HR Conclave: HR Kinetic: Leadership in the Age of Gen Z

Ruhie Pande

 Chairperson, HRM Committee, Bombay Chamber, Group CHRO & CMO, Serentica, Resonia, and Sterlite Electric

Ruhie Pande is the Group Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for the Group.

Across the three companies, she is responsible for leading HR, including talent, strategy, media & communications, and culture priorities for the group. A seasoned professional with two decades of experience, Ruhie has a proven track record of building and harnessing people power across a diverse range of industries. She is known for her empathy-driven approach, enabling her to drive effective strategies in the HR realm.

In her journey, she has contributed to establishing a high-performance culture across sectors like financial services, real Estate, Fashion Retail, Information Technology and FMCG. During her last stint at Godrej Capital, Ruhie was instrumental in handpicking and onboarding key personnels, furthering the organization’s presence as a best-in-class financial institution.

As an accomplished leader and domain expert, Ruhie is associated with many domestic and international HR and leadership forums. She has been a part of different women forums and has been mentoring young women leaders. Ruhie also serves as the Chairperson of the HRM Committee at BCCI (Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industries). Her groundbreaking contributions have been recognized with several industry awards, such as 100 most influential HR leaders in India by CHRO Asia, 25 most talented HR professionals in Retail by Asia Retail Congress, BW’s Most Influential Women 2025 & 2024 (two times in a row), 25 of 2025 Trailblazing Women by HRAI and Leading woman in HR by IIGBI in the 4th Women Leaders awards in India.

She holds a M.Sc. degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the prestigious Birkbeck College in London.

Adil Malia

Mentor, HRM Committee, Bombay Chamber, CEO, The Firm

Pankaj Gupta

MD & CEO, Godrej Finance

With over 24 years of experience, including 20 years in financial services, Pankaj has held leadership roles across banks, mortgage assets, unsecured assets, liabilities divisions and NBFCs. Detail-oriented and with an eye for achieving high-quality standards and profit improvements, Pankaj has lead organizations through expert business transformation services
and cutting-edge solutions.
Before joining Godrej, Pankaj played a pivotal role at Bajaj Finance Ltd. for about 11 years and spearheaded the launch of various business lines, including Unsecured SME Loans, Home Loans, Loan Against Property, Personal Loans, Loans for Doctors, and Construction Finance.
He began his career at Asian Paints in the FMCG sector, later transitioning to HDFC Bank, where he managed CASA acquisition and cross-selling before focusing on personal loans. Subsequently, Pankaj led unsecured consumer assets for HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank. Pankaj holds a Post Graduate Diploma in General Management from the Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore, and has completed an Executive Program in Sales and Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. Furthermore, Pankaj has completed his Advanced Management Program from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

 Dr. Sanjay Muthal

Member, HRM Committee, Bombay Chamber, CEO, Argolyn Consulting LLP

Dr. Sanjay Muthal: CEO ArgoLynx Consulting / Investor and Advisor to the Board at Refyne / Independent Director LIC MF & AMC. Sanjay is a visionary entrepreneur and business leader known for his passion towards Human Resources, leadership development and technological innovation. Sanjay has built a successful career spanning 4 decades during which he has led the Human Resources function at several large multinational Corporations and Indian Business Houses. The last decade has seen him embark on an entrepreneurial journey that has been characterized by a relentless pursuit of innovation, a commitment to excellence and a focus on creating value for all stakeholders. He is widely respected in the business community for his thought leadership and deep network of relationships.

He is currently the CEO of ArgoLynx Consulting LLP – a boutique executive search and business consulting firm. He is also an independent director and a Board member of several organizations, including India’s largest Life Insurance Corporation – LIC (subsidiary). Furthermore, he is Advisor to the Board at Refyne – India’s first employee, financial wellness, Fin-Tech organization. His other areas of interest include management education, coaching & mentoring and keynotes at various international conferences. He is an avid traveler and invests his leisure time in pursuing his musical interests. He has recently been conferred with the Global Power Leader Award 2024 presented at the British Parliament – House of Lords, London.

Shefali Kohli

CHRO – Chemicals, Filament Yarn & Insulators, Aditya Birla Group

With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Shefali Kohli has been at the forefront of strategic HR leadership, organizational transformation, and talent development across multiple industries.

Currently serving as the CHRO – Chemicals, Filament Yarn & Insulators at Aditya Birla Group, she brings in a wealth of experience in people strategy, executive compensation, business partnering, and large-scale HR transformations.

Throughout her journey, she has played pivotal roles in shaping HR policies and frameworks at leading organizations, including Godrej Group, UltraTech Cement, and Mindteck, leaving a significant impact in all facets of HR.

At Godrej Group, she spearheaded Strategic Rewards & People Processes, balancing governance with advisory functions while championing Diversity & Inclusion and embedding a culture of continuous listening. Early on in her career, she played a crucial role in executive compensation, long-term incentive frameworks, and global mobility at Aditya Birla Group.

A leader who believes in data-driven decision-making and future-ready HR strategies, she continues to drive innovation, efficiency, and employee-centric policies to align HR with overarching business goals.

 Reena Tyagi

Chief People & Organisation Officer, Generali Central Life Insurance

Reena is a Human Resource professional with over 27 years of experience and has been in HR Leadership roles for over 17 years managing large and diverse teams. Reena is passionate about driving people agenda that is aligned with the strategic objectives of the organization and nurturing a culture that enables people to perform at their best. She has rich experience in driving best-in-class employee experience, managing organizational transformations, and leading talent strategies to create future leaders. Before joining Generali Central Life Insurance, Reena worked with Manipal Cigna, Bharti Airtel Ltd., and ABN AMRO Central Enterprise Services. She has a Bachelor’s in Physics Honors from Delhi University and Master in Business Administration from the University of Indore, India.

Amit Chincholikar

Group President – HR, Hinduja Group Ltd.

Mr. Amit Chincholikar serves as Group President – Human Resources for the Hinduja Group, a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate with a presence in 11 sectors, operations in 50 countries and employing more than 250,000 people of diverse backgrounds. 

Amit has served in a variety of leadership roles across companies, sectors, and geographies.  He has looked after multiple areas including Performance, Rewards and Benefits, Employer Branding, Diversity & Inclusion and Mobility. He has conceived and delivered multiple initiatives in areas such as emerging and entry level talent leadership, HR Governance and Employee resource group programs globally. 

Amit has lived in Singapore, United Sates of America and India and has handled HR related matters for more than 50 countries. Before joining Hinduja Group, Amit was the Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (OHT). His career trajectory includes pivotal leadership roles in companies such as Tata Consumer Products, Tata Sons, Aditya Birla Group (ABG), and Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

Amit is the recipient of several awards including the SymRatna Award – the highest honor given by Symbiosis Professional University as well as Influencer of the Year 2023 by Financial Express. He was awarded CHRO of the year 2023 by Transformance Forums and best alumni of the year by Symbiosis Institue of Business Management in 2020. He is also an advisor on the Board of Comport which is a Tech HR start up and a visiting faculty to several leading Business management schools 

Amit holds a post graduate degree in human resources from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune and is a graduate in Statistics and Operations Research from University of Mumbai.

Sejal Mody

CHRO, Akasa Air

Sejal Mody is a seasoned Human Resources leader with over 20 years of cross-industry experience in FMCG, media, and consulting. She specialises in organizational transformation, talent strategy, and change management. Sejal held leadership roles at Hindustan Unilever Ltd., where she led HR for Supply Chain, Legal, and ESG for South Asia, and played a pivotal
role in HR initiatives at Disney Star. Additionally, Sejal has worked with McKinsey & Co. and Accenture, where she led global, cross-industry projects to drive organizational change.

She holds an MBA in Finance and Change Management from the Indian School of Business and a BBA Honors in Management Information Systems from Texas McCombs School of Business. At Akasa Air, Sejal is the Chief Human Resources Officer and leads people functions in alignment with Akasa’s employee-centric culture and further develop a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.

Sanjivani Sadani

Chief People Officer, Cipla

With over 25 years of experience steering enterprise-wide people strategy, transformation, and culture in complex, regulated, multi-geo organizations, Sanjivani has a proven track record of aligning human capital with business growth. Throughout her career, she has successfully navigated crises and large-scale change, built future-ready leadership pipelines, and delivered digital-first employee experiences across sectors such as Pharma, FMCG, Financial Services, Agrovet, Chemicals, and Food.

Currently, Sanjivani serves as Chief People Officer at Cipla Limited, leading Human Resources for all India business as well as the United States, South Africa, Middle East, and Asia regions. Her focus is on driving HR transformation, capability building, workforce strategy, and cultural integration to support business growth across diverse geographies. Previously, Sanjivani held key HR leadership roles at Godrej and HDFC Life, contributing to large-scale HR initiatives, strengthening people systems, and enabling business expansion. Her expertise spans both global and domestic markets, and she is passionate about building sustainable, scalable people practices.

Megha Goel

CHRO, Godrej Properties Ltd.

With over 16 years of experience in human resources, Megha Goel brings both strategic insight and a people-first approach to her role as Chief Human Resources Officer at Godrej Properties.

Since joining the Godrej Group in 2014, she has led HR functions across various group companies, helping shape progressive workplaces where people can thrive. Her prior experience includes roles at J.P. Morgan India, Britannia Industries, and Akzo Nobel Coatings, giving her a rich cross-industry perspective.

A chemical engineer by training, Megha transitioned into HR after earning her MBA from Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune. Her ability to blend analytical thinking with empathy has been a hallmark of her leadership style.

She’s also a sought-after speaker at industry forums, where she shares her views on leadership, inclusion, and the future of work. Outside the boardroom, Megha enjoys swimming, exploring new places, and quality time with her 11-year-old son.

Somna Singh

Country HR Head, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Somna Singh heads Human Resources at Bank of America in India. In her role, she works closely with the India country executive and the Country Leadership Team (CLT) to drive the people strategy in India. Balancing people priorities across different lines of business and ensuring the agenda is relevant to the business context is what makes her role interesting and challenging.

Somna joined Bank of America in May 2017 and has a career spanning over 25 years across various companies. Before joining Bank of America, she has worked with:

AXA China Region Insurance Co, based in Hong Kong as Head of Human Resources.
Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), across different countries, including India, Singapore and Bangladesh in a variety of roles in in human resources domain. Her last role with Standard Chartered was as Head of Human Resources, Bangladesh.
Cadbury India limited (Now Mondelez International)
ICI India, a paints, and specialty chemicals company

Somna has completed her post-graduation in business administration from Symbiosis Institute of Management studies, Pune. She also holds a master’s degree in economics.

Dr. Tanaya Mishra

Member, HRM Committee, Bombay Chamber & Global CHRO, In-solution Global Ltd.

Tanaya Mishra. She is global CHRO with ISG, earlier was the global CHRO with Strides Pharma and Essar .Prior to
this she has worked as MD HR, APAC with Accenture,. She has a PhD in Manpower Planning , a PG degree in HR, and a degree in Law. She is a certified Hogan ICF coach and assessor She is a Committee member with Bombay Chamber and Past Member and Facilitator with APERG, board member NHRD Network, CII, and a subject ma􀆩er expert with SHRM, She was part of the pres􀆟gious CSC Commonwealth Leaders and invited to Oxford and Buckingham Palace. She has won many awards and accolades

Lucky Kulkarni

 Member, HRM Committee, Bombay Chamber, Group CHRO & Member Management Committee, Jeena & Co.

Ms. Lucky Kulkarni is a seasoned, business-focused HR leader and an expert in Organizational Development and Change Management, bringing over 25 years plus of diverse experience across the entire Human Capital Management spectrum.
Her work is centered on translating organizational vision into reality by building high-performing leadership teams and establishing robust governance frameworks, policies, and processes at every level. She has successfully led the automation of HR functions and the integration of AI into HR systems. Lucky’s core expertise lies in people management, strategic HR planning, organizational development, employee branding, and overseeing comprehensive HR operations. Known for her empathetic leadership style, she is recognized for crafting HR strategies that align with both business goals and employee well-
being. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from H.R. College, a Master’s in Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, a Law degree from Government Law College, and an MBA from Newport University. She has further enhanced her credentials with an Executive Postgraduate Diploma in Organization Development & Change from TISS and an Advanced Human Resource Management (AHRM) certification from IIM Ahmedabad. Her thought leadership is widely acknowledged through her published work in reputed platforms such as Corporate Citizen, Corporate India, Free Press Journal,
and People Matters, among others. Lucky is an active member of the HR Committee at the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and has served as a jury member for several prestigious forums

including the World HRD Congress Awards, the Human Capital Summit, and the World Women Leadership Congress.
As a sought-after speaker and panelist, she has shared her insights at various industry events such as the HR Infotech Association, Human Capital Summit, National Conference on Data Science, My Logistic Gurukul, and initiatives by the
Indian Merchant Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She has also been invited to speak at leading academic institutions, including the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (Dehradun) and the Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in
Management (Kolkata), among others. Lucky’s outstanding contributions to the HR domain have earned her several
accolades, including the “Dr. Tarita Shankar Award for Excellence in the HR Sector” at the Making of Developed India Awards. She has been featured in the World HRD Congress Talent Listing among the “101 Top Fabulous HR Leaders in India,” and recognized with titles such as “HR Innovator,” “Top HR Influencer,” “Most Iconic HR Leaders (India Listing),” and “HR Super Achiever (India)” by the World Leadership Congress in collaboration with Times Ascent. With experience spanning Manufacturing, IT & ITES, Retail, and Global Logistics sectors, Lucky has consistently driven impactful and strategic HR initiatives. Currently, she serves as the Group CHRO & Member Management Committee at Jeena & Co., a 125-year-young global logistics leader, overseeing HR strategy across its 13 group companies. She plays a key role in steering the organization
toward its strategic and financial objectives. Her leadership is instrumental in shaping the culture at Jeena, with a strong focus on driving diversity and inclusion throughout the organization.

Lucky’s commitment to social impact is evident in her efforts to empower individuals from skill development centers and institutes for people with disabilities. Through inclusive hiring practices, mentorship, and development programs, she has helped thousands of individuals gain confidence, acquire meaningful employment, and build successful careers. Lucky is passionate about driving the organization’s ESG agenda, with a strong focus on tracking its carbon footprint and working toward achieving Net Zero in the coming years. She also oversees the company’s CSR initiatives, ensuring they align with its broader sustainability and social impact goals.

Rita Verma

Chief Talent Officer, Omnicom Media India

Rita Verma leads Omnicom Media India’s People & Culture operations as its Chief Talent Officer.

In her role, Rita is responsible for leading Talent Practice, with a focus on investing, developing and nurturing future-ready teams to cater to Omnicom Media India’s growth and that of its clients. She leads an expert team of specialists across Talent Acquisition, Talent Business Partners, Learning & Development and HR Operations to deliver best-in-class solutions across the board.

With over 23 years of experience in Talent Development, Rita is no stranger to the Omnicom community. She previously led the HR function at DDB Mudra Group for 19 years – an impressive innings during which she drove the organisation’s workplace culture, growth for its people, and vision to make the company the employer of choice.

During her tenure, DDB Mudra was recognised for its Talent capabilities, including winning the prestigious Campaign South Asia Talent Management Team of the Year award for four years at the Campaign India Agency of the Year Awards. Passionate about diversity and inclusivity, she has been instrumental in driving initiatives such as Omniwomen and OPEN Pride.

As a certified Life Coach with a compassionate and people-first approach to talent management, Rita plays a key role in strengthening Omnicom Media India’s commitment to its people-centric philosophy — a cornerstone of the agency network’s success and a catalyst for a culture of growth.

Sareeta Bhatikar

CHRO, Jio BP

Sareeta Bhatikar is an HR leader with diverse work experience, within and outside India. She is currently working with Jio-bp as Chief Human Resources officer. 

A veteran HR professional, Sareeta Bhatikar comes with around 23 years of rich experience across various HR functions including Business Partnering, Organizational Development, Diversity & Inclusion, HR Operations, Performance Management, Transformation and Change. 

Prior to joining Jio-bp she has been associated with reputable organizations like HDFC Life, Cipla, Vodafone, Maersk Line, Unilever, Larsen and Toubro Infotech. Sareeta has also done a short stint with the Chevron Corporation in California, USA. 

Sareeta is a graduate in commerce and has also done her MBA and LLB. As a part of her volunteering efforts, she has been associated for around 5 years as a visiting faculty with Welingkar Institute of Management and is also on the HR centre of expertise panel for the TISS school of vocational education. 

A learner at heart who believes learning is a continuous journey towards excellence, Sareeta has also completed a diploma course in Comparative Mythology from the Mumbai university and is a certified Counsellor. 

Sareeta is also an avid reader and enjoys to write. She has her own blog where she pens down her thoughts on various HR and Business topics regularly despite her busy schedule. Sareeta loves travelling and is a food lover who does not miss on trying out the special cuisines at every place she travels. 

A proud wife and mother of teenage twins, Sareeta loves collaborating and networking with people from all walks of life, professionally and personally and learn from their experiences.

Prasanth Nair

CHRO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd

Dr D. Prasanth is a B.Tech and Doctorate from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He started his career in GEC Alsthom and had stints in the RPG Group. He headed HR for Thomas Cook and was also member of the Global HR Council of the Thomas Cook Plc. Post that, he was the Global HR head of Cipla. He is the co-founder of ZingHR a SAAS HRTech platform. He is presently the CHRO – Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited. Interested in Mathematics, Spirituality and Future of Work.

Harsha Anand Almad

VP, India Consulting Hub Lead, Wipro

Harsha is Vice President and leads the India Consulting Hub and Global People & Change Consulting at Wipro. With nearly two decades of consulting experience at Accenture, BCG and A&M, she has successfully driven global digital and AI-enabled transformations across industries. She’s passionate about “Human+AI” collaboration which has been her primary focus for the last 5yrs serving global clients and including serving as Global AI academy lead at Accenture. Her expertise spans client impact, talent development, and delivery excellence, underpinned by a strong track record in building and scaling high-performing teams.

Hareesh Tibrewala

CEO : Anhad Consultancy Services

Hareesh Tibrewala is a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience. Mirum was his third entrepreneurial venture. Mirum is now among the largest digital marketing agencies in the country. Hareesh stepped down as CEO of Mirum last year. He has now founded MeruLife, a digital ecosystem catering to Active Seniors, enabling them to live an active, connected and purposeful second innings.

He is also a mentor with Stanford Seed and a partner with Social Venture Partners, a fund that provides growth capital to NGOs. He has co-authored a book, “If I Had to Do It Again”, a memoir of this first Internet venture Homeindia.com which also serves as a guide for aspiring entrepreneurs. He has been a honorary faculty with the University of Mumbai and is also an evangelist in the area of Artificial Intelligence. As CEO of Anhad Consultancy Services, he advises corporations in the area of digital transformation and business growth.

Abe Thomas

CEO of Music Broadcast Ltd.

Abe Thomas is the CEO of Music Broadcast Ltd., the company behind Radio City, where he is leading the transformation of a traditional radio network into a modern digital-first media platform.

With over two decades of leadership experience across media and international markets, Abe has led major business turnarounds, digital transformation initiatives, and complex restructuring processes.

At Radio City, he is actively exploring how AI, data, and automation can reshape content creation, audience engagement, and workforce productivity. He brings a CEO’s perspective on how organisations can harness AI while building agile, future-ready teams.

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