Suraj Padmanabhan
Dubai
Summary
Strategic and visionary HR Leader with 20+ years of experience in global HR functions. Demonstrated expertise in aligning HR strategy with business objectives for organizational transformation, growth, and improved employee engagement. Skilled in talent management, organizational development, leadership succession, and fostering an inclusive corporate culture. Proven ability to drive change initiatives, optimize workforce performance, and utilize data analytics for enhanced decision-making. Collaborative leader with a track record of building high-performing teams and implementing HR best practices for a positive, high-impact work environment.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
HR Director – People Care & Transformation
Gotriage Group
12.2024 - Current
- Lead the HR strategy, operations & Transformation aligned with business objectives to drive organizational growth and workforce optimization
- Designed and implemented advanced performance management systems, including appraisals, feedback mechanisms, and professional development plans to enhance individual and organizational effectiveness (SMART KPIs aligned with business goals)
- Developed and implemented Compensation & Benefit / Grade levels that align with organizational structure, roles, and reporting lines
- Oversee compensation and benefits programs to ensure competitiveness, fairness, and alignment with organizational objectives
- Lead comprehensive budgeting and resource allocation processes to ensure optimal workforce performance
- Created end to end People Policy & Compliance and enforced comprehensive HR policies and procedures that reflect organizational goals
- Ensure fair and consistent treatment of all employees in compliance with company policies and legal requirements
- Facilitated organizational change initiatives, including workforce planning, communication strategies, and employee transition processes
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address challenges and drive positive organizational change
- Lead the talent acquisition strategy, including recruitment, talent evaluation, and onboarding processes, ensuring alignment with organizational needs and culture
- Work with hiring managers to create role-specific recruitment strategies and refine talent pipelines
- Establish and monitor metrics for recruitment success, retention, and talent development
- Lead employee training and development programs to enhance skills and foster career growth
- Established and managed the HR module on the company’s ERP system / Oracle / SAP / Workday to streamline HR processes and integrate them with other business functions
- Developed and maintained HR dashboards for real-time tracking and reporting of key HR metrics, including recruitment, retention, performance, and employee satisfaction (Hire to Retire)
- Leverage data analytics to support strategic decision-making and improve HR outcomes
- Promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture through employee engagement initiatives
- Handle employee relations team, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions with fairness and adherence to company policies
- Lead, mentor, and develop HR professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performing HR team
- Ensured the effective HR Service delivery and foster continuous professional growth within the HR team
HR Director – People & Care
Pure Health Group ( SEHA/AHS/MOPHA Hospitals)
02.2022 - 12.2024
- Lead the HR strategy and operations for a 13000+ employee organization, overseeing the development and execution of comprehensive talent management strategies, including recruitment, development, retention, and succession planning
- Led the development and implementation of strategic plans to drive revenue growth
- Oversee global operations across various service functions (finance, HR, IT, etc.), ensuring they are streamlined and efficiency
- Directed and managed cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives
- Oversaw financial performance, operations, and risk management
- Lead successful IPO for PHG
- Lead M&A for PHG with biggest Healthcare provider in the region
- Developed and executed market expansion strategies to increase market share
- Provided leadership and guidance to department managers to ensure operational excellence
- Drove business development efforts to secure new opportunities and partnerships
- Implemented process improvements to enhance operational efficiency and productivity
- Managed budgeting and forecasting to optimize financial performance
- Built and maintained strong relationships with key stakeholders and clients
- Responsible for managing end-to-end M&A process, created & evaluated Business Plans for ~11 deals
- Assisted CEO & CFO in Annual Operating Plan & Budget allocation for FY23,24& FY25
- Presented strategy roadmap and initiatives to scale the business 3x in 2 years to the Board of Directors
- Identified levers & created Turnaround plan for a loss-making business unit, resulting in AED 130 million swing
- Worked on International Expansion of business & facilitated entry in key markets of UAE, UK, Europe and US
- Created Go-To-Market Strategy for Direct-to-Consumer business, projected to generate revenue of AED 170 million
- Proven experience in business integration project management (non-IT / IT)
- Experience in system migration from a business perspective
- Partner with executive leadership to drive organizational change, aligning HR initiatives with company goals and priorities to improve performance, productivity, and overall business outcomes
- Spearheaded the implementation of Oracle Cloud resulting in a 21% improvement in operational efficiency and employee experience
- Drive organizational culture transformation by championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, fostering an environment of respect, innovation, and collaboration
- Foster a culture of innovation and process improvement to enhance service quality
HR Shared Service Director
Saudi German Group
08.2021 - 01.2022
- Directed HR operations across multiple regions, optimizing organizational design, talent management, and performance management processes
- Led the roll-out of a global HRIS system, improving HR efficiency and data-driven decision-making across the organization
- Developed and maintained relationships with key clients, resulting in a 20% increase in client retention
- Lead the Shared Service Function for (HR / General Service/ITES/Analytics/OPEX Team)
- Collaborated with business leaders to implement HR solutions that supported key business objectives, contributing to efficiency and productivity by 25%
- Collaborated with the executive team to develop and implement company-wide strategic initiatives, resulting in a 7% increase in overall efficiency
- Provided leadership and guidance to department heads, resulting in a more cohesive and effective management team
- Manage budgets for GBS functions and drive cost efficiency while maintaining high-quality service standards
- Identify opportunities for cost savings through outsourcing, automation, or process optimization
Group CHRO
Thumbay Group (13 Business Verticals)
07.2013 - 07.2021
- Lead the overall strategy for Thumbay group, ensuring alignment with the organization's goals and objectives
- Led HR strategy for a global business with over 5600 employees across 2 countries, driving business performance through strategic HR initiatives
- Led a cross-functional team for Pre/Post Merger Integration & Restructuring of acquired business
- Oversee a global team of 36HR professionals, ensuring consistent delivery of HR services and programs across different regions
- Partner with the President, CEO and executive leadership team to drive business transformation initiatives through effective people strategies
- Develop and implement talent acquisition strategies that align with the group’s growth and ensure a pipeline of top-tier candidates
- Trained and mentored team members to develop skills in global shared services operations, ensuring succession planning
- Foster a culture of continuous learning and leadership development, implementing a robust leadership pipeline to meet current and future business needs
- Engineered the deployment of cutting-edge performance management systems and innovative total rewards strategies, driving a 25% boost in employee engagement and a 30% enhancement in performance metrics
- Orchestrated personalized growth pathways through a succession planning initiative that identified high-potential employees and reduced gaps by 20% at the middle management level
- Conducted job evaluations using the Hay method and reviewed internal equity for benchmarked jobs, thereby being able to retain top talents
- Commissioned and commercialized the largest healthcare facility in the UAE in record time
- 100% compliance with JCI accreditation and ISO standards within one year of commissioning
- Played a key role in talent planning, acquisition, and retention strategies by implementing a talent analytics strategy that improved talent acquisition efforts, decreasing time to fill positions by 30%
- Implemented a R&R program, leading to an increase in employee morale by 20%
- Led management development programs and spearheaded outbound learning for leaders to formulate a compelling vision, mission, value, and organisational goal for the company
- Led disaster management initiatives (HR champion) of the hospital disaster management committees
Assistant Manager
Hewlett Packard Global Business Operations Private Limited
10.2005 - 07.2013
- Led a cross-functional team for Pre/Post Merger Integration & Restructuring of acquired business
- Drive the transformation of global shared services, leading the migration of processes from local to centralized teams
- Implement service-level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor and improve service delivery
- Cultivate strong relationships with key stakeholders and senior leadership to understand business needs and drive service improvements
- Managed the day-to-day operations of the shared services team, ensuring quality service delivery across all channels
- Supported the recruitment process by screening resumes, conducting interviews, and assisting with employee selection
- Manage OPEX Team (Efficiency & Effectiveness)
- Processed payroll, benefits administration, and other HR-related documentation
- Conducted training sessions on company policies, compliance, and performance management
- Provided guidance to employees regarding benefits, compensation, and HR-related inquiries
- Designed & delivered training programs for over 2000 FTE’s, improving job satisfaction and retention by 30%
- Conducted needs assessments to identify skill gaps and developed customized learning solutions
- Collaborated with leadership to develop leadership training programs that increased managerial performance by 15%
- Manage vendor data entry, maintenance, and updates in SAP/ L&D Tool
- Collaborate with procurement, legal, and finance teams to ensure vendor data accuracy and compliance with company standards
- Perform regular audits of vendor data to identify discrepancies and implement corrective actions
- Develop and implement data governance policies to ensure data integrity and security
- Coordinate vendor onboarding and ensure all necessary documentation is collected and entered into the system
- Provide regular reports on vendor performance, pricing, and contract terms to key stakeholders
- Troubleshoot vendor data issues and work directly with vendors to resolve discrepancies
- Designed and implemented Knowledge Management framework in HP
- Developed employee reports including attrition, absence, compensation, annual leave, overtime costs and headcount
- Identify and manage potential risks related to global service delivery and implement mitigation strategies
- Key player in the development of a bespoke computerized HR management database
- Stay abreast of industry trends, including technological advancements, that could improve GBS services
- Ensure that GBS functions comply with all relevant legal, regulatory, and corporate standards
Education
Project Management Professional - Projects
PMP
India01.2022
FCIPD - HR
CIPD
London01.2021
Neuro Linguistic Program - HR – NLP
ANLP Intl
India01.2015
Strategic Human Resource Management - HR
IIM Ahmedabad
India01.2015
Certified Human Resource Manager - HR
ACI
India01.2014
Certified Learning & Development Manager (CLDM) - HR
ME Hr
India01.2014
Instructional Design (ID) - Content Development
HP
India01.2009
Train The Trainer - Certification
HP
India01.2008
MBA - Human Resources & Marketing
CMR IMS, Bangalore
India11-2004
Bachelor of Science - Physics
St. Joseph College
India07-2002
Skills
- HR Strategy & Leadership
- Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
- Employee Engagement & Relations
- Training & Development
- Organization Development
- Compensation & Benefits
- Legal Compliance
- Performance Management
- HR System, Metrics & Analytics
- Leadership and Team Management
- Crisis Management
- Payroll management
- Diversity and inclusion
- Compliance & Governance
- Financial Acumen
Awards
- Top 10 Best Indian Executive Director in Global Companies, 11/01/24
- The Bizz Hybrid Awards – Excellence in Business Management, 08/01/24
- Certificate of Appreciation – Outstanding Performance, 03/01/23
- Certificate of Appreciation – Outstanding Performance, 07/01/23
- Certificate of Appreciation – Outstanding Performance, 02/01/24
- Certificate of Appreciation – Outstanding Performance, 05/01/24
- Awarded for Highest Ideas in Trailblazer Event, FY23
- Awarded Great Place to work - PHG
- Played lead role in helping PHG achieve SKEA
- HR Business Leader of the Year, 2019
- Young Leader of the Year, 2019
- HR Professional of the Year, 2016
- HR Professional of the Year, 2017
- HR Young Leader of the Year, 2018
- Excellence in Talent Management, 2014
- Excellence in Talent Management, 2015
- Played lead role in helping Thumbay Group achieve SKEA, DQA, DHDA, DQAA & International Business Excellence Awards
- Accreditations: JCI, CAP, NABH, NABL
- Silver Award for best performance, 2006
Languages
English
Advanced (C1)
Hindi
Advanced (C1)
Malayalam
Intermediate (B1)
Tamil
Intermediate (B1)
French
Beginner (A1)
Timeline
HR Director – People Care & Transformation
Gotriage Group
12.2024 - Current
HR Director – People & Care
Pure Health Group ( SEHA/AHS/MOPHA Hospitals)
02.2022 - 12.2024
HR Shared Service Director
Saudi German Group
08.2021 - 01.2022
Group CHRO
Thumbay Group (13 Business Verticals)
07.2013 - 07.2021
Assistant Manager
Hewlett Packard Global Business Operations Private Limited
10.2005 - 07.2013
Project Management Professional - Projects
PMP
FCIPD - HR
CIPD
Neuro Linguistic Program - HR – NLP
ANLP Intl
Strategic Human Resource Management - HR
IIM Ahmedabad
Certified Human Resource Manager - HR
ACI
Certified Learning & Development Manager (CLDM) - HR
ME Hr
Instructional Design (ID) - Content Development
HP
Train The Trainer - Certification
HP
MBA - Human Resources & Marketing
CMR IMS, Bangalore
Bachelor of Science - Physics
St. Joseph College
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