CXO Lanes

Pankaj Gulati has been appointed as the Chief People Officer & Head of CSR at Suryoday Small Finance Bank Ltd, marking a significant leadership addition to the organization’s senior management team. In his new role, Pankaj will lead the bank’s human capital strategy, culture development, and corporate social responsibility initiatives, aligning them with Suryoday’s mission of inclusive and sustainable growth. With over two decades of experience spanning corporate leadership and entrepreneurship, he brings deep expertise in HR transformation, talent management, culture building, and HR technology, making him a catalyst for organizational excellence and innovation. Before joining Suryoday Small Finance Bank, Pankaj served as Executive President and Head of COE & Shared Services HR at AU SMALL FINANCE BANK, where he managed HR operations for a workforce of over 50,000 employees across India. He was also part of the leadership team at Fincare Small Finance Bank , where he held multiple leadership positions including Chief People Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and COO – Corporate Services, leading post-merger HR integration and transformation initiatives. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Pankaj is known for his collaborative leadership, strategic acumen, and people-first approach. His appointment reflects Suryoday Small Finance Bank’s continued focus on empowering employees, strengthening its organizational culture, and deepening its social impact through purpose-driven leadership. #PankajGulati #SuryodaySmallFinanceBank #Leadership #ChiefPeopleOfficer #HeadOfCSR #HumanResources #PeopleLeadership #HRTransformation #EmployeeEngagement #CorporateSocialResponsibility #InclusiveGrowth #SmallFinanceBank #OrganizationalCulture #IIMBangalore #cxolanes

Brijesh Vats has taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer at Assystem in India, marking a new chapter in his extensive career spanning more than two decades in engineering and infrastructure. Before joining Assystem, he spent over nine years with Jacobs, where he held several senior leadership roles, including GID Director and Head of Sector – Transportation, Director – GID, Digital Delivery and Head of Rail, and Head – Highways & Rail. During his tenure, he successfully led multidisciplinary teams across India and global markets, driving delivery excellence in highways, rail, aviation, ports, and tunneling projects. Earlier, Brijesh gained valuable experience with Atkins, Artefact Projects Limited, Sowil Limited, STUP Consultants P. Ltd, and ERA INFRA ENGINEERING LIMITED, where he contributed to major infrastructure initiatives in India and abroad. His deep expertise in transportation engineering, digital delivery, and global integrated project management continues to define his leadership approach. At Assystem, he is expected to play a key role in strengthening operational performance, fostering innovation, and expanding the organization’s footprint in India’s growing infrastructure landscape. #Leadership #Assystem #Jacobs #Atkins #Infrastructure #Engineering #Transportation #ProjectManagement #Construction #Innovation #GlobalDelivery #IndiaBusiness #cxolanes

Syed Fazal Bari has joined Times Internet as the Head of New Initiatives, TIL Languages and Special Projects, where he is spearheading innovation, revenue growth, and strategic delivery across India’s dynamic regional language markets. In this role, he focuses on scaling digital transformation, driving monetization models, and building culturally relevant media experiences to strengthen TIL’s leadership in multilingual content. His expertise in business strategy, creative execution, and cross-functional leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping Times Internet’s next phase of digital evolution. Before this, Fazal led The Indian Express Group as Business Head and Vice President – FE Digital, FE B2B Verticals, FE Connect, and Express Digital IPs, where he transformed the FE Digital B2B ecosystem into a revenue-positive vertical and built India’s fastest-growing thought leadership platform through FE Connect. His earlier journey with EconomicTimes.com and Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India) further cemented his reputation for driving brand strategy, innovation, and digital growth. Fazal’s extensive media experience positions him strongly to propel Times Internet’s multilingual and digital-first initiatives. #FazalBari #TimesInternet #TheIndianExpress #EconomicTimes #BennettColeman #DigitalTransformation #MediaLeadership #BrandStrategy #RegionalLanguages #Innovation #BusinessGrowth #DigitalMedia #cxolanes

Taniya Arora has joined Epic Group as Country Head – HR and Administration, bringing over 22 years of diverse experience in human resources, administration, and expatriate management across multiple geographies. Based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Taniya’s appointment marks a major step in Epic Group’s mission to drive strategic people transformation and organizational excellence. Known for her ability to align HR strategy with business goals, she has led initiatives in policy design, leadership development, and cultural transformation that have built high-performing, inclusive workplaces. Her leadership is grounded in empathy, agility, and a deep understanding of the evolving global workforce landscape. Before joining Epic Group, Taniya served as Senior Vice President – HR and Administration at Cheil India, where she successfully led initiatives focused on leadership growth and organizational efficiency. Her prior roles at Microtek International Pvt Ltd., JAKSON LIMITED, and Airbus Group India saw her establish strategic HR frameworks across India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. A strong advocate for gender equity, workplace ethics, and inclusive leadership, Taniya continues to be an influential voice in the HR community. At Epic Group, she will lead the transformation of people strategy and talent ecosystems, reinforcing the company’s vision of sustainable, human-centric growth across borders. #TaniyaArora #EpicGroup #LeadershipAppointment #HumanResources #PeopleTransformation #HRLeadership #GlobalWorkforce #InclusiveLeadership #OrganizationalCulture #WomenInLeadership #BangladeshBusiness #StrategicGrowth #cxolanes

Sonal Khatri has joined Marico Limited as Head – Rewards, Talent & HRIT, bringing with her over a decade of deep expertise in total rewards, compensation strategy, and global HR operations. Before joining Marico, she spent over nine years with Bank of America, where she progressed through several leadership roles — from Compensation and Benefits Manager to Vice President, shaping and implementing total rewards and benefits programs across diverse teams. Her early career at Mercer Management Consulting as a Global Mobility Consultant and Compensation Survey Manager equipped her with extensive knowledge in benchmarking, pay structuring, and international HR practices, setting a strong foundation for her success in strategic HR leadership. Throughout her career, Sonal has been recognized for her ability to design data-driven HR solutions that align talent and rewards strategy with business outcomes. With her new role at Marico Limited, she will lead initiatives focused on driving talent excellence, integrating HR technology, and enhancing organizational effectiveness. Her journey through renowned organizations such as Infosys, Intel, Mercer, and Bank of America reflects her consistent commitment to building people-centric and performance-driven workplaces. #SonalKhatri #Marico #Leadership #HRExcellence #RewardsAndRecognition #TalentManagement #HRTransformation #PeopleStrategy #HumanResources #CareerGrowth #MaricoLimited #LeadershipAppointment #cxolanes

Aparnaa J. has joined Metro Brands Limited as Head of Talent Development, bringing with her over 17 years of extensive experience in learning, leadership development, and organizational capability building. Prior to this, she was associated with Raymond Realty as Lead – Learning & Organizational Development (L&OD), where she played a key role in driving leadership programs and strategic learning initiatives. Her professional journey also includes impactful roles at Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited, Jio, and Silver Brook Learning Center, where she successfully led various corporate training and digital learning projects aimed at enhancing organizational effectiveness. Before her transition into senior learning and development roles, Aparnaa gained valuable experience at Dun & Bradstreet, Datamatics Global Services Limited, and Anand Rathi Securities, building a strong foundation in stakeholder management, performance improvement, and process enhancement. Starting her career as a Lecturer at Geetanjali Institute of Management Studies, Aparnaa has consistently focused on enabling people growth and fostering learning cultures. In her new role at Metro Brands Limited, she is expected to strengthen the company’s talent and leadership development strategy to align with its long-term growth vision. #MetroBrandsLimited #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #OrganizationalEffectiveness #EmployeeGrowth #HumanResources #L&DStrategy #PeopleDevelopment #CareerJourney #CorporateTraining #StrategicHR #cxolanes

Meghana Rao, CHRO at TATA AIG General Insurance Company Limited, is a transformational HR leader driving organizational growth through strategic talent management, leadership development, and cultural evolution. At Tata AIG, she partners closely with the leadership team to align people, culture, and business strategy—creating a future-ready organization built on inclusion, innovation, and performance excellence. Her focus areas include leadership effectiveness, succession planning, employee experience, and strengthening Tata AIG’s employer brand to fuel sustainable growth and attract top talent. Before joining Tata AIG, Meghana was Human Resources Director at Flipkart, where she led Business HR, Diversity & Inclusion, Campus Engagement, and Centre of Excellence functions for the Supply Chain organization. Her strategic interventions helped build a strong talent pipeline and an inclusive, high-performance culture that powered business transformation at scale. Meghana’s rich experience also spans over 15 years at ICICI Bank, where she served as Zonal Head – HR (South) and Talent Acquisition Head – North, driving manpower planning, performance management, employee relations and talent strategies across Retail, Rural, SME, and Wholesale Banking. Earlier in her career, as a young management trainee at Larsen & Toubro Limited, Meghana honed her expertise in setting up of the Design Engineering center and managed end-to-end HR. A results-oriented people leader, Meghana is passionate about shaping agile, high-performing organizations by blending data-driven insights with empathy and innovation—creating workplaces where people and business grow together.

Monika Potharkar has joined Medline India as Senior Vice President, bringing over 29 years of experience in global finance, capability center leadership, and organizational transformation across consumer products and banking. She previously served as Sr. Director Finance and Site Lead for General Mills India, where she led finance operations, financial planning & analytics, risk & compliance, and scaled multi-functional capabilities across Finance, IT, Supply Chain, Sales, and Consumer Insights. At Medline, Monika will focus on driving growth and innovation from India in line with Medline’s mission to make healthcare run better. Known for her leadership in human capital strategy, organizational transformation, and talent development, she brings extensive experience in building agile, high-performing teams while delivering business outcomes. Her appointment reinforces Medline’s commitment to operational excellence, innovation, and global impact in healthcare. #Leadership #FinanceExcellence #GlobalCapabilities #OrganizationalTransformation #TalentDevelopment #Innovation #MedlineIndia #GeneralMills #HealthcareLeadership #BusinessGrowth #PeopleStrategy #OperationalExcellence #cxolanes

Shweta Papriwal has joined ANAROCK as the Director – Corporate Marketing, bringing with her extensive experience in marketing, communications, and content strategy across leading organizations. Over the years, she has held key roles at JM Financial Services Ltd, BlinkX by JM Financial, IIFL (India Infoline Group), EMPClaims, Reliance Securities (Reliance Money) Limited, and Systematix Shares & Stocks (I) Ltd. Her professional journey reflects a consistent track record of driving brand visibility, crafting impactful narratives, and leading integrated marketing initiatives across financial and corporate sectors. In her previous role as Senior Vice President – Marketing & Communications at blinkX by JM Financial, Shweta played a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s marketing and brand positioning efforts. As Vice President – Content, Marketing & Communications at JM Financial Services Ltd, she led innovative campaigns and enhanced customer engagement strategies. Alongside her corporate journey, she has also been active as a Motivational Speaker and Life Transformation Coach, reflecting her passion for leadership and personal growth. At ANAROCK, Shweta is set to lead strategic marketing efforts and reinforce the company’s corporate brand presence across the real estate and advisory ecosystem. #Leadership #CorporateMarketing #ANAROCK #JMFinancial #blinkX #IIFLSecurities #MarketingStrategy #BrandCommunication #WomenInLeadership #DigitalMarketing #ContentStrategy #BrandBuilding #cxolanes

Venkat Rao Malluvajhula has joined Cloudangles as an Advisory Board Member, bringing over two decades of leadership experience across consumer, telecom, and technology sectors. His appointment strengthens Cloudangles’ strategic vision and expansion across the APAC and Japan markets. Venkat previously served as Vice President and Country Head – Asia Pacific & Japan at Pitney Bowes, where he led transformative initiatives that delivered major business turnarounds, including driving the India business to positive EBIT. Renowned for his innovation-driven approach and people-first leadership, Venkat has built a reputation for steering organizations toward sustained growth through strategy, execution, and customer focus. In addition to his corporate achievements, Venkat Rao Malluvajhula is a Stanford Seed Consultant, ESG advocate, and Angel Investor, contributing meaningfully to the entrepreneurial and social impact ecosystem. As a Forbes Business Council (2025) member and Times Now “Impactful CEO” awardee, he exemplifies purpose-driven leadership that aligns performance with sustainability. At Cloudangles, his advisory expertise will help shape the company’s digital transformation strategy and global growth roadmap, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, responsible business practices, and long-term value creation. #VenkatRaoMalluvajhula #Cloudangles #LeadershipAppointment #AdvisoryBoard #DigitalTransformation #APAC #Japan #BusinessLeadership #Sustainability #ESG #ForbesBusinessCouncil #TechnologyLeadership #cxolanes