Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

Divya Kathuria is a senior Human Resources and organizational transformation professional with 20+ years of experience across technology, consulting, media, and advertising. She currently serves as Vice President – Learning, Capability Development and Talent Management at Publicis Groupe India, where she focuses on building organizational capability, developing talent, and enabling people-led business transformation.

Her career sits at the intersection of HR Tech, Organization Design, Talent Development, Learning, Leadership, and Culture. Over the last decade, she has architected and executed transformative people strategies, led large-scale capability-building initiatives, and driven cultural change across diverse organizations. At JioStar, she played a pivotal role in organizational transformation through AI-led HR solutions, comprehensive skill taxonomy, Employee Value Proposition (EVP) redesign, and leadership development programs.

Areas of Expertise

• Learning & Development and Capability Building
• Talent Management & Employee Engagement
• Organization Development & Organization Design
• HR Technology & AI for HR
• Leadership Development & Managerial Effectiveness
• Employee Value Proposition & Employer Branding
• Culture Transformation & Change Management
• Skills Taxonomy & Future Skills

Career & Academic Highlights

• Currently serves as Vice President – Learning, Capability Development and Talent Management, Publicis Groupe India.
• Previously served as AVP – Learning, Organization Development and Talent Engagement at JioStar, where she led people and organizational transformation initiatives.
• Earlier served as Senior Director – Organization Development and Talent Engagement and Director – HR (Organization Development and Talent Engagement) at Viacom18 Media.
• Built extensive consulting experience with EY, Mercer, IBM, and Satyam Computer Services, spanning People Advisory, Human Capital Consulting, Organization Development, and HR transformation.
• At JioStar, contributed to complex organizational transformations including AI-led HR solutions, skill taxonomy development, EVP transformation, and leadership development programmes.
• Recognized as D&I Role Model of the Year 2018.
• Certified Six Sigma Green Belt, with additional certifications in Psychodrama and Hogan Assessment.
• Holds an MBA in HR & Marketing from IFMR Graduate School of Business – Krea University and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University.

Harshita Chaudhary is an HR leader and leadership & talent strategist with over 18 years of experience across leading organizations including Walmart Global Tech, Freshworks, Nestlé, Honeywell, Colgate-Palmolive, and Cadbury. Currently serving as Chennai Center HR Head at Walmart Global Tech and People Partner Leader for its Enterprise Business Solutions technology organization, she brings extensive experience in organization design, talent strategy, leadership development, employee experience, HR technology, and culture transformation.

Areas of Expertise

• Strategic Human Resource Management and People Strategy
• Talent Management, Succession Planning, and Leadership Development
• Organization Design, Culture Transformation, and Change Management
• HR Business Partnering and Executive Coaching
• Performance Management, Employee Experience, and Future of Work
• HR Technology, People Analytics, and Talent Architecture
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Women in Leadership
• Career Management, Executive Presence, and Leadership Coaching

Career & Academic Highlights

• Chennai Center HR Head and People Partner Leader at Walmart Global Tech, where she has scaled technology organizations, led people strategy, and coached senior leadership through growth and transformation
• Scaled a technology organization from approximately 800 to 2,500 associates and established a greenfield contact center from 0 to approximately 300 associates
• Previously served as Global Talent & Organization Development Lead and Global HR Leader at Freshworks, Head of Talent / Head of Talent Acquisition – South Asia at Nestlé India, and Organization Development & Learning Leader at Honeywell
• Earlier leadership experience with Colgate-Palmolive and Cadbury India across learning & development, HR generalist roles, sales HR, leadership development, and people strategy
• Guest faculty and speaker at leading institutions including IIM Ahmedabad, ISB, TISS, LIBA, and MSSW, with teaching and mentoring experience across HR strategy, leadership, diversity, and the future of work
• MA in HRM & Labour Relations from TISS, Mumbai; MA in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University; and BA (Hons) in History from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi
• SPHR certified, Belbin Team-Role Coach, EQ-i 2.0 & EQ360 Certified Coach, and ICF-credentialed Coach with 200+ coaching hours
• Recognized among India’s Most Inspiring Women Managers by InsideIIM in 2021

Anil Santhapuri is a values-based and results-oriented HR, Talent and Learning leader with 24+ years of experience across talent management, learning and leadership development. He currently heads the Academy for Management & Leadership Excellence at TVS Motor Company, where he works on developing people, culture, strategy and organizational capabilities for sustained global leadership. His current role is also independently listed by SHRM and GlobalCCU.

He brings a distinctive combination of strategic talent management, corporate learning, leadership development, coaching and future-of-work expertise, with experience across TVS Motor, FIS, CGI, Altisource, Western Union, HCL Technologies, Mahindra Satyam and earlier technology consulting roles. His work has focused on digital reskilling, skills-based workforce planning, leadership pipelines, organizational transformation, career frameworks and enterprise learning ecosystems.

Areas of Expertise

• Talent Management & Leadership Development
• Learning & Organizational Development
• Future of Work & Workforce Transformation
• Strategic Workforce Planning & Skills Architecture
• Executive Coaching & Managerial Development
• Digital Reskilling & Capability Building
• Performance Management & Career Development
• Organizational Culture & Change Management
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Corporate Universities & Learning Ecosystems

Career & Professional Highlights

• Currently heads the Academy for Management & Leadership Excellence at TVS Motor Company, as part of the TVS Institute of Quality and Leadership (IQL), the company's corporate university.
• Has 24+ years of experience spanning talent management, learning and leadership development, with a strong focus on transforming people, culture, strategy and processes.
• At TVS Motor, leads an academy focused on evolving people, culture, strategy, processes and ecosystem toward sustained global leadership.
• Previously served as Director – Skills Solutions, Global Talent Management at FIS, leading global skills solutions around talent management, performance management, digital talent, career growth and mobility.
• Co-led FIS's strategic initiatives around Career Experience Framework and Skills of the Future, combining skills architecture, workforce planning, talent management, technology and enterprise-wide change management.
• As Director of Learning & Development at CGI, led enterprise learning strategy for APAC, digital reskilling, graduate development, DE&I, learning governance and learning analytics, while leading a Learning Centre of Excellence.
• At CGI, spearheaded initiatives around digital capability development, reskilling career paths, business agility, manager enablement, graduate integration, women leadership and top-talent development.
• At Altisource, established a centralized Learning Centre of Excellence and led global learning across onboarding, technical capability, behavioural skills, career advancement and leadership development.
• At Western Union, led talent management initiatives across APAC, MEA and Eastern Europe/CIS covering performance management, employee engagement, culture and organizational development, as well as global leadership development.
• Earlier at HCL Technologies, developed role-based competency learning maps, managerial excellence programs, graduate skilling and reskilling initiatives, and leadership transition programs.
• Began his career in technology, working as an SAP Techno-Functional Consultant, including SAP CRM, R/3 and Management of Internal Controls, before transitioning into learning and leadership development.
• Holds an MBA in Marketing Management from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies and has completed executive programs at The Wharton School in Strategic Thinking & Leadership and Future of Work. He is also an ICF Associate Certified Coach.
• Recognized with multiple professional honours, including 2012 Top Young Trainer Award, CLO Magazine's Learning in Practice recognition, and multiple Brandon Hall/CLO-related awards.
• An active HR industry speaker, panelist and thought leader focusing on Future of Work, large-scale reskilling, employee value proposition and leadership.
• His recent work continues to focus on future-ready leadership, learning innovation and workforce transformation, including establishing TVS Motor's Academy for Management & Leadership Excellence.

Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

Hema Mani

Designation: Global Leader – Learning, Organizational Development & Leadership Culture 

Company: Bosch Global Software

Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemamani/

Hema Mani is a distinguished Human Resources leader with over 28 years of global experience in strategic HR leadership, organizational development, leadership development and transformational change. She currently leads Learning, Organizational Development and Leadership Culture for Bosch Global Software, covering regions across India, Vietnam, Mexico and Germany.

Previously, as Regional Director – Asia Pacific HR at Lennox International, Hema was a key member of the Lennox India & Asia Sourcing leadership team, driving HR strategy, leadership development, culture building, site operations and external communications across the region. Her leadership contributed to positioning Lennox India among the Top 15 Great Places to Work, alongside recognition for Best Workplaces for Women, Best Community Engagement and Dream Companies to Work For.

A certified Leadership Coach under Korn Ferry and Marshall Goldsmith and an OD Facilitator accredited by the International OD Federation, Hema brings a strong human-centered approach to business transformation. Earlier in her career, she held HR leadership roles with Honeywell Technology Solutions, i2 Technologies, PwC and Kelly Consultants, where she led large-scale HR transformations, organizational integration, talent development and DE&I initiatives. At Honeywell, she led the transition from a local to a global HR model, scaling teams from 650 to more than 3,500 employees and consolidating multiple entities into a unified HR structure.

Areas of Expertise

• Strategic HR Leadership & Transformation
• Organizational Development & Change Management
• Learning & Leadership Development
• Leadership Coaching & Executive Development
• Culture Transformation & Employee Experience
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Talent Management & High-Performing Teams
• HR Operations & Global Workforce Strategy
• CSR, ESG & Sustainability
• HR Innovation & Execution Excellence

Career & Professional Highlights

• Currently leads Learning, Organizational Development and Leadership Culture at Bosch Global Software across India, Vietnam, Mexico and Germany.
• Served as Regional Director – Asia Pacific HR at Lennox International, overseeing HR strategy, leadership, culture, site operations and external communications.
• Played a key role in positioning Lennox India among the Top 15 Great Places to Work, with additional recognition for women, community engagement and workplace excellence.
• At Honeywell Technology Solutions, led a major HR transformation from a local to global operating model, scaling the organization from 650 to 3,500+ employees and integrating multiple entities.
• Held leadership roles across Honeywell Technology Solutions, i2 Technologies, PwC and Kelly Consultants, delivering HR transformation and people strategy across diverse business environments.
• Certified Leadership Coach through Korn Ferry and Marshall Goldsmith and OD Facilitator accredited by the International OD Federation.
• Served as Board Member of the Lennox Technology Council and Vice Chairperson of CII Chennai Zone.
• Recognized among the Top 30 Women Super Achievers and Top HR Innovators of 2023.
• Designed and championed impactful DE&I, CSR and ESG initiatives, including the Her Return program, hometown adoption initiatives and sustainability efforts.
• Sought-after speaker at SHRM, NHRD, Nasscom, CII, ISTD and leading academic institutions.
• Published thought leadership on Execution Excellence in HR and Innovative Learning Strategies, with recognition from the Indian Institute of Science and Nasscom.
• Holds a business administration qualification from XIME, Bangalore, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Bangalore University.

Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

Netrah Laxminarayanan is a strategic people leader and Learning & Organizational Development professional with 14+ years of cross-industry experience spanning healthcare, FMCG and IT. She brings a distinctive combination of human capital expertise, commercial acumen and technology orientation, having also directly managed a regional business portfolio that grew from ₹25 crore to ₹100 crore.

At Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, she established the Learning & Development function from the ground up, building a structured learning ecosystem supporting 4,000+ employees across 180+ branches. She has led large-scale capability initiatives across induction, compliance, functional and leadership development, succession planning and performance-oriented learning, with a strong focus on measurable business outcomes and ROI.

Her earlier experience at Asian Paints combines L&OD, sales capability, trade marketing, customer experience and sales-force productivity. She has designed customized capability interventions, facilitated 1,000+ hours of workshops, led contractor capability initiatives reaching 1.5 lakh contractors, and managed a ₹100 crore regional portfolio.

Areas of Expertise

• Learning & Organizational Development
• Talent Assessment & Management
• Leadership & Capability Development
• Performance Management & Succession Planning
• Talent Strategy & Organizational Transformation
• Change Management & Culture Transformation
• Sales & Customer Success Enablement
• Commercial HR & Business Partnership
• Data-Driven Learning & Capability Analytics
• Digital Learning & Transformation

Career & Professional Highlights

• Currently leads Learning & Organizational Development at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, where she built the L&D function from the ground up and developed a scalable learning ecosystem.
• Built and led a team of training managers supporting 4,000+ employees across 180+ branches, delivering 26,000 hours of training in FY 2023–24.
• Designed learning interventions using the 6D framework, with a focus on measurable business impact, ROI and revenue contribution.
• At Asian Paints, led the Waterproofing, Adhesives and Health & Hygiene portfolio for the South Tamil Nadu region, managing a team of 3 senior executives and 40 sales representatives and a ₹100 crore revenue portfolio.
• As Manager – Sales Capability, designed and implemented 15 customized capability interventions and facilitated 1,000+ hours of workshops covering consultative selling, customer experience, negotiation and product capability.
• Led customer-service standardization initiatives across 1,800+ live sites and sales calls, contributing to a 53% reduction in service-level complaints while maintaining an NPS of 45%.
• Led Asian Paints' Masterstrokes learning initiative, reaching 1.5 lakh contractors across India, and implemented the 3E framework covering Education, Earnings and Ease of Use.
• Earlier spearheaded a nationwide Sales Force Mobility and Productivity project at Asian Paints, developing three applications for sales reporting and product information and supporting sales MIS/DSS across multiple management levels.
• Began her career at Cognizant as a Programmer Analyst, managing pharmaceutical clinical-trial studies for MedImmune and designing 20+ studies with fast turnaround and three studies achieving zero QC issues.
• Holds an MBA from Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli, and a B.Tech in Biotechnology from Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering.
• Certified as a Distinguished Learning and Development Professional and a certified practitioner in the 6 Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning; also holds SCOTWORK Negotiation Training certification.

Area of Expertise: Banking & Finance

Ritesh Baweja is a seasoned Learning & Development professional with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, specialising in training, talent development, sales capability, and leadership enablement. As Head of Learning & Development at Chola Securities, he leads a team focused on strengthening employee capabilities and building a culture of continuous learning aligned with business objectives. His current role is also reflected in recent BFSI leadership forums, where he has contributed to discussions around sales readiness, AI adoption, and future-ready workforce capabilities.

His career combines extensive experience in L&D with hands-on banking and sales management. Before joining Chola Securities, he spent nearly six years with Motilal Oswal Financial Services, where he held leadership responsibilities across branch and franchisee training and was recognised with the Innovation in Learning Award. Earlier, he held training and HR roles at IndusInd Bank and HDFC Bank, following an initial career in branch banking operations and sales.

Areas of Expertise

• Learning & Development Strategy
• Sales & Distribution Capability Development
• Leadership & Talent Development
• Training Needs Analysis
• Branch & Franchisee Training
• Learning Programme Design & Delivery
• Employee Capability Building
• Train-the-Trainer Programmes
• Performance & Business Capability Enhancement
• Continuous Learning & Future-Ready Skills
• AI & Learning Transformation

Career & Professional Highlights

• Leads the Learning & Development function at Chola Securities, driving employee capability development and learning initiatives across the organisation.
• Brings 20+ years of experience across financial services, banking, sales, training and people development.
• Previously served as Vice President – Training & Development and Head – Branch Trainings / Head – Franchisee Trainings at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
• Recognised with the Innovation in Learning Award at Motilal Oswal Financial Services for contributions to learning and development.
• At IndusInd Bank, managed training needs analysis, vendor management and train-the-trainer initiatives as Zonal Training Manager.
• At HDFC Bank, managed learning and development for approximately 800 employees across 110 branches in Rajasthan, while also designing and delivering training interventions.
• Brings valuable frontline business experience from his earlier role as Branch Manager at HDFC Bank, covering branch banking operations, sales and team management.
• Holds an MBA in Human Resources Management from NIMS, Jaipur and a B.Sc. from MDS University.
• Certified in Selling with Stories and Sales: Referral Selling, with additional professional learning in areas including emotional intelligence, organisation design and digital transformation of learning.
• Actively engages with the evolving BFSI capability landscape, including AI in learning, sales readiness, future of work and people-first cultures.

Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

Ritu Mehla is a senior Learning & Development and Organisation Development leader with extensive experience in workforce capability building, leadership development, organisational effectiveness, and talent transformation. As Head of Learning & Development, she leads enterprise-wide learning and capability initiatives that align people development with business strategy and future workforce needs.

Her expertise spans leadership development, organisation development, culture transformation, talent management, and change leadership. She is also a strong advocate of AI-enabled learning and workforce transformation, focusing on the practical application of AI to personalise learning, accelerate content creation, enhance knowledge sharing, and build future-ready capabilities.

Areas of Expertise

• Learning Strategy & Capability Development
• Organisation Development & Organisational Effectiveness
• Leadership Development & Executive Enablement
• AI-Enabled Learning & Workforce Transformation
• Learning Innovation & Digital Learning Ecosystems
• Talent Management & Succession Planning
• Psychometric Assessments & Behavioural Science
• Skills-Based Organisations & Future Skills
• Culture Transformation & High-Performing Teams
• Change Management & Workforce Readiness

Career & Professional Highlights

• Heads enterprise-wide Learning & Development and capability initiatives aligned with business strategy and future workforce needs.
• Designed and implemented large-scale interventions to strengthen leadership pipelines, workforce readiness, and high-performing teams.
• Champions the practical application of AI to enhance learning effectiveness, content creation, personalised learning, productivity, and knowledge sharing.
• Integrates psychometric assessments, personality frameworks, and behavioural science into leadership development, individual effectiveness, team collaboration, and organisational performance.
• Combines behavioural insight, modern learning technology, and evidence-based Organisation Development practices to drive sustainable and measurable impact.
• Brings a practitioner-led perspective on the future of learning, human-centred AI adoption, leadership development, organisational capability, and workforce transformation as an L&D Advisory Council member.

Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

Shalini Nair is a seasoned Learning & Development leader with three decades of experience spanning learning strategy, leadership development, executive coaching, organisational capability, and people transformation. Currently, as Director & Head of Global L&D at HTC Global Services, she leads the global learning function, designing leadership programs and learning cultures that enable professionals to strengthen performance, expand their capabilities, and progress into senior leadership roles. Her current role and long-standing leadership in L&D are also reflected in industry forums and professional recognitions.

A qualified social worker by training, Shalini began her professional journey with a foundation in Psychology and Social Work, including a BA (Hons.) from Indraprastha College, Delhi University, and an MSW from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Her early career involved participatory development and community training across Gujarat and Rajasthan, before she moved into corporate HR and Learning & Development. She subsequently built HR and training capabilities in Moscow and worked across training, executive development and organisational capability roles.

She is a strong advocate of the philosophy that people development is strategy, not a support function, with a particular focus on leadership development, future-ready capabilities, experiential learning and preparing organisations for technological and workforce disruption. She has also been featured as an expert speaker on preparing organisations for GenAI and disruptive technologies.

Areas of Expertise

• Learning & Development Strategy
• Leadership Development & Executive Enablement
• Organisational Development & Capability Building
• Executive Coaching & Facilitation
• Talent Development & Career Growth
• Learning Culture & Workforce Transformation
• Future of Work & AI-Enabled Learning
• Behavioural & Soft Skills Development
• Change Management & Organisational Effectiveness
• Experiential Learning & Leadership Programmes

Career & Professional Highlights

• Leads Global Learning & Development at HTC Global Services, with responsibility for enterprise-wide learning and leadership capability initiatives.
• Has been with HTC Global Services since 2014, bringing extensive experience in designing and implementing learning initiatives for senior management and professionals across the organisation.
• Built HR and training capabilities in Moscow during her earlier career, alongside experience in HR, training consultancy and community-focused development initiatives.
• Brings approximately three decades of professional experience across Learning & Development, HR, training, executive development and people capability.
• Has been recognised among leading L&D professionals, including being featured among the Top 20 L&D Visionary Leaders and as a prominent L&D leader at industry summits.
• Featured as an expert speaker on “L&D in Getting Organization Ready for GenAI and Disruptive Tech,” demonstrating her focus on the intersection of learning, technology and future workforce capabilities.
• Holds a BA (Hons.) in Psychology from Indraprastha College, University of Delhi, and a Master of Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
• A certified Storyteller, Counselor, Life-Skills Coach and Heartfulness Trainer, bringing together behavioural science, storytelling, coaching and human-centred development in her approach to leadership and learning.

Area of Expertise: OB, HR & Strategy

Srilata Kolachana is a senior Learning, Talent and Organizational Development leader with 25+ years of experience working at the intersection of business strategy, workforce capability, artificial intelligence and organizational transformation. She currently leads the Learning & Development agenda for APAC at CGI, shaping capability priorities across a workforce of approximately 20,000 professionals and building scalable, future-ready learning ecosystems.

Her expertise spans AI-enabled learning, skills intelligence, leadership development, talent management, succession planning, competency architecture, GCC capability building and future-skills transformation. She has also led large-scale AI capability initiatives, including an APAC AI literacy program, while connecting learning investments to workplace application, performance improvement and business outcomes.

Areas of Expertise

• Learning & Organizational Development
• AI-Enabled Learning & Capability Ecosystems
• Talent Management & Succession Planning
• Leadership Development & Leadership Pipelines
• Future Skills & Workforce Transformation
• Skills Intelligence & Competency Architecture
• GCC Capability Building
• Learning Analytics, Governance & Business Impact
• Organizational Development & Change
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Career & Academic Highlights

• Director of Learning & Development, APAC at CGI, leading enterprise learning and capability priorities across approximately 20,000 professionals and partnering with business, HR and technology leaders on capability transformation.
• Architected AI-enabled learning ecosystems integrating skills intelligence, role-based learning pathways, digital platforms, expert knowledge, communities and analytics; her APAC AI literacy program achieved 98% completion according to the profile.
• Leads technical, domain, behavioural and leadership capability development, including leadership pipelines focused on global readiness, emotional agility and client leadership.
• Previously served as GM & Country Head – Training at Hinduja Global Solutions, strengthening country-level learning delivery and workforce capability.
• Served as Senior Director, Talent Management & Development at Sutherland, leading talent strategy, succession planning, leadership development, talent pipelines and competency development for Sutherland Healthcare Solutions, along with diversity initiatives in India.
• Earlier leadership experience includes Franklin Templeton, AppLabs/CSC, Convergys, Tech Mahindra, Satyam Foundation and Infor, spanning talent management, L&D, organizational development, technical learning and capability building.
• Began her professional journey in academia, teaching MBA programmes in strategic management, supply-chain management, marketing, business communication and international finance, while also mentoring students and conducting workshops.
• Holds an Associate Fellow Program in Talent Management from The Wharton School, and pursued doctoral research in Organizational Behavior at XLRI Jamshedpur. She also holds an MBA and B.Sc. from Osmania University.
• Recognized through SHRM TrailBlazer Awards, Brandon Hall recognitions, the Skillsoft Impact Award and other HR/L&D awards for her contributions to learning and capability transformation.
• Her current industry profile is strongly focused on AI, future-of-work, leadership capability and future-ready talent ecosystems, and she continues to contribute to industry conferences and leadership forums.
• CGI has also highlighted her leadership in its learning initiatives, including its graduate transformation program combining technical capability, professional skills and cultural integration.