communication in the organization), Mentoring Journey – Saarthi (a unique approach towards development of young talent), AI Tarang (to empower employees to innovate & grow in the age of AI), etc.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Chevening Science, Innovation, Policy & Leadership Fellowship from UK Government in 2013, Winner of the National Corrosion Awareness Award 2004, Emerging HRD Thinkers Award in 2011, HR Leader of the Year Award-2024, recognized as the Visionary CHRO by CXO Lanes and as Top 50 HR Thought Leaders of 2024, 2025 by Economic Times HR World and Honorary Fellow of Indian Management Association by AIMA. He is author & co-editor of the book titled ‘Natural Gas Markets in India’ published by Springer International and has to his credit several awards for papers published and presented at national and international forums.

He also serves as Chairman of GAIL Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd and as Director on the Boards of GAIL Gas Ltd, ONGC Tripura Power Company Ltd & China Gas Holdings Ltd.

He is an Executive Committee member of SCOPE (Standing Conference of Public Enterprises), Member on the Board of Governors of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology & Indian Institute of Petroleum & Energy, Director on the Board of IFTDO (International Federation of Training & Development Organizations), Member, HR Core Committee of All India Management Association (AIMA), Member, CII National Committee on Industrial Relations, Member, IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) Labour Rights Advisory Board, Member, Industry Advisory Board of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers – India, Member in the National HR Committee of FICCI, Member on the Board of Governors of the Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC) of AIMA, Member in the Governing Council of United Nations Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI), Honorary President of the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering (IIIE), Delhi Chapter and Co-Chair of the FICCI Committee on Corporate Security & Disaster Risk Reduction.

Sakshi Khosla is one of India’s most accomplished Chief Human Resources Officers—widely respected for architecting governance-led people strategies, executive compensation frameworks, and large-scale organization transformations across financial services, real estate, and diversified conglomerates. Currently serving as Head of People at CBRE India, Sakshi brings nearly two decades of deep human capital leadership experience, combining board-level governance expertise with enterprise-wide culture building and transformation leadership.

Across senior leadership roles at CBRE India, Max Life Insurance, Max Group, and GE, Sakshi has consistently driven organization structuring, leadership hiring, M&A integration, succession planning, performance and rewards redesign, and workforce transformation at scale. She has been a trusted partner to Boards and NRC committees—leading executive compensation governance, designing ESOP and long-term incentive frameworks, and strengthening leadership pipelines to ensure continuity in complex, regulated environments.

Her early career foundation in HR consulting at Aon Hewitt and operational leadership at TCS equipped her with rare end-to-end mastery of HR strategy, diagnostics, and implementation—making her a sought-after advisor for business leaders navigating growth, transformation, and regulatory complexity.

Sakshi is an award-winning HR leader, having received the Emerging Future HR Leader Award and the prestigious Chairman’s Award at Max India. An alumna of IIM Bangalore’s Next Generation CHRO Program, she holds advanced degrees in HR and Organizational Psychology from Delhi University and Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

Her mission remains clear:
to build future-ready organizations where governance, talent, and culture become the strongest drivers of sustainable business performance.

Balaji Ethirajan is one of India’s most respected human capital strategists and execution leaders—widely recognized for building scalable talent ecosystems, integrating people strategy with enterprise growth, and shaping the evolution of the HR services and supply-chain sectors. Currently serving as Global Chief Human Resources Officer at TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited, Balaji leads people strategy for a workforce of over 18,000 employees across 25 countries, positioning HR as a central engine of global expansion, operational excellence, and leadership continuity.

With nearly three decades of industry-defining experience, Balaji has played a formative role in shaping India’s modern staffing and talent services landscape. As former Managing Director & CEO of Randstad India & Sri Lanka and Director & COO of Ma Foi Management Consultants, he led large-scale integrations, introduced Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) to the Indian market, spearheaded franchise-led expansion into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and built nationwide talent networks that set industry benchmarks.

Balaji is known for architecting best-in-class recruitment, leadership development, and post-merger integration frameworks—driving organizational readiness during acquisitions, joint ventures, and rapid business scaling. His thought leadership on employment trends and workforce transformation is frequently featured across national business media and television.

Educated at INSEAD, the National Law School of India University, and Pondicherry University, Balaji’s mission is clear:
to build agile, execution-driven people systems that power sustainable enterprise growth in a globally connected workforce.

Chereen Godwin is a globally respected HR executive and transformational business leader, recognised in the Global 100 HR Leaders Hall of Fame 2025 for her outstanding contribution to human capital, organisational leadership and enterprise transformation.

A South African national, Chereen holds a BA degree in Psychology and Economics, a BA Honours in Applied Psychology, and a postgraduate certification in Economics and Organisational Behaviour from Heriot-Watt University. She brings over 30 years of international executive experience, having led people and business agendas across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, including a senior expatriate assignment in Europe

In 2025, Chereen’s leadership scope expanded beyond the people function when she was entrusted with a dual mandate, combining her role as Global Chief People Officer with a line management appointment as General Manager for the Southern Hemisphere. This transition reflects a rare level of executive trust and capability, requiring deep commercial acumen, operational ownership, market accountability and the ability to translate strategy into measurable business outcomes—while continuing to lead at enterprise level.

Chereen has held Senior Director, Vice President and C-suite roles, spanning industries including Retail, Manufacturing, Direct Selling, Pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and currently IT and Cyber Security. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Performanta, PepsiCo, and AstraZeneca, where she served in multiple regional and global executive positions, including Vice President HR for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, HR Director for Emerging Markets Projects, and Leadership & Organisational Effectiveness Director supporting international sales and marketing organisations. Earlier in her career, she built strong operational foundations at Avroy Shlain Cosmetics (Sara Lee/Douwe Egberts) and Edcon (Edgars Group).

Chereen is widely recognised for her ability to lead enterprise-wide transformation, organisational design, and leadership capability building, particularly in start-up, turnaround and high-growth environments. Her progression into a line leadership role underscores a leadership philosophy grounded in commercial accountability, decisive execution, cross-functional credibility and people-centred performance—demonstrating how strategic HR leadership can successfully translate into broader business stewardship.

Beyond her professional achievements, Chereen is a proud mother of two sons and an avid endurance and racquet sports enthusiast, with a passion for running, cycling, swimming and padel—embodying the resilience, discipline and balance that define her leadership approach.

Fong-Tuan Chen is a board-facing, enterprise and people transformation leader with over two decades of experience shaping high-performing organisations across industries as diverse as utilities, FMCG, financial services, consulting, medical technology, property, global tech, conglomerates, and luxury retail. Growing up in a family of teachers, he was anchored early by the belief that human potential is meant to be nurtured—not just observed—an ethos that continues to define his leadership today.

Trained as an engineer, Fong-Tuan brings systems thinking, data fluency, and problem-solving precision to the people agenda. Complementing that analytical foundation, his years as a national ballroom dancer instilled discipline, resilience, and a competitive drive—elements he channels into building high-trust cultures and measurable performance outcomes. Known for his ability to “quantify the unquantifiable,” he blends rigorous analysis with deep human insight to design people initiatives tied directly to retention, capability uplift, and productivity.

Currently, Fong-Tuan serves as Group Chief People Officer at Valiram (since June 2025), leading the people and culture agenda across markets—strengthening talent strategy, accelerating leadership capability, embedding a high-performance culture, enhancing total rewards, and reimagining employee experience to support ambitious growth. Prior to this, he led group-wide people transformation as Senior Executive Vice President, Group Human Capital at Maybank (2022–2025), with earlier leadership roles across rewards, performance, talent, and organisational design. His career also includes senior HR leadership at Berjaya Corporation Berhad, Samsung Electronics, Mah Sing Group Berhad, and regional roles spanning Asia Pacific.

In a world where leadership is too often defined by quarterly results and checkboxes, Chetana stands out for something deeper: a human-centric commitment to people, purpose, and positive impact. As Chief Human Resources Officer of LTIMindtree, her career is a testament to the belief that organisations thrive when they nurture both talent and values.

With nearly three decades of cross-industry experience, Chetana has consistently elevated HR from an enabling function to a strategic, societal, and human force. Her leadership journey reflects a rare synthesis of business acumen, technological foresight, and deep human empathy, positioning HR as a true partner to enterprise growth and social progress.

Today, as the Chief Human Resources Officer of LTIMindtree, she leads the global people agenda for over 90,000 employees across multiple countries, shaping culture, leadership development , talent strategies , and digital HR at scale.

Chetana has been instrumental in guiding LTIMindtree , through one of the most complex transitions in the tech industry, the merger of LTI and Mindtree. In that pivotal period, she didn’t just align HR systems and policies; she thoughtfully wove together two distinct cultures into a single narrative of shared identity and purpose. Through open communication, empathy, and a people-first mindset, she helped employees navigate uncertainty and confidently embrace a new chapter together.

Chetana’s career spans marquee organizations including Reliance Infrastructure, GVK Group, L&T Group, Gati, and now LTIMindtree. Across these roles, she has designed and executed performance management systems, leadership development and succession frameworks, mentorship programs , Talent strategies , employee experience and employer branding strategies, consistently raising the bar for HR excellence.

Her influence extends far beyond internal transformation. Chetana is deeply engaged with industry forums and partnerships that advance the HR profession and the broader social agenda. She has been a strong voice for diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within LTIMindtree and across her cross-industry career, championing conversations that matter and advocating for meaningful action.

Sanchayan Paul is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Network18 Media & Investments Limited.

Previously, he served as CHRO at Modenik Lifestyle, an Advent International portfolio company, where he managed the integration of two of their portfolio businesses and led the post-merger culture and talent transformation.

Earlier, he had a stab at entrepreneurship, founding KaryaMitr, a tech-enabled job search and skilling platform for India’s blue-collar workforce.

With prior experience at Vodafone India, Eicher Consulting Services, Reuters South Asia, and Reliance Industries, Sanchayan has partnered with business leaders through start-ups, rapid growth, complex integrations, and turnarounds.

He is an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur and a Chartered Fellow of CIPD (UK), with a Digital Business Leadership credential from Cornell University.

A recognized thought leader, he mentors HR professionals, speaks at industry forums and academic institutions, contributes to leading business publications, and advises HR tech start-ups. He also served as a Mentor and Jury member for Jombay’s HR 40under40 program in 2025.

Gerishen is an organizational design and development expert with over 15 years of experience in management, leadership, and governance. He is experienced as a dynamic strategic advisor, specializing in change management, people management, and competitive business strategy advisory.

He has a proven track record of driving positive transformations across diverse industries, leveraging on effective talent management as a source of value, leading and supporting initiatives to create a compelling value proposition by humanizing employee experience, cultivating a lab mindset work environment to stay ahead in the age of digital transformation, and motivating new behaviors to ensure sustainable impact in the organization.

His global experience spans +7 African countries, and he has held different executive leadership roles in different leading organizations. His belief in talent management as a driver for thriving, trust-based workplaces has shaped his approach to people management. He is currently serving as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Saruni Basecamp in Kenya.

As a thought leader, he has significantly contributed to the human resources professional body through peer-reviewed articles on leadership, talent management, conferences speaking engagement, coaching and mentoring of the young professionals as part of his leadership contribution to the development of human capital in the continent of Africa. He is deeply committed to lifelong learning and continually seek innovative ways to contribute to developing a sustainable and ethical society.

His academic qualifications include Masters of Business Administration for Executives, Strathmore Business School, Pan African EMBA Module Certification from IESE Business School, Spain, Bachelor of Commerce in Management from The Catholic University of Eastern Africa & Post Graduate Certifications including Higher Diploma in Human Resources Management, Diploma in Leadership, Certificate in Design -Led Strategy and Game Theory, Certificate in Cutting Edge Leadership amongst others.

Dr. Vinay Ranjan

David YoungWook Kim is a globally respected Chief Talent Officer and transformation-focused HR leader—widely recognized for architecting high-performance cultures, future-ready leadership pipelines, and enterprise-wide talent strategies across consumer goods, technology, and automotive global brands. Currently serving as Vice President and Global Head of Talent at Hyundai Motor Company, David leads the global talent agenda for one of the world’s most iconic automotive enterprises, enabling large-scale organizational transformation across regions and cultures.

With over two decades of international HR leadership experience, David has built and led end-to-end talent ecosystems spanning Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom, with deep expertise in leadership development, organization design, workforce reskilling, HR analytics, diversity and inclusion, and global HR shared services.

Previously, as Vice President and Head of Talent for Asia Pacific at Visa and in multiple global leadership roles at British American Tobacco, David led complex regional and global HR transformations—strengthening leadership pipelines, advancing organization effectiveness, embedding inclusion strategies, and modernizing talent development architectures across multi-country operations.

Known for his ability to translate business strategy into people capability, David has driven large-scale reskilling, performance transformation, and change management initiatives that enable speed, agility, and sustained growth in highly competitive global markets.

Honored with the BAT Global Marketing Skills Development Manager of the Year Award, David is a sought-after global HR thought leader.

His mission remains clear:
to build globally connected, future-ready organizations where leadership capability and talent excellence become the strongest engines of sustainable enterprise performance.

Sheetal Sandhu is one of India’s most accomplished culture architects and people transformation leaders—widely respected for integrating human capital strategy with business performance, governance excellence, and leadership continuity across complex, regulated industries. Currently serving as Group Chief Human Resources Officer at ICRA – A Moody’s Company, Sheetal brings over two decades of cross-industry leadership experience spanning financial services, analytics, technology, and consulting, with a reputation for delivering measurable enterprise impact.

As a strategic partner to CEOs and Boards across South Asia, Sheetal has led some of the region’s most critical people transformations. She has successfully navigated multiple CEO successions, built a 70% internal leadership pipeline, reduced attrition by 15% within a year, and driven business performance improvements exceeding 10% through integrated people strategies. Her leadership has strengthened group-wide resilience frameworks, culture transformation agendas, and ESG governance, while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion at scale.

Previously, as Head of Human Resources at Evalueserve, Sheetal led large global workforces across geographies, spearheaded digital HR transformations, strengthened leadership development pipelines, and delivered award-winning organizational development initiatives. She is also an active Board Advisor to Victoria University (Australia) and a dedicated startup mentor, shaping leadership capability across corporate and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

A recipient of the Economic Times HR Leader Award, Zee Business HR Superachievers, and the Shakti Puruskar, Sheetal is widely recognized for her commitment to advancing women leadership and building future-ready organizations.

Her mission remains clear:
to build resilient, values-driven cultures that transform uncertainty into sustained enterprise excellence.

Sheina Laws is the Director of People Services for the Americas at SprintRay, where she leads People Services across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, and India, while providing global partnership and guidance in collaboration with teams in EMEA and China. With four years at SprintRay and a recent promotion into her current role, she plays a key role in helping the organization scale effectively by building people operations that are data-informed, repeatable, and sustainable. Her work focuses on organizational development and people analytics, using insight and evidence to strengthen performance, culture, and operational rigor in a high-growth, global environment.

Known for integrating strategic discipline with human-centered leadership, Sheina brings a strong values-driven approach to employee experience, leadership development, and global people practices. In addition to her corporate leadership, she has served for five years on the board of Temecula Preparatory School, including more than four years as Board President, and provides advisory and thought leadership support to nonprofit organizations. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to strengthening institutions—whether companies, boards, or communities—through thoughtful governance, inclusive leadership, and systems designed for long-term impact.

Stuti Bajaj is a global people and business leader known for positioning HR as a strategic partner to business leadership. Her work focuses on strengthening leadership capability, organisational performance, and culture through the thoughtful integration of people strategy, technology, and business priorities.

Raised across different parts of India in a humble, values driven family, Stuti draws her leadership foundation from her parents, both working professionals, who instilled in her the belief that dedication, hard work, humility, and respect create lasting impact. These values continue to shape how she leads today.

A naturally curious and analytical thinker, Stuti began her career as a biotechnology engineer, driven by a desire to understand how things work. While engineering refined her problem solving skills, it also clarified her need to see meaningful impact, leading her to transition into HR and HR technology as a platform to influence both business outcomes and human potential.

With a career spanning leading global organisations including The Adecco Group and LHH, Boston Consulting Group, Rocket Internet and Jumia, L’Oréal, and Saxo Bank, Stuti has built deep expertise across Americas,Europe, Asia, and Africa. She brings a rare combination of analytical rigour, technological fluency, and human insight, shaped by experience across consulting, digital ventures, consumer goods, financial services, and professional services.In her current role as CHRO and Global Senior Vice President at The Adecco Group within LHH, Stuti advises senior leaders on people strategy, leadership capability, workforce readiness, and organisational transformation. Her work focuses on tightly integrating people priorities with business strategy, enabling leaders to make better decisions on talent, succession, organisational design and most importantly driving business results.

A defining theme of Stuti’s leadership is her belief that HR creates value when it moves beyond execution and actively shapes strategy. Across her roles, she has consistently championed HR’s evolution from an operational function to a strategic enabler of growth, resilience, and transformation. By aligning culture, capability, and technology, she helps organisations translate ambition into sustained performance.

She is particularly passionate about the responsible use of technology and AI to enhance judgment and decision making, while keeping the human core of work firmly at the centre.

Beyond her corporate role, Stuti is deeply committed to mentoring and developing others. She finds purpose in enabling individuals to grow, transition, and succeed, measuring impact by the positive trajectories she helps create for people and organisations.Her leadership philosophy is grounded in humility, continuous learning, and the belief that sustainable success is built by enabling people to do their best work.

Thank you once again for the work HR TODAY is doing to recognise and celebrate leadership that shapes the future of people and work.

Norlida (Oli) Azmi is Founder of Chapter Advisory and Executive Coach focusing on leadership, culture transformation and well-being as well as a strong advocate of equity and inclusion and building talents. She has been involved as advisor, mentor, or member in Leadwomen, LeanIn, 30% Club, Well-Being@Work, FLIP and Adjunct Professor at Unitar as well as Fellow TalentCorp, CIPD and CMI. She sits on 2 public-listed companies a Independent Non-Executive Director.

She carries multi-markets and multi-discipline corporate experience with large conglomerates in Malaysia including UEM Group, PNB and Axiata Group as well as with global and regional banks (Citigroup, HSBC, SCB, Samba Financial Group, Commercial Bank of Qatar Group, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) operating in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UK and Singapore. Oli’s diverse experience ranges from human capital, strategy, risk management & compliance, communication, marketing, accounting, finance to business development.

She has been recognized as an HR Icon and HR Top Ten Voice, amongst others recognizing her impact on the People agenda.

Daniela Williams is a business-first Chief Human Resources Officer and global growth leader, known for transforming organizations, building high-impact teams, and ensuring HR operates as a true performance engine—not a support function. As Chief Human Resources Officer at Franklin Electric, she aligns enterprise people strategy with business growth, innovation, and operational excellence, bringing a sharp commercial lens to talent and culture decisions.

With a career shaped by hands-on leadership across sales, program management, M&A integration, and global product launches, Daniela brings uncommon credibility in connecting workforce strategy to revenue, execution discipline, and scalable operating models. Her approach blends enterprise transformation with practical, measurable outcomes—strengthening leadership pipelines, accelerating capability building, and enabling faster decision-making through HR technology and analytics.

Previously at Visteon Corporation, Daniela served as Global Vice President of People and Culture, leading large-scale transformation across engineering, sales, program management, and talent acquisition. She played a pivotal role in building and scaling Visteon’s Electrification business from concept to a global team, unifying people practices across regions, and launching leadership pipelines to support rapid growth.

Daniela is also recognized as a culture builder and inclusion advocate—having launched Momentum, Visteon’s first global women’s leadership program, while redesigning performance, succession, and development systems to accelerate leadership readiness. Earlier in her career, she drove enterprise-wide talent systems and operating models at Dura Automotive Systems, Aptiv/Delphi, and other global organizations—modernizing onboarding, performance management, HR operating systems, and analytics-driven talent decisions at scale.

Across roles, Daniela is consistently valued for being commercially grounded, execution-oriented, and globally agile—bringing clarity, trust, and accountability to complex transformations while building cultures where people and business performance rise together.

Kaustav Chakravarthy is the Chief Human Resource Officer of HOYA Vision Care, a global leader in optical technology. Over 25 years across Fortune 500 and Global 500 multinationals, he has architected transformative, technology-enabled people strategies that unify diverse regional practices into future-ready frameworks delivering measurable business value. At HOYA, he leads a 250-strong global HR organisation and spearheads the company’s global HR strategy, driving organisational effectiveness, leadership development, and cultural transformation for 22,000 employees in 40+ countries. His career spans senior roles at Johnson Controls–Hitachi, Lenovo, Accenture, Ernst & Young, Bosch and Infosys, reflecting deep expertise in talent management, organisational effectiveness, and global HR operations. A seasoned facilitator, he is known for building high-performance, people-centric cultures.

Beyond the enterprise, Kaustav mentors HR professionals across India and Singapore, guiding both emerging and senior practitioners. An active member of the National HRD Network’s Singapore Chapter, he contributes to a community advancing HR practice and shaping the next generation of leaders. He champions structured mentorship, capability-building, and belonging as strategic levers for retention and performance. He also shares perspectives on culture, performance, and leadership via LinkedIn, engaging the wider HR community. His contributions reflect his deeply held belief that leadership extends beyond business results to shaping inclusive workplaces and empowering communities.

Aurakanda Attavipach is a Chief People Officer of Minor International, joining MINOR on March 14th, 2022.

Aurakanda has been at the forefront, having led people and digital transformation across world-class organizations in the region. Her unique experience, combining Strategic HR, Talent Development, and Business Operations transformation, is highly valued for Minor International’s post pandemic growth. She isrecognized as one of the 100most influential HR Leaders from Southeast Asia by ETHR Southeast Asia in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and received the individual award of 2025 ‘Leader of Leader’ for excellence in leadership development.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Relations from the University of Washington, WA, USA, and Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing & Finance from the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University.

Aurakanda has extensive work experience across various business disciplines including Marketing, Commercial, Operations, and Human Resources. She is also not new to Minor, having started her career with The Pizza Company when Minor Food was in its early stages back in the early 1990s. She was a highly valuable member, contributing to the growth of the company.

Prior to working at MINOR, she was the Chief Operating Officer, Retail at Lotus’s, responsible for the rebranding of Lotus’s and supporting the change of company ownership from Tesco PLC to CP Group. She looked after 2,300 stores and 50,000 colleagues across all store formats. Prior to that, she was the People Director Asia of Tesco PLC and Chief HR Officer of Tesco Lotus in Thailand. During her tenure as Chief HR Officer, Tesco Lotus received Thailand’s Best Employer Award by Kincentric & Sasin for 4 consecutive years. She also spent 11 years working at adidas Group, holding dual responsibilities as Head of Retail Business Unit & Human Resources, responsible for developing the overall retail business strategy, managing the unit’s P&L, and delivering retail business transformation.

Aurakanda played an important role in fostering collaboration and integration across all parts of the business. She ensured that all voices and ideas were heard to support new policies, processes, designs, and implementations of new initiatives. She strived to enhance organization’s capabilities, supported colleagues in improving customer and brand experience, and contributed to community growth.

Over the past years at MINOR, Aurakanda had set strategic People & Culture direction to enable the sustainable growth of both people and business. She orchestrated the transformation of People & Culture at MINOR through the first establishment of Global People & Culture Centre of Excellence to strengthen people practices and synergize MINOR across all business groups.

Aurakanda oversees complex employee portfolios on more than one continent and implements workforce development strategies on a global scale. Her strategies concentrate on creating strong talent pipelines and heightening the focus on talent, capabilities, leadership, HR digitization, and company culture to enhance organizational decision-making and secure future growth.

Through Aurakanda’s leadership, MINOR has received the 2025 Future Trends Awards; The Most Future Brands, The Most Attractive Employer (For students aged 18-22) and Leader in ESG (People). MINOR has been ranked on TIME’s list of the World’s Best Companies for 2025 (#54 and #1), in Asia Pacific and in the Hospitality, Travel and Leisure Industry respectively, 2024 (#425), the highest ranking for Thai Company, listed in FORBES’s World’s Best Employers for 2023 (#613), with only two Thai companies recognized, listed amongst the Top 40’s Most Attractive Employers in Thailand by Universum, received the Best Employer Award Hall of Fame from Kincentric, recognized by SEC as a Sustainability Model Organization in Thai Capital Market by Supporting Disabled Individuals, and received the Great Place To Work Certification for three consecutive years (2023-2025), exemplifying MINOR as a high-trust work experience for all team members.

Rebecca Port PhD.

“I think about culture as what people do when no one is watching.”

A Human Resources leader, experienced in working with the C-suite and the board to build and deliver impactful people strategies. Rebecca is experienced in all aspects of HR across a wide range of industries, and has extensive global experience, having lived and worked in the UK, India, Singapore and USA.

Rebecca led the People Team at 10x Genomics, whose mission is to master biology to advance human health. Prior to 10x Genomics, Rebecca was VP of HR at Netflix and before that, she held a number of HR leadership positions at Standard Chartered Bank in both Singapore and New York.

Rebecca adopts a people first approach to drive organizational success and create environments where employees can do their best work and realize their potential. Driven by solving problems, influencing the whole system and building deep collaborative relationships. Rebecca takes a hands-on leadership style that allows her to connect and understand employees, while influencing the board to ensure the HR function is seen as critical in creating business success.

With Rebecca’s diverse experience, she brings a unique global perspective to solving problems. She continues to push boundaries, as she challenges conventional wisdom and approaches to human resources with a mission to make work work for everyone.

A Chartered Occupational Psychologist (British Psychological Society), with a degree, Masters and PhD in Psychology. Rebecca has held several visiting lecturer positions across the UK & Singapore, and authored the book “The psychology of creativity & innovation in the workplace”. She is currently an advisory board member for the University of Hull’s MBA program.

Rebecca’s work as a champion of women in the workplace has been recognized across the human resources industry. She has won a series of awards including Top Talent Officers Award, by the National Diversity Council, 2020; Advocate of the year award, by Women in Finance 2018; Women Leadership Achievement Award 2015, from the World

Women Leadership Congress and Shortlisted for Management Today’s 35 under 35, 2014.

In her role as the President and Chief Human Resources Officer at IIFL Finance, Preeti leads the organisation’s people strategy. With over 20 years of experience, she has emerged as a distinguished HR leader, known for aligning human capital priorities with business vision, building inclusive cultures, and future-proofing organisations through talent excellence.

At IIFL Finance, Preeti leads the development and execution of the Human Resources strategy, focusing on key pillars such as Talent and Succession Planning, Diversity & Inclusion, Change Management, and Organisational Culture. Her approach blends strategic thinking with a nuanced understanding of people and performance. She believes that sustainable business success depends on a thriving, engaged, and empowered workforce.

Before joining IIFL, Preeti held several leadership roles across respected organisations. At Kotak Mahindra Bank, she served as EVP – Human Resources, leading HR for the Consumer Assets vertical and Employee Engagement, where she championed culture-building and performance enhancement. At Bajaj Finserv, she spearheaded HR Shared Services and Automation at a national level, streamlining operations and driving technology-led HR transformation.

Her earlier global stints include Head of Global Operations at Fujitsu Consulting and over eight years with Oracle Financial Services, where she played a pivotal role in training, development, and operational excellence. These experiences have shaped her global outlook and sharpened her capabilities in managing complex organisational structures and large-scale transformations.

Preeti’s core strengths lie in Talent Strategy, HR Transformation, Culture Development, Employee Relations, and Change Management. She is equally passionate about building strong leadership pipelines and nurturing the next generation of talent. Her skillset spans the breadth of human resources including performance management, policy development, stakeholder engagement, communication, and retention strategies guided by her belief in authenticity and collaboration.

Beyond her technical expertise, what distinguishes Preeti is her ability to connect deeply with people. Whether mentoring future leaders, driving DEI agendas, or championing wellbeing initiatives, she leads with empathy and purpose. She has cultivated workplaces where innovation, transparency, and collaboration flourish. Her impact extends beyond operational excellence; she is a trusted advisor to business leaders, a culture-builder, and a catalyst for transformation.

Angelina Chua is a seasoned global HR leader with 25 years of experience shaping people and culture strategies across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the United States, and Europe. Having led HR for organizations of up to 24,000 employees, she is recognized for building inclusive, high-performance cultures that deliver measurable business impact.

Currently Vice President and Head of Human Resources – SKF ISEA Operations (India & South East Asia), Angelina partners with regional leadership to drive transformation, organizational design, and talent strategies aligned with growth priorities. Earlier, as Global Head of HR Business Partners at Biocon Biologics, Head of HR at Janssen India (Johnson & Johnson), and Head of HR for Maersk India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, she led large-scale workforce integration, capability building, and engagement initiatives across complex, multi-country environments.

Angelina has deep expertise in M&A due diligence and post-merger integration, successfully integrating multiple acquisitions while achieving cost synergies and cultural alignment. She has redesigned operating models to enhance agility, strengthened employer branding, and improved retention through purpose-led engagement. Beyond HR, she has led corporate functions including employee insurance, CSR, and data protection, broadening her strategic impact.

A Wharton Global Fellow in Talent Management and SMU Master of Human Capital Leadership scholar, Angelina is passionate about mentoring leaders and advancing diversity. Her approach blends analytics with empathy—ensuring organizations remain people-centered while delivering sustainable growth.

For more than 28 years, Tamer Shalaby has built a distinguished career in Human Capital and Organizational Development, marked by his ability to translate people strategy into tangible business results. His journey reflects a rare balance between strategic leadership and operational depth, enabling organizations to grow, adapt, and sustain performance in complex and fast-evolving environments across the MENA region.

Throughout his career, Tamer has moved fluidly between enterprise-scale organizations and transformation-focused mandates, shaping HR functions that are deeply embedded in business strategy rather than operating on the sidelines. A defining aspect of his professional path has been working within large, complex organizations where HR must operate simultaneously as an operational backbone and a strategic driver—an experience that sharpened his executive judgment and transformation capability.

During this phase of his career, Tamer held senior HR leadership responsibilities within TE Data, one of Egypt’s leading telecommunications companies. Operating in a highly dynamic and technology-driven environment, he contributed to both operational HR leadership and strategic workforce initiatives, gaining valuable exposure to scale, governance, and organizational complexity. This experience strengthened his ability to align HR operations with broader business priorities—an approach that continues to shape his leadership style today.

Building on this foundation, Tamer went on to assume broader executive and group-level roles. He currently serves as Human Capital Senior Director at IGI Group, a diversified organization spanning real estate, construction, sports management, and facility management. Leading HR across nine subsidiaries, he ensures alignment, governance, and integration at group level while driving leadership development, succession planning, and cultural transformation.

At IGI, his impact extends beyond systems and policies. He has led executive recruitment and leadership pipeline development, introduced engagement frameworks that reduced turnover and improved satisfaction, and championed culture transformation initiatives that embedded trust, collaboration, and innovation across the group.

In parallel, Tamer holds the role of Deputy CEO & Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at MB Group, where he operates at executive level, overseeing organizational performance while steering people strategy. In this dual role, he ensures that HR functions as a strategic enabler of growth, agility, and long-term organizational resilience.

Alongside his corporate leadership roles, Tamer is widely recognized for delivering high impact consultancy transformations. He has led recent consultancy engagements with

MODAD Group, NAIA Developments, and Q Developments, where he was entrusted with reshaping HR functions and organizational culture within accelerated timelines.

Across these engagements, his work has included redesigning talent and retention frameworks, restructuring compensation systems, launching leadership development programs, and embedding performance-driven cultures—always with a focus on sustainability rather than short-term fixes.

Beyond these assignments, Tamer has advised more than 15 organizations across industries including technology, retail, hospitality, and construction. His advisory work is characterized by speed, clarity, and pragmatism—quickly diagnosing organizational challenges and delivering solutions that leave lasting impact.

Academically, Tamer holds a BSc in Commerce from Cairo University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources from the American University in Cairo, and a Mini MBA from Frost & Sullivan (UK), alongside multiple professional certifications in HR leadership, compensation, organizational change, and assessment methodologies.

What ultimately distinguishes Tamer Shalaby is his ability to bridge strategy and execution, vision and delivery. Whether leading within large enterprises, driving group wide transformation, or executing rapid consultancy mandates, his hallmark remains the same: transforming HR into a catalyst for organizational agility, leadership strength, and cultural resilience.

HR Leader with passion for growing Business, People and bringing positive Cultural change.

As a career HR professional with 30 years of experience, I had the opportunity to work and grow in diverse HR areas thus cultivating diverse set of HR skills in change management, leadership development, coaching & mentoring, integrated Talent Management, Remuneration & Rewards, Talent Selection and Employee Relations. Over a period and with increasing responsibilities I developed a keen sense of Business Partnering and making sure that HR Programs are delivering the business Results. HR Exposure in various cultures such as South Africa, Switzerland, Oceania and having led diverse Teams in multiple cultures and geographies has added to my abilities to understand cultural nuances and contextualise HR programs for maximum effectiveness and business results.

Senior HR Professional. Executive Director & CHRO for Dabur Group Globally .HR Director for Nestle Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands. Previously HR Director for Nestle South Asia Region. XLRI 1991-93.

Preemita Singh, President & CHRO at Havells India, is a seasoned professional with a proven track record in managing people and driving business objectives. With extensive experience leading HR functions in both local and global contexts, she excels in handling diverse stakeholders.

Her leadership style is marked by a results-driven approach, bringing about significant achievements in HR transformation, talent management, leadership development, and leveraging HR technology. Preemita’s strategic vision underscores the crucial role of human resource management in unlocking a company’s full potential.

Recognized for her contributions, she has received numerous accolades and stands as a leading voice in HR, showcasing her impactful insights and commitment to advancing the field.

Simone Albuquerque holds a Master’s degree from the FIA Business Administration School, a postgraduate degree in Business Management from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UFRJ. She has worked for over thirty years as a Human Resources executive, having experience in various business sectors, both in multinational companies such as Xerox Brazil and Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as in Brazilian companies like Gerdau, Votorantim Cimentos, and Oxiteno/Grupo Ultra. For the past three years, she has led the Human Resources department at Isa Energia Brasil, being responsible for all people management subprocesses at the energy transmission company. Additionally, she serves as a mentor at EdiTech Top2you, a company specialized in executive mentoring. Over the years, she has had experience in the labor market in Brazil and abroad, having lived and worked in the United States and Spain and led global projects with various countries.

As an executive, she led the definition of human resources strategies to support business challenges, managing projects in compensation & benefits, culture & climate, career & succession, training & development, diversity & inclusion, among others. She co-authored the books Mulheres do RH and CEOs e RHs – inspiring stories, both published by Editora Leader. She was recognized as one of the Most Admired HR Professionals in 2021 by Grupo Gestão RH and as the Best HR in Brazil in 2024 and 2025 by Plataforma Melhor RH and Gecom.

Peck Kem is the Chief HR Officer and Advisor (Workforce Development) for Singapore’s Public Service Division. She is responsible for enhancing HR capabilities across the public sector. Her prior role was Senior Director for Human Resource & Organisation Development at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAIN in Geneva, managing HR and corporate administration globally.

Her career spans quality engineering, manufacturing management, and VP of HR in the private sector with Tandon, Western Digital, Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, and Avago Technologies. In the public sector, she was a Divisional Director at the Ministry of Manpower. Her diverse background offers a unique leadership perspective across Asian, European, and American cultures.

Peck Kem is the first Asian CIPD Chartered Companion and was listed as one of the 100 Most HR influencers from Southeast Asia. She was also named as one of Asia’s Top 50 HR Leaders in 2024 by SpeakIn Asia. Most recently in Jan 2026, she was named by NewInAsia as one of the Top Voices in HR, Leadership & People Strategy in Singapore.

In addition, she currently serves as President of Singapore Human Resources Institute and President of the World Federation of People Management Associations. She was also the immediate past President of the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resources Management APFHRM.

Dr. Natwar Kadel, Associate Vice President & Vertical Head – Human Resources, Hyundai Motor India

Dr. Kadel is a seasoned HR leader with over 18 years at Hyundai Motor India, currently serving as Associate Vice President & Vertical Head – Human Resources, where he drives people strategy, Industrial relations Strategy, HR transformation, learning, talent development, and leadership Development initiatives aligned with Hyundai’s long-term business goals.

Beginning his journey in 2007 as a Management Trainee in Chennai, he rose rapidly through roles in HR strategy, employee relations, corporate HR, and CoE, consistently shaping organization-wide capability and culture. His leadership philosophy rooted in ownership, empathy, and innovation has guided Hyundai through complex periods such as labour transitions and the pandemic.

Academically, Dr. Kadel has pursued advanced management education at the Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli, supported by foundational qualifications in commerce, social work (HR), and business finance. He is currently pursuing masters in Organizational Psychology.

Beyond his corporate role, he is also a pro bono lecturer on Compensation & Benefits at top-tier MBA schools, contributing to the next generation of HR leaders. Additionally, he carries a philanthropic mindset toward society mentoring and preparing Gen Z for future workplaces, reflecting his broader commitment to purposeful leadership and social upliftment. He is equally known as an author, mentor, speaker and motivator embodying a holistic, people-first professional ethos.

Dr. Christian Schmeichel is Senior Vice President and Global Head of People & Culture Services at SAP. In this role, he and his organization are providing state-of-the-art people and culture services for the business software group’s workforce of 110,000 employees in more than 70 countries, aiming to attract and retain the best talent in the industry. With the rules of the talent game changing, Dr. Schmeichel is a big believer in leadership and culture being key ingredients for leading-edge innovation and world-class business performance when making organizations future-ready in times of unprecedented change.

Being a global citizen who has worked and lived in Asia, Europe, and the US, Dr. Christian Schmeichel has more than 20 years of experience as HR Strategist, Business Partner, COO/CPO and Digital Transformation Executive, amongst others being Chief Future of Work Officer at SAP, Global Head of HR for various SAP Board Areas, COO for SAP’s global HR function, and HR Director at SAP’s subsidiary in Japan. Building on his passion for people and technology, Dr. Schmeichel is a widely recognized expert for driving large-scale workforce transformation and shaping the future of work in times of AI.

A particular focus of Dr. Schmeichel’s work over recent years has been on designing and implementing business focused people strategies and leading-edge HR models on a global scale. He is a strong advocate of reimagining HR, leveraging innovative technology and advanced analytics to run HR as a business powered by AI. His innovative approaches of driving people and culture related transformation across geographies always put the human element front and centre, emphasizing the importance of people centricity in times of technological advancement.

Prior to joining SAP, Dr. Schmeichel started his career in strategy consulting and corporate finance. He holds a Ph.D. in Economic Science with honours and is a member of several professional and alumni networks, actively mentoring high-potential talents.

Emad Ahmad Al-Ablani’s story at the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) began in March 2003, when he joined as the Manager of the Recruitment Department. This role marked the start of a significant journey in HR leadership. Emad’s passion and vision were the keys that took him on greater responsibilities, and through his leadership skills and strategic mindset, he earned the role of Deputy General Manager for Group Human Resources. In October 2014, Emad was appointed Head of Group Human Resources, a position where he reports directly to the CEO and holds the rank of General Manager. With this role, he not only guides the HR function but also plays a central role in NBK’s overall strategy and operations. Most recently, Emad has become the Group Chief Human Resources Officer at NBK, which reflects a deep commitment to excellence, a passion for leadership, and a drive to shape the future of HR in Kuwait’s banking sector and beyond.

Manoj Parmesh is a senior HR leader with over three decades of experience across the energy, drilling, and industrial services sectors. He currently serves as Chief People Officer at ADES group, where he leads global HR strategy across a diverse, multi-country workforce, supporting large-scale growth, acquisitions, and operational excellence. His expertise spans organizational transformation, competency development, leadership capability building, compensation & benefits, workforce integration, and cultural alignment in complex international environments.

Throughout his career, Manoj has played a pivotal role in building scalable people systems that enable business growth, particularly in asset-intensive and safety-critical industries. He is widely recognized for integrating people strategy with business outcomes, especially during periods of rapid expansion, market volatility, and organizational change.

Beyond his corporate role, Manoj is actively involved in societal and industry development initiatives. He has been instrumental in establishing student chapters of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) across multiple universities in Middle East & North Africa. Through this initiative, he has supported the next generation of professionals by helping bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world industry practice, fostering early exposure to the drilling and energy sector, and encouraging safer, more informed career pathways for young talent.

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Dr. Candice Hartley is an experienced executive, having held various people leadership roles in the public and private sectors nationally, regionally and internationally. Her passion is in growing businesses through ensuring excellence in people management strategies and creating an inclusive world of work.

Sandeep was born in New Delhi, India and completed his Bachelors in Commerce from Delhi University and Masters in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (T.I.S.S), Mumbai, India.

He started his career in 1992 and over the last almost 30 years has worked across Indian and Multinational companies like SIEL, Dupont, GE, Ranbaxy, HSBC. His work has taken him across industries and geographies, having lived in Japan, Korea, Middle East and Singapore. He has held leadership positions in General Electric, where he worked for 13 years, MENA Regional HR Leader for HSBC at Dubai and with Ranbaxy as the Global Head of Human Resources. Till recently, Sandeep was the HR Head for Emerging Markets, for Xylem Incorporation, based in Singapore. He is currently working with DCM Shriram as Group Chief Human Resources Officer.

Sandeep has led HR change agenda through many of his roles, setting up people strategy for growth and building organization and people DNA for business Success. During his international stints, was involved in HR strategy, business reorganization, including Mergers and Acquisitions, Talent and Growth.

Kirk joined Howden Group in June 2022 and became the Group Chief People Officer in October 2024.

As Group Chief People Officer, Kirk has responsibility for defining and leading the Group People strategy. Kirk leads a team of 400 professionals that create outstanding colleague experiences for Howden’s 23,000 people around the world – spanning the UK, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, US and Latin America.

Ensuring that Howden has the best talent in the market to provide world class services to clients and customers is always at the top of the agenda. Under his leadership, the Group’s talent and talent acquisition functions are pivotal in driving Howden’s ambitious growth strategy.

Employee ownership through share purchase and equity incentives is something that Kirk is determined to champion, and is supporting the important work to increase the number of employee shareholders at Howden.

Kirk is actively involved in a range of social mobility initiatives. He is passionate about providing insight and creating access to careers in Insurance and the wider Financial Services industry, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Prior to working at Howden, Kirk held senior HR roles in Investment Banking with RBC and Barclays, Fund Management with Citadel and Asset Management with Arrow Global.

Carina Parisella is a widely recognised, purpose-led Chief People Officer and workforce architect with over two decades of experience building high-performing, deeply engaged teams across technology, financial services and start-up environments. Known for her rare ability to fuse empathy with execution, Carina has led multi-million-dollar portfolios and large-scale workforce transformation across global organisations, designing systems where people feel seen, supported and inspired to do the most meaningful work of their careers. Her leadership spans Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and the Philippines, and she has been consistently recognised for her impact, including being named among the Top 101 Global Engagement & Experience Influencers for three consecutive years.

Currently Chief People Officer at Andromeda Robotics, Carina is helping scale a purpose-led tech start-up with humanity, creativity and bold thinking. Previously, as Tribe Lead and Head of Technology Workforce at ANZ, she led workforce strategy for a 15,000-strong global tech function, founded Australia’s first tech Return to Work program, and established the AI Immersion Centre—reaching more than 4,000 leaders across four countries and embedding AI tools at enterprise scale. A passionate advocate for inclusive pathways into tech, Carina has collaborated with academia, government and industry, presented talent strategy to global leaders including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and authored thought leadership on the future of work. Her career reflects a deep commitment to building cultures, capabilities and communities where people and innovation can thrive.

Jennifer Bouyoukos is the Chief People Officer at PureFacts, a global wealthtech company, where she is leading organizational transformation and growth. A multi-award-winning HR leader with over 25 years of international experience, she has worked with high-performing companies across media, technology, and financial services, including Entertainment One, SAP, RBC, Manulife, Kobo, and Workbrain.

Jennifer has been recognized as one of the Top 100 HR Leaders Globally by HRD, Top 25 Elite Women in HR and among the Top 50 Women Leaders in Toronto. Her career spans Canada, the U.S., the U.K., EMEA, and APAC, where she has led international expansions and over 20 M&A transactions—four among the largest tech and media exits in Canadian history.

She is proud to have led teams recognized with Canadian HR Team of the Year Excellence Awards (twice) and Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Awards, and was nominated for Canada’s Most Admired CPCO in 2024. Her expertise includes organizational development, total rewards, executive development, talent strategy, and employee experience.

Jennifer is also a board advisor to HR tech startups, PE Firms, an angel investor, and an advocate for DEIB. She is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of HR leaders and creating inclusive, high-performing workplaces.

Jennifer (Jenn) Bouyoukos is an undeniable force in the HR industry and has been for over 25 years. An award-winning executive whose influence over the past 12 months alone has left a profound mark on Canadian business, the global HR community, and the next generation of leaders.

In the past year, Jenn has led two major cultural and structural transformations: first at Bench Accounting, where she served as Chief People Officer through a high-stakes acquisition by Employer.com, and now at PureFacts, a PE-backed fintech scaling globally. At both firms, she architected people strategies that enhanced ARR per employee, increased EBITDA, and rebuilt entire leadership teams, earning her recognition as one of HRD’s Global 100, a Top 50 Woman Leader in Toronto, and a Most Admired CPCO finalist.

Jenn is a pioneer in redefining how HR contributes to business. At Bench, she turned DEI from an abstract concept into a system-wide cultural competency, embedding inclusive practices into hiring, onboarding, performance, and pay. Her policies on reproductive loss, mental health, and parental leave set new industry standards for empathy-driven, evidence-based HR

At PureFacts, she is building leadership frameworks, internal communications platforms, and global talent infrastructure to support a data-driven scale-up.

Beyond corporate success, Jenn is a tireless advocate for women and underrepresented groups. She serves on advisory boards for multiple HR tech start-ups and private equity firms, mentors rising HR professionals, and invests in female-led ventures through Women’s Equity Lab. Her collaboration with the First Nations Technology Council is helping Indigenous talent access meaningful tech careers
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Jenn’s influence extends outside HR. She has coached first-time CEOs through leadership transitions, advised on multi-billion-dollar M&A deals, and is frequently sought out by VC and PE firms for her ability to lead through change with clarity and courage

She is known for combining data with humanity treating every challenge as both a business opportunity and a chance to build belonging.

Whether she’s designing scalable systems, fighting for pay equity, or helping a young professional find her voice, Jenn leads with purpose, boldness, and impact.

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Jenn Bouyoukos has had an outsized impact on the HR community and the broader people and culture profession through her consistent commitment to advancing the field, developing others, and challenging outdated thinking. Over nearly 28 years, she has actively contributed to elevating the role of HR from a functional discipline to a true strategic and value-creating partner. Jenn shares her experience openly, whether through formal mentorship, peer advising, industry forums, or one-to-one support, and she does so with a generosity that reflects a deep belief in strengthening the profession as a whole, not just individual organizations.

Jenn is a trusted mentor and sponsor to many HR leaders at different stages of their careers. She invests time in developing others by offering practical guidance, candid feedback, and real perspective shaped by experience across high-growth, global, and complex environments. Her support goes beyond theory. She helps HR professionals build confidence, sharpen judgment, and navigate real leadership challenges, including transformation, workforce decisions, executive dynamics, and personal resilience. Many leaders credit Jenn with helping them step into larger roles, think more strategically, and lead with both conviction and humanity.

Beyond mentorship, Jenn is an active contributor to the evolution of the HR industry itself. She is frequently sought out by venture capital and private equity firms, founders, boards, and executive teams for her insights on the future of work, organizational design, leadership effectiveness, and people strategy. Jenn is known for translating emerging trends into practical, scalable approaches that work in real businesses. She challenges conventional wisdom, encourages data-driven decision making, and pushes the profession to stay relevant in an environment defined by constant change, technology, and rising expectations.

What truly distinguishes Jenn is her commitment to continuous learning and innovation within the HR community. She consistently stays ahead of shifts in the profession, embracing new thinking, tools, and models while maintaining a strong ethical and human core. Jenn models the growth mindset she encourages in others, demonstrating that HR must continually adapt, evolve, and lead from the front. Through her leadership, mentorship, and thought partnership, Jenn has helped shape a stronger, more credible, and more future-ready HR profession, and her influence continues to ripple across the industry.

Shraddha heads HR for Google India and is responsible for designing and executing the people strategy focusing on Growth, Engagement and Performance to meet the needs of the country’s more than 16000 employees. Shraddha joined Google in April, 2022 and since then has spearheaded various people initiatives across Leadership, Talent, Culture, DEI & Wellbeing. Additionally, she is also a mentor for the Google For Startup and Startup Clinic Program for Women Founders.

Shraddha is a distinguished thought leader with a career spanning over 2 decades. Prior to Google, she was with SAP and TCS in multiple roles at the Global and Regional level for HR Business Partnering, Leadership & Succession Planning, DEI, HR Consulting, Organization Design, Corporate Governance and Talent Development.

She is passionate about Future of Work, Leadership, Inclusion, nurturing Startups and has co-authored the book Why Blend In When You Can Stand Out? She has been felicitated across multiple forums and recognized as a Top HR thought leader & Innovator in India and APAC.

She believes that to change the game, you must change the frame!

Alma Mater: Harvard, ISB, and T A Pai Management Institute

Wanda Shoer is a global enterprise and people transformation leader with more than two decades of experience driving large-scale change across complex, highly regulated organizations. She currently serves as Chief Learning Officer at Sanofi, where she leads the global learning organization and is spearheading the transformation of Sanofi’s enterprise learning operating model to strengthen critical skills, future-ready capabilities, and organizational performance at scale.

In this role, Wanda is focused on building innovative, high-impact learning ecosystems that directly support business strategy, productivity, and long-term growth. Her work emphasizes capability building, operational excellence, and creating learning environments that enable employees to adapt, perform, and lead in a rapidly evolving global healthcare landscape.

Prior to Sanofi, Wanda held senior leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, where she led global initiatives spanning multiple functions, including Research & Development, Global Medical Safety, Pharmacovigilance, Strategic Business Operations, and Human Resources. Across these roles, she was instrumental in translating enterprise strategy into scalable operating models, delivering measurable efficiency gains, and strengthening workforce capabilities across geographies.

Earlier in her career, Wanda worked across financial services, healthcare, and strategy consulting, advising organizations on the integration of talent systems, processes, and people. Known for her ability to bridge business strategy with execution, she continues to shape enterprise-wide learning and capability agendas that drive sustainable value creation.

Prateek Dubey is the President – Global CHRO at Mankind Pharma, bringing over 25 years of cross-industry leadership experience spanning pharmaceuticals, financial services, FMCG, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Across organizations such as IDFC First Bank, Hindustan Coca-Cola, Suzlon Energy, Jindal SAW, and Indorama Cement, he has consistently redefined the role of HR—from a support function to a strategic force shaping enterprise resilience, capability, and long-term value creation.

Academically distinguished with a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, an MBA, certifications in Clinical Psychology, and dual law degrees (LLB & LLM), Prateek brings rare interdisciplinary depth to people leadership. His philosophy integrates modern HR strategy with timeless wisdom drawn from Vedic literature and classical thought, anchored in the belief that sustainable organizational growth emerges when data-driven decisions are guided by ethical clarity and human purpose.

Prateek is widely recognized for aligning human capital strategy with business outcomes, particularly through talent architecture, leadership pipeline creation, and workforce optimization. He has pioneered skill taxonomy frameworks, succession planning systems, and automation-led HR models, significantly improving organizational agility, governance, and performance. His leadership in Digital HR Transformation and process re-engineering has elevated HR’s credibility as a value-creating function across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. In parallel, he views the role of HR much like that of Krishna in the Mahabharata—a force that guides, enables, activates, and empowers, without seeking the throne. In his view, HR’s true power lies not in authority, but in orchestration—helping leaders and institutions realize their highest potential while remaining anchored in values and balance.

Beyond organizational performance, Prateek has consistently championed HR as a vehicle for societal and institutional impact. He has led purpose-driven CSR initiatives focused on skill development for marginalized children and youth in Jabalpur, the introduction of new agricultural methodologies to uplift local farmers, tree plantation initiatives, and the establishment and support of animal shelter homes. These efforts reflect his conviction that corporate leadership must actively contribute to community development, environmental stewardship, and inclusive growth alongside business success.

Drawing equally from ancient Indian and Vedic knowledge traditions, cultural ethos, and the rigor of contemporary strategic and digital thinking, Prateek articulates a modern view of leadership—one that calls for leaders to be initiators of change, influencers of direction, continuous learners, and tech-savvy disruptors, always guided by purpose. By integrating timeless Indian wisdom with the demands of today’s complex, technology-driven world, he presents leadership as both principled and progressive—anchored in values, yet relentlessly forward-looking.

Moisés Correia da Silva is a visionary and results-driven Senior Human Capital Executive with over two decades of experience architecting and leading strategic HR transformations across Latin America and Europe. His career is distinguished by aligning human capital strategy with core business objectives to drive growth, operational excellence, and cultural resilience in complex, multi-national corporations.

With deep cross-industry expertise spanning Financial Services (Mastercard, Toyota Financial), Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals (United Health Group, Novartis, Ciba), Insurance (Zurich, Allianz), and Technology (Ascenty Data Centers), Law (Nelson Wilians ). Moisés excels in HR Business Partnership, Organizational Design, and complex change management. He is adept at navigating all stages of the business lifecycle, from start-ups and turnarounds to global mergers and acquisitions.

A hallmark of his leadership is the digital and strategic transformation of HR into a value-driving function. He has a proven track record of designing and implementing regional shared service models, standardizing global processes, and deploying integrated HCM systems to generate significant operational efficiencies and enhance the employee experience. He is skilled in establishing People Analytics functions to foster data-driven strategic planning and decision-making.

His expertise encompasses the full spectrum of human capital: Talent Management & Acquisition, Total Rewards & Performance Management, Labor & Union Relations, ESG integration, and Leadership Development. He has successfully built Employer Branding initiatives and Corporate Universities (e.g., MasterCard Academy, Blue Academy at Zurich) to cultivate talent pipelines and support business growth.

An influential leader and trusted advisor, Moisés has held key roles such as Regional Head, Member of Executive Committees, and Vice President of Talent Management. His ability to build consensus and drive large-scale initiatives is evidenced by his leadership in industry associations, including his role with the Novartis GRHIF network for pharmaceutical HR leaders. Fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, he leverages his background as a Lawyer and MBA to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and build strategic partnerships.

Recognized as a top executive in his field and a published author on strategic leadership, Moisés combines strategic vision with pragmatic execution to build agile, high-performing organizations positioned for sustainable success.

Rishikesh has had an incredible impact in the area of human behavior, organization building and cultural transformation in India with leading MNCs and large Indian Business organizations. For more than two decades, he has immersed himself in the practice of People Processes, Organization Development, and Change Management.

Applauded for his work in the area of Programmed Change Management and facilitation of multiple projects around cultural transformation, he has endured to design the decisive ‘predictable organizational architecture’ while preserving result driven distinctiveness of the enterprise.

He has garnered unique appeal and particularly been successful in augmenting growth across geographies and building cross cultural global leadership teams Gleaning from his extensive experience with fast growing Indian Multinationals, Rishikesh has been entrepreneurial in his approach to human resources and has increasingly focused on turning Human Resource and Organization capabilities into a strategic competitive advantage for business.

His professional passage has equipped him with following key strategic experiences:

• Successful track record of managing the large complex organizations with global spread Managing diverse work culture, regulations, and people Aligning every decision, plan, or process with the principal business strategy.

• Turnaround Expertise Restructuring and Rightsizing the organization Eliminating redundancies in the system across the business verticals Played pivotal role in the various organizational structure decisions.

• Organization Culture Transformation Creating a professional, transparent work culture Creating shared mind set and accountability to key performance indicators.

• Nurturing Talent Development and succession of talent pipeline Institutionalizing strategy to ensure continuous development and retention of its key employees and potential successors.

Rishikesh has been working as an HR professional for the last 31 years Prior to joining Zydus Lifesciences he worked in Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Cyanamid, Pfizer, Glaxo and Sarabhai Group. Rishikesh has done his Masters from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, he also completed Sr Leadership Program and Executive Education in Human Resources Management from IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta

Nabeel Ahmed is a globally seasoned Chief Human Resources Officer and Board Member, widely respected for architecting large-scale people transformations across the energy, manufacturing, and industrial services sectors. With over two decades of international HR leadership experience, Nabeel has built a reputation for aligning human capital strategy directly with operational performance, governance excellence, and enterprise resilience across complex, safety-critical environments.

Currently serving as Chief Human Resources Officer at Wellbore Integrity Solutions (WIS), Nabeel leads enterprise-wide people strategy, executive development, and succession governance for a rapidly scaling global organization. Previously, as SVP & CHRO at EnLink Midstream, Head of HR at U.S. Steel, and in multiple senior leadership roles at Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and Weatherford, he has designed and delivered human capital strategies for businesses managing multi-billion-dollar revenues and workforces exceeding 20,000 employees across the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America.

Nabeel has a proven track record of driving business transformation, profitability, and cultural evolution across public and private equity-backed organizations in the energy, industrials, and manufacturing sectors. He demonstrates deep expertise in strategic human capital management, organizational design, M&A integration, compensation and benefits, DE&I, and workforce planning.

Recognized for aligning HR strategies with enterprise goals, enhancing organizational resilience, and partnering directly with CEOs, Boards, and PE sponsors to unlock shareholder value. A catalyst for performance-driven cultures and high-impact talent strategies that accelerate growth and innovation.

Beyond corporate leadership, Nabeel serves as a Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, contributing to youth development and social mobility initiatives across the United States.

Educated at Harvard Business School, the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Texas A&M University, and Mississippi State University, Nabeel’s mission remains clear: to build diverse, high-performance organizations where leadership capability becomes the strongest engine of sustainable growth and social impact.

Nadiah Tan Abdullah is a veteran human capital leader and organizational development practitioner with 30+ years of experience building future-ready cultures, leadership pipelines, and change strategies across diverse industries. Now serving as Chief Human Capital Officer at Malaysia Airports (MAHB), Nadiah partners closely with senior leadership to shape the organization’s people agenda—strengthening employee experience, leadership capability, and enterprise transformation in one of Malaysia’s most visible, public-facing ecosystems.

Nadiah began her career as an HR generalist and quickly discovered her passion for training, OD, and change management—work that sits at the heart of what shapes both people and performance. Over three decades, she has led end-to-end people transformations: setting up HR functions, building scalable talent pipelines, driving culture and operating model shifts, and leading harmonization work across mergers and acquisitions. Her corporate journey spans major brands including S P Setia (where she served as CHRO), Experian, AirAsia X, Microsoft, Nestlé, Danone, BAT, SKF, and Sime Darby—bringing a rare cross-sector view of what effective, human-centered transformation looks like.

Beyond corporate leadership, Nadiah contributes actively to the HR profession and society as Regional Chair (ASEAN Human Development Organization – AHDO 2023–24), a TalentCorp Fellow (T50), CIPD Advisory Board Member, and Adjunct Professor at UNITAR International University. A committed mentor and women empowerment advocate, she champions leadership access, talent mobility, and inclusive growth—enabling individuals and organizations to thrive through change with purpose and dignity.

Dr. Syukri Sudari, CPIF, is one of Malaysia’s most respected and forward-looking people leaders—recognized for pioneering digitally enabled HR transformation, shaping national workforce policy, and advancing inclusive, future-ready talent ecosystems. Currently serving as Group Chief People Officer at AFFIN Bank Group, Dr. Syukri brings nearly three decades of cross-industry leadership experience spanning financial services, telecommunications, aerospace, engineering, and insurance—positioning him as a trusted architect of enterprise-wide people transformation.

Across his long-standing leadership journey, including over fourteen years as Chief People Officer at AXA Affin Insurance and senior leadership roles within diversified engineering and aerospace groups, Dr. Syukri has led end-to-end HR modernization—covering talent management, rewards, employee experience, industrial relations, learning ecosystems, and governance. He is widely recognized as a digital catalyst, pioneering the application of robotics, artificial intelligence, and analytics in HR operations, redefining productivity, compliance, and employee engagement models.

Beyond enterprise leadership, Dr. Syukri plays a vital national and societal role as a Board Member of HRD Corp, President of the Association of Insurance Employers, and Council Member of the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF)—actively influencing Malaysia’s workforce policy, skills development agenda, and employer governance frameworks. As an Adjunct Professor at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, he also shapes future leaders through academic and professional mentorship.

Holding a Doctorate in Business Administration and an MBA, Dr. Syukri has been honored among Malaysia’s 100 Most Inspirational LinkedIn Icons for his thought leadership and advocacy.

His mission is unwavering: to harness technology, talent, and culture to build resilient organizations and elevate the future of work across Malaysia and beyond.

Sugunah Verumandy is one of Southeast Asia’s most respected Chief Human Resources Officers—widely recognized for architecting future-ready talent ecosystems, advancing inclusive leadership, and shaping employee experience strategies across highly regulated, multinational organizations. Currently serving as Chief Human Resources Officer at FWD Insurance Malaysia, Sugunah brings nearly three decades of cross-industry people leadership experience, spanning insurance, banking, retail, government-linked institutions, and global industrial enterprises.

Across senior leadership roles at HSBC Malaysia, Dairy Farm Group (SEA), TalentCorp Malaysia, and General Electric, Sugunah has consistently led large-scale culture transformations, succession and leadership pipeline strategies, employer branding modernization, and region-wide employee experience architectures. She is widely credited for positioning organizations as employers of choice, pioneering flexible benefits and work-life integration models, and embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks that significantly expanded women representation in leadership.

Beyond corporate leadership, Sugunah has made lasting contributions to national talent policy and future workforce readiness, having served in leadership roles at TalentCorp Malaysia, where she helped shape Malaysia’s talent mobility, diversity, and workforce development strategies. As a coach, mentor, and keynote speaker, she actively nurtures emerging leaders and advocates for inclusive, human-centered future-of-work frameworks.

Educated at Western Sydney University and Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Sugunah’s mission remains clear:
to create high-trust, purpose-driven workplaces that elevate human potential and build a more inclusive future of work across the region.

Subir Verma is author of best selling book “Job Search Secrets” which is published in 3 languages by Penguin. An author, Speaker, Start up mentor; Subir, an engineer and MBA, is currently working as Executive Direction and Chief Human Resource Office for Power companies at RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, India

He has earlier worked with Tata Group and Reliance.

He has been conferred with many awards including Forbe’s Top 30 Talent Leader 2023 and Top 100 HR Leader in Asia by White Globe International in 2022.

He is on the advisory board of few educational university, Start up , Nehru Science Center and in the CII’s National Committee on HR and Leadership.

A LinkedIn top voice and social media influencer, he is passionate about helping job aspirants with job search tips and early career professionals in scaling up their career fast

K S Shetty is the Director – Human Resources at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise, and a respected HR leader with over 30 years of experience in shaping people strategy across one of India’s most critical energy organizations. He also serves on the Boards of HP LNG, HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited, and HPCL Renewable & Green Energy Limited, contributing to governance and leadership across HPCL’s diversified portfolio.

A Gold Medalist in Human Resource Management from Andhra University, Mr. Shetty further strengthened his global perspective through a Diploma in Sustainable Development from the Swedish Institute, Stockholm, and the Advanced Management Program at MDI Gurgaon & ESCP Europe Business School, Paris. His academic rigor is matched by deep operational expertise gained through progressive leadership roles at HPCL—including Executive Director–HR, Head HR–Marketing Division, and Executive Director–Employee Relations—where he led large-scale workforce transformation, industrial relations, leadership development, and HR modernization.

Mr. Shetty has been instrumental in driving digital HR initiatives, competency building, performance culture, and employee engagement across HPCL’s nationwide workforce. He is widely recognized for strengthening harmonious employee relations, building robust succession pipelines, and aligning people strategy with HPCL’s energy transition and sustainability agenda.

A strong advocate of ethical leadership and inclusive growth, he believes HR must act as a strategic enabler of national energy security and community development. His contributions reflect a rare blend of public sector stewardship, progressive people practices, and commitment to nation-building—making him a distinguished voice in India’s HR fraternity.

Tshepo Mosadi is a dynamic and accomplished HR executive with over 22 years of experience driving strategic transformation across leadership, culture, business strategy, and talent management. With an MBA and Chartered HR Professional certification, she brings a wealth of expertise backed by advanced training from top leadership and executive development programs.

Tshepo has held senior HR leadership roles across multiple industries, consistently demonstrating her versatility and impact. Her accolades include being a finalist and nominee for Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) of the Year in 2023, and receiving Inspired Workplace honours in both 2022 and 2024.

A recognized thought leader in people-first organizational design, Tshepo is passionate about shaping inclusive, high-performing workplaces. She currently serves as Board Chair of the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) and sits on the Advisory Board for the University of South Africa’s Faculty of Human Resources and Industrial and Organisational Psychology.

Known for her compelling insights and authentic leadership style, Tshepo inspires audiences with her commitment to advancing the HR profession and her guiding philosophy: “To whom much is given, much is required.” Her talks resonate with leaders seeking to elevate culture, unlock talent, and lead with purpose.

Terryn Palani is a seasoned Chief People Officer and global HR leader with over two decades of experience across financial services, FMCG, telecommunications, and complex multinational environments. Currently serving as Chief People Officer at Hollard, she is recognised for shaping future-fit people strategies that enable business transformation, strengthen leadership capability, and embed purpose-led culture at scale. Her career spans senior executive roles at organisations including Vodacom/Vodafone, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, SABMiller, and Standard Bank, where she has consistently led enterprise-wide people, talent, and organisational agendas across multiple geographies during periods of growth, integration, and structural evolution.

An Industrial Psychologist by training, Terryn holds a Master of Arts in Industrial Psychology and a Bachelor of Science Honours degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and is dual board-registered in South Africa (HPCSA) and the United Kingdom (ABP). Her executive education includes programmes at INSEAD, Singularity University, GIBS, and the University of Derby, with a strong focus on strategy, digital disruption, behavioural science, and neuroleadership. Across her career, she has been distinguished by her ability to pioneer new disciplines, modernise HR operating models, lead complex stakeholder engagements at EXCO and Board level and position HR as a strategic driver of business outcomes. Beyond organisational impact, Terryn is a respected thought leader and speaker, actively contributing to global dialogue on the future of work, ethical leadership, and the evolving role of HR in society, with a sustained commitment to building inclusive, resilient organisations that actively create shared value and net positive environments.

Shathi R. Sharma is a strategic, purpose-driven Business HR Leader with over two decades of experience in shaping high-performance organizations, leading complex transformations, and embedding people strategies that scale with business ambition. Known for her ability to balance commercial rigor with human sustainability, she has consistently built organizations into Employers of Choice across retail, fashion, telecom, banking, and manufacturing — in both Indian and multinational environments.

Currently serving as HR Head – AJIO & Head of Talent Management at Reliance Fashion & Lifestyle, Shathi has been instrumental in enabling AJIO’s rapid scale-up from ₹5,000 crore to ₹10,000 crore. Her leadership has focused on building future-ready capabilities, redesigning organizational structures, and strengthening performance-driven culture to support aggressive growth.

Her remit spans cadre building, leadership and succession planning, diversity hiring, workforce transformation, and talent readiness for new-format launches such as GAP and AZORTE. Under her stewardship, talent strategy has become a core business enabler rather than a support function.

Previously, as Chief Human Resources Officer at Modenik Lifestyle (Advent International-owned), Shathi led one of the most complex people transformations in the Indian manufacturing sector — the merger of Dixcy Textiles and Enamor Lingerie. She successfully harmonized cultures, optimized manpower, digitized HR operations, introduced ESOPs, and strengthened governance frameworks, laying a strong foundation for long-term value creation.

At Landmark Group, Shathi led end-to-end HR transformation across corporate and retail operations, impacting 23,000+ employees across India. Her work fundamentally reshaped the employee experience, delivering measurable outcomes:

Employee engagement increased from 56% to 84%
Attrition reduced from 80% to 23%
Strong internal mobility, succession pipelines, and leadership continuity

She institutionalized performance management, rewards and recognition, HiPO programs, leadership development, and a values-led culture, positioning Landmark among India’s most respected retail employers. During her tenure, Lifestyle consistently featured in the Great Place to Work rankings every year, remaining among the Top 100 Great Places to Work in India, with additional recognition from platforms such as Great Place to Work and AON Hewitt for its people-first practices.

Earlier roles at Telenor Group, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Emirates Bank (UAE), and GE gave her deep exposure to greenfield setups, multi-location launches, global HR frameworks, and board-level engagement, making her a trusted advisor to CEOs, boards, and investors

Yuvaraj stands at the forefront of human resources innovation as the Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at MakeMyTrip Group, where he leads the HR strategies of India’s top travel technology organisations like MakeMyTrip, GoIbibo, and RedBus. His journey in the corporate sphere is underpinned by a robust educational foundation, with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of Allahabad and an MBA in Human Resources from IMT Ghaziabad.

Yuvaraj also spearheads MakeMyTrip Foundation, social arm of MakeMy Trip, which has successfully led and executed high impact social projects across India.

Before embarking on his corporate journey in the Year 1997, Yuvaraj’s career was marked by a distinguished six-year tenure with the Indian Armed Forces. His service, characterized by active operational deployment and participation in counter insurgency operations in the J&K sector, instilled in him a unique blend of leadership, resilience, and strategic thinking.

Yuvaraj’s professional narrative is further enriched by his past role as the Ex President of the National HRD Network’s Delhi NCR chapter. The Government of India, evidenced by his appointment to the Advisory Panel of the Central Boards of Film Certification, has also sought his expertise and insights. Moreover, his contributions extend to the National HR & Skills Committee of FICCI, the HR & Leadership committee of CII, and various educational Institutions. A thought leader in the HR domain, Yuvaraj is a frequent feature in both digital and traditional media, where his perspectives and insights are highly valued.

Recognition for his professional excellence is widespread. Yuvaraj has been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the LinkedIn Power Profile in India for 2016 and the Margdarshak Award in 2022 by leading business School for his outstanding work in employee engagement. Additionally, he has been acknowledged as one of the 100 Most Talented Global HR Leaders and named among the 50 Influential & Dynamic HR Leaders in 2021 and League of Top 50 HR thought leaders 2024 by ETHR World

Yuvaraj’ s corporate journey, spanning over two and a half decades, includes pivotal roles at Asian Paints, The Oberoi Group of Hotels, and PepsiCo India. His career is a testament to his versatility and expertise across the entire spectrum of industry and human resource verticals. As a certified executive coach, Yuvaraj is also known for his impactful training programs in change management, managerial coaching, and behavioural assessments.

Beyond the corporate realm, Yuvaraj loves Indian music and an engaging conversationalist, especially on topics related to the Indian political system. His multifaceted personality and diverse interests add depth to his professional persona, as a Human Resource leader.

Ananya is a Global CHRO who brings 17 years of business impact & diverse experiences across 6 countries in a rich variety of global, regional and local HR leadership roles across India, US, Singapore, UK, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands.

Currently she is the Global CHRO for Unilever Food Solutions, Unilever’s second largest business unit, spread across 75 countries & serving culinary solutions to chefs around the world. Throughout her career across countries & globally, she has consistently enabled large-scale business transformations through sustained shifts in culture, leadership capabilities, talent ecosystems & organizational effectiveness – including leading people transformations across complex supply chains, frontline populations, multi-cultural senior leadership teams, and during periods of acute business & socioeconomic disruption.

Recognized as a trusted business-centric executive leader with a heart for people, she has a track record for pushing boundaries by combining strategic vision with executional rigor. She is also known for her values-driven authenticity in leading teams and thought leadership on launching various progressive people practices that have unlocked business performance & employee potential.

Outside of her core responsibilities, she sits on the Advisory boards of 2 start-ups, one in Artificial Intelligence and one in Personal Development, serves as a leadership mentor at a Global Non-Profit dedicated to human transformation, and has launched various programs for youth development across countries. As a Yoga and meditation practitioner for 3 decades, and a trained Health Counsellor in Ayurveda, Ananya is also passionate about integrating ancient wisdom on self-mastery into the modern business & leadership world.

Prem Singh is a seasoned enterprise leader with over three decades of global experience in human capital leadership, organisational transformation and governance advisory. Currently serving as the Group CHRO at JK Organisation, New Delhi, he provides strategic direction to group-wide organisational readiness for future, business leadership, talent architecture, organisational capability development, culture, and business excellence across diversified business verticals.

At the Governance level, Prem serves on the Board of Management of JK Lakshmipat University, is the Director on the Board of AIC, Jaipur, and acts as the Convenor of the Directors & Senior Executives Council, the Group’s apex strategic forum. His national leadership footprint includes serving as National President of the National HRD Network (2023–2025) and his ongoing role as Co-Chairman, HR/IR Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce, strengthening policy advocacy and professional standards in India’s HR ecosystem.

An alumnus of IIT Delhi, Prem has completed the prestigious CHRO Program at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. His career spans leadership roles across American, European, and Indian organisations, including a three-year overseas expatriate assignment, bringing a strong global orientation to workforce strategy and governance. Beyond HR, his leadership portfolio encompasses Corporate Communication, TQM, Lean, and Customer Relationship Management, positioning him as a multidimensional business leader.

Prem is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, an Executive Coach certified by Marshall Goldsmith, and a Strengths Coach trained by Gallup. He has consistently driven large-scale transformation initiatives, leadership capability building and performance excellence across organisations. Under his leadership, multiple organisations have earned prestigious “Great Place to Work” recognitions, reflecting his strong commitment to employee-centric culture and operational rigour.

A well respected thought leader, Prem is frequently invited as the Chief Guest at university convocations and as a Keynote Speaker at leading forums organised by IIMs, Economic Times, NHRDN, CII, AIMA, and top business schools. He has served on advisory boards of institutions such as NMIMS, Nirma University, Chandigarh University, and the SPJIMR Delhi Centre Industry Advisory Council, contributing actively to academia–industry integration.

His leadership excellence has been recognised through multiple awards, including:

Global HR Excellence award (2003)
Chairman’s Leadership Excellence Award (2016)
Seasoned HR Professional – NHRDN (2017)
Pride of HR – Top Rankers Club (2022)
CHRO of the Year – Business World (2023)
Outstanding CHRO – Poornima University (2024)

Prem is widely regarded as a strategic change catalyst, combining governance maturity and human capital innovation to create sustainable organisational value and high-performance cultures.

Carol-Ann White is Global Chief People Officer at LANDOR, based in London, leading people strategy for over 2,000 employees worldwide. Carol-Ann is charged with attracting, hiring, developing, engaging, and retaining the best and brightest with a focus on diverse creative talent. With over 20 years’ experience in the media industry across branding and design and PR, she has extensive experience creating and managing effective team structures and establishing high-performing workplace cultures.

Renowned for her approachable and empowering leadership, Carol-Ann fosters a culture of trust, collaboration, and high performance. Her leadership style is defined by a focus on inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement. Carol-Ann champions diversity and encourages open communication, shaping LANDOR’s reputation as an employer of choice and driving meaningful transformation across the organisation.

Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited

Mr. Devi Prasad Dash is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Apollo Health & Lifestyle Ltd. He serves on the Executive Leadership of the organization.

Devi Prasad is a Chartered Professional in HR with certification in SHRM-SCP, ODCP & CIPD, He has over 19 years of experience in the field of human resource (HR) management across IT (Information Technology), Retail & Healthcare industries in India & UAE.

He has led large and complex Country HR Functions & has experience in managing diverse multicultural environments, and complex and specialized workforces having worked with organizations like VPS Healthcare Group (UAE), Apollo Hospitals & Unisys India.

He has a proven record of accomplishment in HR Business Partnering, Strategic HR planning, HR Transformation, HR Change Management, HR Policy & Compliance, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, and Employee Relations.

He has been conferred with various HR Leadership awards and has been recognized as the Top 30 Talent Leaders of 2024 by Forbes India, Economic Times HR Leader of the Year – 2024, Best Leader Award at Apollo Group- 2024, Asia’s 100 Power Leaders in HR in the year 2022 and also as the Top 100 T A Pai Young HR Leader – 2022.

Sanjay Bose’s career spans nearly three decades of progressive leadership in the hospitality sector, marked by scale, complexity, and institutional impact. He began his professional journey with the Indian Hotels Company Limited (Taj Group), where he spent over 22 years in roles of increasing responsibility across domestic and international operations. During this period, he managed HR operations across 12 countries, led large-scale organisation restructuring, handled complex labour relations, and built HR systems for a geographically distributed hotel network. In 2017, he joined ITC Hotels Limited and currently serves as Executive Vice President & Head of Human Resources. In this role, he steers the people agenda for a workforce of over 20,000 employees, supporting portfolio expansion, brand diversification, post-acquisition integration, and organisational renewal. His tenure has included leading HR through pandemic recovery, modernising talent and reward frameworks, and positioning ITC Hotels as an employer of choice in a competitive, high-attrition industry. Across organisations, his career reflects a consistent pattern: moving HR from an operational backbone to a strategic lever of business transformation .

Professionally, Sanjay Bose is recognised as a strategic HR leader with deep expertise in organisation design, talent management, HR transformation, and culture architecture. His work integrates data-driven decision-making with human-centred leadership, balancing commercial outcomes with employee experience. He has led large-scale HR technology deployments, redesigned total rewards architectures, and built leadership pipelines aligned to long-term business strategy. A strong advocate of values-led leadership, he is known for articulating culture as a business asset rather than an abstract ideal—often summarised in his philosophy that culture is “felt, not framed.” His professional credibility is reinforced by a strong academic foundation, including an MBA in Human Resources from XISS Ranchi and advanced executive education from IIM Bangalore and the University of Michigan. Frequently invited to speak at national HR and hospitality forums, he contributes thought leadership on topics ranging from diversity and inclusion to future skills, positioning HR as a partner in growth rather than a compliance function.

Beyond corporate leadership, Sanjay Bose has made sustained contributions to industry development and education, particularly at the intersection of hospitality and talent readiness. He serves on governing councils of leading hotel management institutes, including WGSHA Manipal and IHM Pusa, and has been a board-of-studies member at premier institutions such as MDI Gurgaon and XISS Ranchi. Through these roles, he actively shapes curriculum design, admission standards, and industry-academia collaboration, ensuring that education remains aligned with evolving workforce needs. He is also associated with industry bodies such as CII, NHRDN, and global sustainability alliances, contributing to discussions on responsible employment, skill development, and workforce sustainability. As a speaker and mentor, he champions inclusion, ethical leadership, and long-term institution-building over short-term optics. Collectively, these contributions reflect a broader societal commitment: strengthening the talent ecosystem, professionalising hospitality employment, and ensuring that growth in the sector is both inclusive and sustainable.

Miranda de Nooijer is an authentic, values-driven People & Culture leader known for coaching leaders and leadership teams to strengthen business and functional performance. With a proven track record across financial services, professional services, and large-scale corporates, she is deeply committed to helping people reach their full potential—bringing curiosity, speed of learning, and a collaborative, connecting leadership style that enables teams to achieve meaningful outcomes.

Currently, Miranda serves as Chief People Officer (NZ) at Worldline Merchant Services, based in Auckland, New Zealand, where she leads the organisation’s people strategy, culture agenda, and workforce performance priorities. In this role, she is recognized for values-based leadership, strong stakeholder management, and disciplined execution—helping translate strategy into practical outcomes that enhance employee experience and organisational effectiveness.

Miranda de Nooijer is an accomplished People & Culture executive who has consistently delivered award-winning people strategies and programs that elevate both individual and organisational performance. Guided by her purpose—adding value by valuing people—she creates inclusive, high-performing cultures built on kindness, curiosity, and respect.

With deep HR experience across multiple sectors and global regions, Miranda has led strategic, operational, and cultural transformations aligned to organisational purpose and long-term business goals. As Chief People Officer at Worldline NZ, she has driven significant shifts in engagement, capability, and retention—demonstrating the impact of people-led strategy on organisational success. Her earlier leadership roles at PwC, Fonterra, BNZ, and GE Capital further highlight her ability to influence positive change at scale.

A trusted advisor to CEOs and Executive Teams, Miranda is passionate about shaping exceptional workplace experiences and enabling people to be at their best. She has built and led talented, award-winning teams—large and small—creating environments where people feel supported, empowered, and inspired.

Miranda’s leadership impact is reinforced by multiple peer recommendations that highlight her genuine care, coaching orientation, and ability to build safe, high-performing team environments. She has also been recognized with multiple awards, including Bank of New Zealand’s Chevron Recognition Awards (for peak performance, customer obsession, and culture) and a GE Gold Cash Award recognising her “can do” attitude, responsiveness, trustworthiness, and contribution to HR integration and process harmonisation.

She holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Tilburg University and has completed the Company Directors’ Course with the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, reflecting her strong grounding in governance and enterprise leadership.

Opila is a senior people executive with over 20 years’ experience across financial services, banking, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and luxury goods. She has held enterprise-wide accountability for the people, culture, and governance remit across multi-market organisations operating in complex, highly matrixed global environments. Her scope has included transformation, workforce and talent strategy, leadership and succession planning, remuneration and performance frameworks, and regulatory and governance alignment.

In her current role Opila leads the people agenda across multiple African markets, with strategic and operational accountability for the design and execution of people and organisational priorities. Her responsibilities include embedding sustainability, compliance, and risk management into people and operating models, and supporting long-term business objectives. She works with executive leadership and board committees on matters relating to talent, culture, and transformation.

Rohit Thakur, CHRO –AFS

With over 30 years of industry experience under his belt, Rohit is currently the CHRO for the Auto and Farm Sector at M&M.

He has led diverse and large HR leadership roles across various admired organizations. He was CHRO with Accenture in India where he was responsible for Accenture’s talent strategy and HR service delivery & operations for 200,000 employees across all businesses. Rohit has previously also worked with Microsoft, where he served as the CHRO for India. Prior to this, Rohit spent 11 years at GE in various HR leadership roles across multiple businesses like Energy, Capital, Engineering, Corporate and Aviation both in India and the United States. He has also worked with Eicher Tractors, Cadence Design Systems and Bausch & Lomb.

In addition to large established organizations, Rohit has also worked with 2 startups. He was the CHRO for LEAD School, a startup, with a Mission to transform India by providing “Excellent Learning for Every Child” in Affordable Private Schools, where he led the strategic & operational HR agenda. Prior to this role, Rohit was the CHRO at a fintech startup, Paytm.

Rohit is a graduate of commerce from SRCC Delhi. He has subsequently also done his MBA HR from XLRI Jamshedpur. He is married to Swati, who is also an MBA from XLRI and is currently working with SHRM. They have 2 children, Dhruv (who is an undergraduate in CS from UCLA, working with Amazon in NY) and Kanhav (who is an undergraduate from Swarthmore in Mathematical Statistics & Economics) and is working with Charles River Associates in NY.

Mahalakshmi R is the Global CHRO for Apollo Tyres Ltd and leads the people agenda across a 3bn$ multinational operating in dynamic markets across Asia, Europe and US. Her role spans board level engagement, enterprise transformation and building a future ready organization that thrives

Prior to Apollo, Maha was the HR Head Southeast Aisa and HR Head Indian Subcontinent for Mondelez International – leading the people strategy and transformation agenda for the business. She was part of the Mondelez AMEA People Leadership Team & the Mondelez Global Extended Leadership Team (Global ELT)

Maha has nearly 30 years of experience in HR and Business Consulting across India, Africa, UK and SouthEast Asia.

Passionate about Transformations, Powering Growth, Inclusion, Talent Strategy and Creativity–Maha is a Certified Life Coach and enjoys Music and Storytelling

Maha has written for many publications like the Economic Times and TOI and been honored as the Economic Times Woman Leader of the year (2021) and HR Influencer SEA (twice).

Farid Basir is one of Southeast Asia’s most influential people leaders—widely recognized for redefining how human capital drives enterprise value, social progress, and future-ready organizations. Currently serving as Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (CMSB), Farid brings over three decades of multi-industry leadership experience spanning Telecommunications, FMCG, Banking, and Insurance, with professional exposure across Malaysia, Switzerland, South Africa, and the Philippines—giving him a truly global and culturally intelligent leadership lens.

Across his career as Group Chief People Officer at MBSB, Chief Human Capital Officer at Telekom Malaysia, and Bank Rakyat, Farid has led some of the region’s most complex organizational transformations. His work has shaped large-scale mergers and acquisitions, C-suite succession pipelines, culture integration programs, and HR digital transformation agendas—positioning HR as a core driver of business resilience, growth, and governance.

Beyond enterprise leadership, Farid has made enduring contributions to the HR profession and society. As a Council Member of the Malaysian Employers Federation, Board Member of TalentCorp Malaysia, Member of the National Labour Advisory Council, and Adjunct Professor, he actively influences national workforce policy, future skills readiness, youth employability, neurodiversity advocacy, and inclusive leadership frameworks.

A globally credentialed HR authority—trained at Cambridge, Oxford, INSEAD, and IMD, and certified by HRCI and SHRM—Farid is consistently ranked among Asia’s most impactful HR leaders.

His mission is clear: to build organizations where people are not just resources, but culture carriers, value creators, and architects of the future of work.

Allison Pinkham is a globally respected Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Committee leader whose career exemplifies the strategic power of People & Culture in driving enterprise value, profitability, and long-term resilience.

As a business-driven Chief Human Resources Officer, Allison brings extensive international leadership experience across multiple industries including consumer products, pharmaceuticals, technology, and financial services. Allison is a global citizen whose career spans Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, where she translates business objectives into innovative HR strategies that drive performance, growth, and engagement.

Allison’s mantra is to “run HR like a business” drawing on her earlier career experience in marketing, technology, and management consulting to deliver tangible ROI, maximize profitability and drive business growth. She has a proven track record leading global HR functions through major transformations—including IPOs, mergers, and cultural change—at industry leaders such as Heineken, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Mastercard, Galderma and Accenture and has consistently built scalable HR operating models, optimized organizational structures, and embedded high-performance leadership cultures.

Allison most recently has been the Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Committee Member at Galderma, the world’s leading independent dermatology company, where she led the people strategy through the company’s evolution from a private equity ownership to a highly successful public listing in a very challenging macroeconomic environment, significantly outperforming all industry peers, doubling the share price in the first 10 months and being named EMEA IPO of the Year. Allison will shortly be joining a Fortune 100 company in the US as their EVP and CHRO (to be announced at the end of the month).

Allison has delivered industry-leading outcomes—generating $15–20 million in annual cost efficiencies, strengthening EBITDA growth through targeted leadership development, elevating global succession depth, and designing employer branding strategies that materially expanded global talent reach and engagement.

Beyond corporate leadership, Allison is a committed advocate for vulnerable children and is actively supporting World Vision and an advisor to A Family for Every Orphan which supports finding quality homes for orphans in their home countries. Allison is also passionate about integrity and authentic leadership and has been a speaker at the World Economic Forum on the Future of Healthcare, a regular podcast contributor to HR leaders and the AI Trailblazer series, spotlighted in The CHRO Voice interview series, and featured in the highly acclaimed book Happy, Grow, Lucky featuring the unique career paths of a select group of 45 global CHROs.

Allison’s mission is clear: to build organizations where people strategy becomes the foundational engine of growth, trust, and enduring impact.

Nicki Auret is a passionate, purposeful leader with over 30 years’ experience shaping people, culture and talent strategies across emerging and developed markets, through divestment and growth phases.

Senior HR Strategy and Operations roles in Professional Services, FMCG, Energy and Financial Services have contributed to her commercial outlook, regulatory risk appreciation and pragmatic business approach. A committed advocate for people-centred workplaces, she champions creating environments that enable performance, excellence, inclusion and belonging.

Nicki is a regular contributor to thought leadership and education programmes, inspired by the profession’s role in designing future-ready workplaces, expanding access to opportunity and supporting skills development through change.

Alongside her Executive responsibilities as Chief People Officer at ICBC Standard Bank, she serves on the Boards of a specialist climate impact fund, a tertiary education social enterprise, and a City of London livery company dedicated to professional fellowship, development and giving back through charity, pro bono work and mentoring.

Nicki holds a Post Graduate Diploma in HR Management, a Bachelor of Social Science and Senior Manager regulatory and assessment certifications.

Maninder Kapoor Puri – Architect of the Future of Work

Maninder Kapoor Puri is a distinguished HR leader with over three decades of experience, including a decade as CHRO. Her leadership has been widely recognized – she was awarded CHRO of the Year and most recently featured on the cover of Outlook Magazine as one of the “Powerful Women Torchbearers of Viksit Bharat”, alongside icons such as Sunita Williams, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Isha Ambani.

Before joining Biocon, she held executive leadership roles at Mastek, First Source Solutions, ICICI OneSource, Accenture, and iGate (now part of Capgemini). Across these organizations, she has consistently positioned HR as a strategic driver of business outcomes, embedding foresight, agility, and culture into the operating rhythm of the enterprise.

Her strategic focus lies in aligning people strategy with business transformation. She has led digital HR initiatives that integrate AI, predictive analytics, and digital learning platforms, enabling organizations to anticipate disruption and sustain performance. She has designed succession pipelines, leadership academies, and mentoring ecosystems to ensure continuity in critical roles, while embedding robust talent retention and onboarding frameworks that reduce attrition and accelerate productivity.

Maninder has also championed ambitious gender hiring and created structured opportunities for interns and apprentices, refreshing talent pipelines with diversity and new perspectives. Her people-first and tech-forward approach empowers the workforce to remain agile, collaborative, and deeply aligned with organizational purpose.

Anchored in empathy, integrity, and foresight, Maninder exemplifies the CHRO of the future, one who drives measurable business outcomes while shaping resilient, inclusive, and future-ready organizations.

JSW Group is a $24 billion conglomerate and the New businesses of JSW Group include JSW MG Motors, JSW Motors, JSW Greentech, JSW Defence, JSW Realty, JSW One, JITPL, JSW Industrial Park, JSW Sports, JSW Foundation and Museum of Solutions.

Vijay Sinha is a seasoned human resources leader with over three decades of experience spanning manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, retail, media, hospitality, and emerging businesses. He currently serves as Executive Vice President – Human Resources (New Businesses) at JSW Group, where he leads people strategy for a diverse and fast-scaling portfolio that includes electric mobility, green technologies, defence, digital platforms, real estate, sports, social impact initiatives, and cultural institutions. In addition, he is a Board Member at JSW Realty and a member of the Group’s Digital & AI Steering Council, contributing to enterprise-wide transformation agendas.

Vijay’s career reflects deep expertise in building HR ecosystems that support scale, operational excellence, and change. Prior to his current role, he held senior leadership positions across the JSW ecosystem, including CHRO roles at JSW Energy and JSW Steel, where he strengthened manufacturing HR, industrial relations, and leadership pipelines. He also served as Joint President–HR at Adani Power, leading workforce and organisational effectiveness initiatives during a period of rapid growth.

Earlier in his career, Vijay built strong foundations in HR and administration at organisations such as SAIL, Reliance BIG Animation, The Nielsen, HyperCITY Retail, and RKHS (Compass Group). An alumnus of Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, with a background in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Delhi, he is widely recognised for his structured, results-oriented approach. His contributions have earned multiple national and global HR awards, and he is a life member of NIPM and the NHRD Network, reflecting his sustained commitment to the HR profession.

Career Highlights With over 20 years of international experience, Michele has built a distinguished career across the manufacturing, retail, and IT/Telco sectors. He has operated in complex, NYSE-listed multinational environments as well as entrepreneurial organizations across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Currently, as Chief HR & Organization OƯicer at Italtel, he is leading the strategic relaunch of the group’s 1,500 employees across EMEA and South America. A key career milestone includes his three-year tenure in the United States (2018–2021) as HR VP for Natuzzi Americas, where he was instrumental in the brand’s repositioning and retail expansion. His global footprint includes significant assignments in China, Spain, and Romania, giving him a unique mastery of cross-cultural leadership and organizational design.

Societal Contribution An alumnus of Università Cattolica with a specialization from SDA Bocconi, Michele is dedicated to fostering the next generation of talent. He actively bridges the gap between academia and industry by promoting STEM careers for women and chairing the Gender Equality Steering Committee at Italtel. Through the “Net-world” project, he mentors students in ITS Academies, while simultaneously advising SMEs on the economic and social importance of Diversity & Inclusion and fair pay policies, translating complex corporate social responsibility into local community impact.

Contribution to the HR Profession Michele is a recognized expert in Change Management, Organizational Design, and Industrial Relations. He frequently shares his expertise as a keynote speaker at prestigious venues such as Sole 24 ORE and Forum HR. His commitment to innovating HR processes—from Reward & Compensation to People Development—has earned him the “HR Director of the Year 2025” award (Inhousecommunity) and the “Innovation Award” (IMH). His approach combines deep technical expertise in process analysis with a human-centric vision for digital transformation.

Rahul Mukherjee is a visionary HR leader and digital transformation architect currently serving as Chief Human Resources Officer at Jio, one of the world’s most disruptive telecom and digital platforms. With over two decades of experience across telecommunications, banking, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing, he has built a reputation as a strategic partner to CEOs and boards—shaping agile organizations, future-ready leadership pipelines, and technology-driven HR ecosystems that deliver sustainable business growth.

A founding member of Jio’s leadership team, Rahul has played a pivotal role in designing people strategies aligned with the company’s bold, disruptive business model. He oversees pan-India HR operations for a workforce of nearly 150,000 employees, ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and cultural cohesion across geographies. He has led large-scale organizational redesigns to accelerate decision-making and align talent with rapidly evolving priorities, while spearheading end-to-end HR digitization—deploying AI, automation, chatbots, and advanced HCM platforms to create seamless, high-touch employee experiences and data-driven succession planning.

Prior to Jio, Rahul served as Head of Reward, India at Royal Bank of Scotland, where he managed total rewards strategy, benefits, and long-term incentives for the group’s India operations. As Managing Partner at Vectorplus Consulting, he advised organizations on compensation design, job architecture, leadership development, and HR audits. Earlier roles at Murjani Group, Taj Hotels, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and Larsen & Toubro shaped his deep expertise in organization development, process re-engineering, and HR systems implementation.

Rahul’s contribution to the HR profession lies in redefining the function as a digital service platform that blends human insight with analytics. He champions processes with “zero digital breaks,” real-time people dashboards, and workforce models that enable scale without losing empathy. Known for his analytical rigor and business acumen, he is widely regarded as a leader who turns strategy into execution through collaboration and simplicity.

Beyond corporate impact, Rahul has contributed to society through early work leading the West Bengal Adult Literacy Campaign, guiding community education initiatives across rural India. An MBA in HR from Xavier Institute of Social Service, he continues to mentor young professionals and advocate for inclusive growth, ethical leadership, and technology that empowers people rather than replaces them.

Jolanda Grob has been acting as Group Chief People Officer for Zurich Insurance since July 2023, leading the global HR function, reporting directly to the Group CEO and a member of the Group Leadership team. She previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer for the Swiss Business Unit where she led an organization of over 120 HR professionals.

Her professional career started with Deloitte in Switzerland, for whom she was responsible for Graduate Marketing & Recruitment in addition to acting as an HR Business Partner. Following roles as Head Learning & Development and Talent Management at Unilever and Coca-Cola, she was the International Head of Learning & Development, Talent Management, Culture and Engagement at Amgen, the largest biotech company, with responsibility for all countries outside of North America. In 2010 she joined Zurich, where she held various positions within Group HR, first in the Talent Center of Expertise, then as Group Head Employee Research & Engagement and ultimately as Global HR Business Partner supporting various functions such as General Insurance, Life, Group Re, Marketing, Comms & Public Affairs, Strategy, Innovation & Business Development. She also led the ZEF (Zurich European Employee Forum) as HR Chair from 2018 to 2020.

Jolanda Grob obtained a master’s in applied psychology at the University of Fribourg, acquired Swiss Diplomas in Human Resources and Career Counseling, continuously deepened her expertise in various HR topics and obtained a second master’s degree in systemic solution-oriented Coaching. In addition, she completed an Advanced Management Program at the esteemed Executive Business School IESE in Barcelona in 2021. She has also been an Independent Board Member for APG|SGA, the market leading Out of Home Media company in Switzerland, leading the Nomination and Remuneration Committee as Chair since 2020.

Intan Shahira Mohd Shahru is a distinguished human capital leader and organizational transformation expert currently serving as Chief People Officer of AirAsia Group, one of Asia’s most dynamic and iconic aviation and digital lifestyle brands. With nearly two decades of experience spanning aviation, central banking, and global consulting, she has built a reputation for shaping progressive people strategies that balance business performance with purpose, culture, and innovation.

Since joining AirAsia in 2018, Intan has been instrumental in redefining the Group’s human capital architecture. As Group Head of Organisational Effectiveness & Rewards, she led enterprise-wide initiatives across performance management, leadership assessment, learning and development, and total rewards—laying the foundation for a modern, agile workforce. Her subsequent role as Head of HR for Airlines and Group COE expanded her mandate to drive organizational design and strategic workforce planning for AirAsia’s core aviation businesses during one of the most challenging periods in the industry’s history.

Appointed Chief People Officer in 2022, Intan now stewards the end-to-end people agenda for the entire AirAsia ecosystem. She partners closely with the Board and senior leadership to embed a high-performance culture, strengthen leadership succession, and build digital-first employee experiences across multiple countries. Her approach blends rigorous analytics with deep human insight—ensuring that talent, rewards, and development strategies are tightly aligned to AirAsia’s transformation from an airline into a comprehensive travel and lifestyle platform.

Prior to AirAsia, Intan served for more than six years at Bank Negara Malaysia, where she held leadership roles in Strategic Human Capital, progression and succession planning, and jobs and rewards design. Earlier in her career at Hay Group (now Korn Ferry), she advised leading regional organizations on job architecture, pay frameworks, and organizational effectiveness—experience that continues to shape her evidence-based approach to HR.

A graduate of the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Commerce in Law & Management, and an alumna of the Harvard Business School Executive HR Program, Intan is recognized for her calm leadership, intellectual rigor, and commitment to developing Asian talent for global impact. She is a passionate advocate for inclusive workplaces, meritocratic rewards, and continuous learning—believing that organizations thrive when people are trusted, empowered, and given the opportunity to grow beyond boundaries.

Across every phase of her career, Intan has demonstrated that HR can be a strategic catalyst—one that connects culture, capability, and commercial outcomes to build organizations ready for the future of work.

With more than two decades of experience spanning leading local and global manufacturing organisations, Sue has built a distinguished career as a Human Resources specialist known for combining strategic insight with genuine people leadership. Recognised as a collaborative and results-driven leader, she brings a deep conviction that people are an organisation’s greatest asset. An approach that has underpinned her success across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

Sue’s career has been shaped by environments of growth and transformation, whether it be organic growth, mergers, acquisitions or profit growth. She has played a pivotal role in designing and executing long-term strategies, aligning HR frameworks with business objectives, and leading complex change management initiatives whilst managing risk. Her work ensures organisations are not only prepared for growth, but that their people are empowered, capable, and aligned with future ambitions.

A Certified Human Resources Professional (CAHRI) with the Australian Human Resources Institute, Sue holds postgraduate qualifications in Management from Charles Sturt University. She further strengthened her global perspective through strategic development and HR generalist studies in France, and is also a certified workplace assessor and trainer.
Beyond her professional achievements, Sue is deeply committed to giving back. She actively leads mentoring programs within the organisations she serves and volunteers her time to support youth mentoring initiatives. Her dedication to community extends to running charity drives that provide practical support to those less fortunate, reflecting her belief that leadership extends beyond the workplace.

Salil Lal is a highly respected human resources leader with over three decades of experience across automotive, engineering, manufacturing, and industrial enterprises. He currently serves as Executive Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, where he has spent close to fourteen years shaping high-impact, scalable people practices across the company’s major manufacturing and corporate hubs in Gurugram and Manesar.

With nearly four years as CHRO and over a decade as General Manager – Human Resources, Salil has played a pivotal role in strengthening workplace culture, driving capability-building initiatives, sustaining industrial harmony, and ensuring long-term talent retention in one of India’s most complex and people-intensive organisations. His leadership has been central to aligning HR strategy with business growth, productivity, and operational excellence.

Before joining Maruti Suzuki, Salil was Head – Human Resources at Ingersoll Rand, where he strengthened HR governance, employee engagement, and organisational development frameworks. Earlier, he spent nearly a decade at Caparo Engineering, holding multiple senior roles including Director (Office of the MD & CEO), Executive Director, General Manager – HR, and Plant Head – HR, leading people strategy and industrial relations across diverse plants during a critical phase of expansion.

His early career at Goodyear India and Electrolux further grounded his expertise in plant HR and workforce management. An alumnus of XISS Ranchi, Salil is also the President of NHRDN Delhi & NCR Chapter, reflecting the trust, credibility, and influence he commands across India’s HR fraternity—known for his humility, integrity, and deep people-centric leadership.

Saurabh Govil is one of India’s most respected human resources leaders with over three decades of experience shaping organizations, leadership cultures, and large-scale workforce transformations. He serves as President & Chief Human Resources Officer of Wipro Ltd. and Trustee of the Wipro Foundation, where he steers the global people strategy for more than 250,000 employees across 60+ countries—integrating talent, purpose, and business performance in one of the world’s most complex technology enterprises.

Since becoming CHRO in 2015, Saurabh has led Wipro through multiple waves of digital reinvention—driving leadership succession, capability building, diversity and inclusion, employee experience, and large-scale reskilling for the AI era. He is also the guiding force behind the Spirit of Wipro Run, one of the world’s largest employee-led charity initiatives, which for two decades has mobilized thousands globally to support education, healthcare, ecology, and disaster relief through Wipro Cares.

Prior to Wipro, he held senior HR leadership roles at GE Healthcare, GECIS, and ITC Limited, building deep expertise in organization design, change management, and global talent ecosystems. An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, Saurabh is a sought-after voice at global HR forums including NASSCOM, SHRM, and CII, and has been recognized among India’s Top HR Leaders for his work in leadership development, ethical governance, and purpose-led culture building. His philosophy is simple: progress fuels purpose, and purpose fuels progress.

Trisha Conley is a globally respected Executive Vice President and Chief People & Culture leader, recognized for shaping high-performance cultures, advancing inclusive leadership, and driving enterprise transformation across the energy, petrochemicals, and renewable sectors. As Executive Vice President, People and Culture at LyondellBasell, she leads the company’s people, culture, rewards, employee relations, and DEI agenda—strengthening the employee experience while aligning workforce strategy with long-term business growth.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience across oil & gas, petrochemicals, and renewable energy, Trisha brings deep expertise in global integration, organizational development, talent strategy, and large-scale change. Prior to joining LyondellBasell, she served as Senior Vice President, People Development at Renewable Energy Group, where she guided people transformation through its acquisition by Chevron—ensuring continuity, culture integration, and leadership stability during a pivotal transition.

Trisha spent nearly two decades at BP, holding a succession of senior HR leadership roles across North America and Europe, including HR Vice President, Fuels North America & Head of Country HR (Downstream) and Head of Talent Management, Refining & Marketing. Across these roles, she built leadership pipelines, modernized resourcing strategies, strengthened employee engagement, and delivered complex people transformations in highly regulated, safety-critical environments.

A self-described disruptor and change agent, Trisha is widely admired for building highly productive teams that combine operational excellence with purpose and inclusion. Beyond enterprise leadership, she serves as a Board Trustee at The Morton Arboretum, reflecting her commitment to environmental stewardship and community impact.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Communications from the University of Northern Iowa and an MBA from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

Alim Dhanji is a globally experienced, purpose-driven executive and current Chief Human Resources O@icer (CHRO) and EVP, Corporate A@airs (Brand, Communications, PR, Citizenship, Corporate Real Estate, Corporate Security) of TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX), a Fortune 100 technology company with $80B in annual billing, 24,000 employees and operations in over 55 countries. With over 25 years of leadership experience across public, private, and founder-led companies, Alim brings a rare combination of human capital, operational, and P&L expertise.

He has served as a President, COO, and CHRO across multiple industries, including technology, consumer goods, financial services, and retail. At Adidas Canada, he led the business as President through its double-digit revenue and net income growth, commercial expansion and operational turnaround. He currently partners closely with the CEO and Board at TD SYNNEX to drive innovation, enterprise leadership, and workforce readiness in the context of digital transformation, AI, and omni-channel growth.

Alim is a trusted advisor to CEOs and Boards on complex issues including CEO succession, leadership risk, stakeholder reputation, and ESG strategy. He has served on HR, Compensation, and Strategy committees, including as Chair of the Compensation Committee. His board-level experience also includes public sector subsidiaries and private equity-backed companies, as well as advisory roles with the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and Project Healthy Minds.

With expatriate experience across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, Alim brings a truly global and inclusive perspective to governance. He is known for championing diversity and inclusion, recognized as a Top 10 Global LGBT+ Executive by Yahoo Finance and the Financial Times.

Alim is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and resides in New York. Board Value Proposition

• Enterprise leader with P&L and transformation experience across multiple sectors • Boardroom fluency with proven impact in CEO succession, talent strategy, and compensation governance • Deep insight into stakeholder risk, AI and digital disruption, and global workforce strategy • Recognized ESG and DEI leader with experience shaping organizational purpose and reputation

Board Interests

Public company boards in technology, consumer, financial, and professional services sectors undergoing transformation or scale.

Girish Ganesan is a global, strategic, and results-driven human resources leader who currently serves as Chief People Officer at S&P Global and is a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team. In this role, he leads the global people and corporate responsibility function, shaping culture, talent, inclusion, and workforce innovation for approximately 42,000 employees across 41 countries. He also contributes to governance and social impact through board roles with CRISIL (an S&P Global company), the S&P Global Foundation, and All Stars Project Inc.

Since joining S&P Global in 2021, Girish has steadily expanded his remit—first as Senior Vice President, People, partnering with high-impact businesses including Ratings, Sustainability, Digital Solutions and AI, as well as Legal, Government Affairs, Global Security, and Risk & Compliance. In November 2024, he stepped into the role of Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer, with responsibility for people, inclusion, and corporate responsibility across the enterprise.

Prior to S&P Global, Girish built a strong track record across TD Bank Group, where he served as Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Head of U.S. Talent, and earlier led enterprise HR solutions and operating model optimisation—driving simplification, automation, digitisation, and major HR technology transformation (including Workday). He also spent nearly a decade at Manulife, leading global HR shared services and HR leadership roles across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and began his career in consulting at Accenture, with earlier HR experience in retail.

Recognised through multiple awards and sought after as a speaker, Girish is known for his insights on workforce transformation, AI-powered talent innovation, and the evolving role of leadership in shaping inclusive, high-performing cultures.

Dr. C. Jayakumar

Executive Vice President & Head – Corporate Human Resources (CHRO)
Larsen & Toubro Limited

Dr. C. Jayakumar is a globally respected HR leader with over 38 years of distinguished experience in strategic human resources, leadership development, and organizational transformation. As the Group CHRO of Larsen & Toubro Limited, one of India’s most admired engineering and technology conglomerates, he has played a pivotal role in shaping enterprise-wide people strategies aligned to long-term business growth, nation-building, and sustainability.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Jayakumar has held senior HR leadership roles across multiple L&T businesses, including international assignments in the Middle East and Africa. His expertise spans talent and succession management, leadership pipeline development, culture and change management, and large-scale HR digital transformation.

He is widely recognized for integrating human-centric leadership with data-driven and AI-enabled HR systems, ensuring that technology enhances—rather than replaces—the human element at work. His leadership is further strengthened by a formal grounding in law, enabling a strong focus on governance, ethical decision-making, and sound employment practices.

Beyond the organization, Dr. Jayakumar has made a significant contribution to the HR profession and society at large. He currently serves as the National President of the National HRD Network (NHRDN), leading one of the world’s largest HR professional bodies and advancing a national agenda on future-ready leadership, ethical HR practices, inclusion, and capability building.

He serves on the National Committees of leading industry and professional bodies, including FICCI, CII, AIMA, and the Employers’ Federation of India, contributing to policy dialogue and shaping India’s HR and employment ecosystem.

He is also a Board Member of the Academy of Human Resource Development, serves on the academic boards of premier institutions such as XLRI Jamshedpur and SPJIMR, and is a member of the CHRO Advisory Board of SAP SuccessFactors.

An alumnus of the London Business School, Dr. Jayakumar holds a doctorate in leadership, is a certified executive coach, is certified in organizational development from the NTL Institute, USA, and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.

His leadership has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including CHRO of the Year (BW People), Impactful HR Leader (ET Edge), and the HR Lifetime Achievement Award (FICCI), reflecting his enduring impact as a thought leader, institution builder, and mentor in the HR profession.

Sudhir Mattoo – Group Chief People Officer, Adani Group

Adani’s Proprietary “Cobotic Workforce Model”

Adani Group’s future-of-work agenda signals a deliberate break from convention—a reset of how work is structured, experienced, and scaled. Anchored in its proprietary ‘Cobotic’ model, the approach blends human capability with agentic automation, reshaping the workplace through shared (human & agentic robots) learning spaces, collaborative ecosystems, and on-site wellness centres designed to support both productivity and shared prosperity with dignity.

At its core, this model is described as a dual pulse running through the organisation. One engine is relentlessly execution-led—sharpening operational excellence, safety, and reliability across Adani’s vast infrastructure and utility footprint. The other is explicitly experimental and futuristic. This Innovation Engine pushes agility, curiosity, and creativity across portfolio companies, seeding a start-up culture with entrepreneurial spirit within an infrastructure giant. The intent is unapologetically ambitious: to unlock 10x productivity growth.

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Leadership is treated as a long game. Flagship initiatives such as the Adani Continuous Learning Program (ACLP) stretch across a decade, pairing individual development plans with a vertical-slicing cohort design—placing high-potential executives from different organisational levels together to accelerate shared learning. The pipeline is aimed at CxO readiness. Notably, 85% of faculty come from Adani’s own leadership, complemented by select global experts. In 2025 alone, employees logged 1.2 million+ learning hours through VR safety simulations, gamified tools, and the Adani Academy digital platform.

Inclusivity and Local Prosperity

Across 350+ sites, Adani positions itself as deeply embedded in local communities. Guided by Trust, Accountability and Care, site administration works closely with Industrial Relations to invest in skills, education, and medical infrastructure—creating dignity and access for employees and neighbouring populations. Hyperlocal hiring retains economic value in regions, strengthens accountability, and enables faster problem solving—forming a model of shared long-term prosperity.

About Sudhir Mattoo

Sudhir Mattoo, the Group Chief People Officer of Adani Group, brings global expertise in talent transformation, digital HR, and leadership development. He joined Adani in 2023 after nearly 16 years at IBM, where he served as Partner, IBM Consulting and led talent agendas across Asia Pacific, Japan, and Growth Markets—shaping future skills, employee experience, and AI-enabled HR models. An MBA from California State University, Fresno, he is also a 2019 Brandon Hall Bronze awardee for innovation in machine learning for learning. His cross-industry perspective and deep change management experience underpin Adani’s bold people strategy—where human potential and technology advance together.

Carmen Diaz was appointed Chief People and Sustainability Officer in June 2025.

In her dual role, Carmen is responsible for aligning Holcim’s People agenda with its NextGen Growth 2030 strategy, as we follow our pathway to net zero, and building alliances with key external stakeholders.

Joining Holcim in 2002, Carmen held commercial and general management roles in Madrid, Paris, Lyon and London. Serving as CEO of Holcim Spain from 2022, she achieved record performance, creating an empowered performance culture and enhancing Holcim’s reputation as an employer of choice. Before assuming her current role, Carmen was appointed Chief People Officer from October 2024.

A Spanish national born in 1977, she holds a chemical engineering degree from University of Oviedo, an MBA from ECA Spain, and has completed IESE General Management and ESADE Board of Directors programs.

Donna Morris is one of the world’s most influential modern HR leaders—an Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Walmart whose three-decade career has consistently expanded what HR can and should be: a strategic engine for business growth, a steward of dignity and fairness for frontline workers, and a catalyst for cultural transformation at scale. Known for bold reinvention and values-led leadership, she has helped reshape global conversations on performance, employee experience, and the future of work.

Donna’s foundation was built early in Ottawa, where she developed hands-on, multi-dimensional HR expertise across roles as an HR Generalist, Compensation Analyst, and People Partner with organizations including Rogers Communications, the City of Ottawa, Fulcrum Software, and Accelio. These formative years shaped two enduring anchors of her leadership philosophy: HR must be rooted in fairness and dignity, and people deserve clarity, opportunity, and trust—regardless of role or level.

A defining chapter of her career unfolded at Adobe (2002–2020), where she became widely recognized as a transformational force in the profession. During this era, Donna led a wave of people innovation that became industry-defining—helping reposition HR from administrative support to an enterprise-wide driver of innovation, culture, and growth. Her leadership helped redefine performance and employee experience through major shifts such as ending annual performance reviews, introducing unlimited PTO, and advancing an integrated Employee Experience model that connected HR with broader workplace and operational elements to build a culture grounded in creativity, belonging, and trust.

In 2020, Donna stepped into one of the most complex people leadership roles on the planet as EVP and Chief People Officer at Walmart, with responsibility for more than 2.1 million associates worldwide. Almost immediately, COVID-19 turned HR into the frontline of global decision-making, and her leadership lens remained grounded in protection, clarity, and human outcomes. Under her guidance, Walmart’s people agenda continued evolving from compliance to a growth engine—strengthening internal mobility pathways and advancing pay and opportunity at scale, including reported progress such as a 30% increase in U.S. frontline wages over five years, average U.S. hourly wages reaching about $18 per hour, and store manager compensation averaging $128,000 with potential to reach $400,000. Even amid intense public scrutiny and pressure, her hallmark has been steady, purposeful forward movement—linking workforce strategy with business resilience and societal impact.

Beyond corporate leadership, Donna’s influence extends into governance and industry shaping through board and advisory roles. She has served on global boards including UKG and PhonePe, and previously Marvell Technology and the Adobe Foundation, alongside governance and community contributions with institutions such as SHRM and Second Harvest Food Bank—supporting responsible leadership on compensation, workplace culture, and executive governance.

Donna’s impact has been widely recognized through top-tier honors, including Fellow, National Academy of Human Resources (2017), Women of Influence (Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2017), Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology (California Diversity Council, 2016), Top 10 Breakaway HR Leader (Evanta, 2013), and the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry (2008). More recent recognitions in the material you shared include being named 2025 HR Executive of the Year (HR Executive), inclusion in the 2024 OnCon Icon Awards – Top 100 Human Resources Professionals, ranking #2 in the 2024 Top CHRO List (N2Growth), and being appointed to the UKG board in August 2025.

At the core of Donna Morris’s legacy is a clear message: HR is not back office—it is frontline leadership. Her career demonstrates how people strategy becomes business strategy, how culture becomes performance, and how leadership at scale can make workplaces fairer, safer, and more dignified for millions.

Aimee George Leary is one of the most influential Chief People Officers in the global professional services sector—widely respected for architecting enterprise-wide talent strategies, values-driven culture transformation, and future-ready workforce ecosystems at scale. Currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, Aimee leads people strategy for more than 35,000 professionals worldwide, positioning talent as a primary driver of innovation, client impact, and long-term enterprise growth.

With over three decades of leadership at Booz Allen, Aimee has played a defining role in shaping the firm’s modern talent architecture. She has led record-breaking hiring cycles, strengthened employee experience outcomes, and built one of the most admired values-based cultures in consulting—anchored in well-being, continuous development, inclusion, and connection. Her leadership has ensured Booz Allen remains a sought-after employer while sustaining high-performance delivery for global clients.

Previously serving as Talent Strategy Officer, Chief Administrative Officer for Strategic Innovation, and a leader of firmwide transformation initiatives, Aimee has architected employee value propositions, leadership development systems, predictive workforce analytics, diversity roadmaps, and innovation cultures that have earned the firm multiple industry honors.

Beyond enterprise leadership, Aimee serves on the Board of Unified Youth, championing youth mental health advocacy and community empowerment initiatives.

Educated at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, and Harvard Business School Executive Education, Aimee’s mission remains clear:
to build people ecosystems where values, innovation, and human connection become the strongest engines of sustainable enterprise excellence.

Trailblazing people leader Kristen Pressner believes in the potential in each of us. As Global Head of People & Culture for a prominent multinational, her passion for equity and inclusion has made her a sought-after voice, regularly appearing on international “Top HR Influencer” lists. Originally from the U.S., Kristen holds both a Bachelor’s and an MBA and relocated to Switzerland with her husband and four children 18 years ago.

Her provocative TEDx talk on unconscious bias opened minds worldwide with its blend of enlightening insights, vulnerability, wisdom and inspiration. Recently, Kristen returned to the TEDx stage to ask the question, what if our understanding of neurodiversity is all wrong as she explores the surprising reason many people ‘can’t get it together’. The talk is sparking conversations across families, workplaces, and the neurodivergence community. Within weeks of its release, it caught the attention of the World Economic Forum, leading to her invitation to contribute to their Global Brain Economy Initiative launched at Davos and she is relentless in her work to share this awareness with our workplaces, schools and world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq_xYSOZrgU -first tedx with nearly 800k views

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axIDDiZsM78 – second tedx talk, released 10 months ago: over 100k views

Pallavi Poddar Appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer at Knauf India

Priyanka Sarkar Appointed as Head – Talent, Compensation & Benefits (Global) at DHL Global Forwarding Freight Shared Services (India) LLP

Abhishek Ashat Appointed as Head of Marketing – Middle East, North Africa & Russia at Himalaya Wellness Company

Carly Reiner Caceres Appointed as Director, Human Resources – National Campus Recruiting at Clark Construction Group

Happy Place To Work Partners with HR TODAY to Launch a Global “Total Culture & Employer Branding Solution,” Redefining Workplace Certification

Ambrish Dixit Appointed as Chief Executive Officer at Best Value Chem Pvt Ltd

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