Business leadership is an important aspect of any organization, team, or community. Corporate leadership is the ability to inspire, motivate, and lead others towards a common goal. Great leaders have certain features and qualities that set them apart from others. Organizations are constantly on the lookout for such skilled Indian business executives. As they say, change is inevitable. Here are the top five industry leaders who changed their roles in 2024.

Swiggy Appoints Sairam Krishnamurthy as First COO for Instamart

Swiggy has appointed Sairam Krishnamurthy as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Instamart, the company’s quick commerce division. Krishnamurthy, a retail and FMCG veteran, was roped in when Swiggy faced increased competition from Zomato-owned Blinkit Zepto and others in the rapid delivery space.  

Before joining Swiggy, which is pursuing an IPO, Krishnamurthy spent over three and a half years at More Retail, an Amazon-owned joint venture with Samara Capital that operates a chain of offline retail stores. He also spent several years at Unilever and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), leading several brands in increasing their presence. Swiggy is looking to boost average order value (AOV) by selling non-grocery products as quick commerce companies now want to sell more than just groceries, but also products portfolio and expand its assortment; Swiggy hopes to leverage his expertise.

Sanjay Sharma Named Chief Financial Officer at Air India

Air India has announced the appointment of Sanjay Sharma as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He takes over from Vinod Hejmadi, who has retired after serving in Air India for over 30 years. Sanjay has over three decades of experience in corporate finance, investment banking, and real estate sectors. Before joining Air India, he was CFO of Tata Projects Limited.  Sanjay is reporting to Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD of Air India.

Before his tenure at Tata Project, he was CFO at Tata Realty Infrastructure Limited, Managing Director, and Head of Equity Capital Markets at Deutsche Bank Group. He also held various roles at Dsp Merrill Lynch Limited in Mumbai and Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific in Hong Kong.

Ranjeeka Sachdev Joins Jaquar & Company as CHRO

Jaquar & Company, a leading manufacturer of bathroom and lighting products, has appointed Ranjeeka Sachdev as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). With 20 years of extensive experience in different areas, including learning and development, work-from-home innovation, employee satisfaction, corporate social responsibility, employer branding, global mobility, succession planning, talent development, business partner, and talent strategy, Ranjeeka joined Jaquar & Company.

Before her tenure at Jaquar, Ranjeeka was General Manager and Human Resources at Pernod Ricard India. Previously, in addition to her roles as a corporate and South Asia business partner, she was responsible for areas such as inclusion and diversity, performance management, learning and development, employee engagement, rewards, and recognition, employee policies and procedures, and global collaboration in South Asia. She has also held previous professional venture positions at Gap Inc. and Yamaha Motors.

Mohit Bhat Joins Infogain as CDIO

Infogain, a Silicon Valley, USA-based digital customer experience engineering company, names  Mohit Bhat as its Chief Delivery & Innovation Officer (CDIO). As CDIO, Mohit has to lead the service delivery for Infogain customers and partner with them in navigating the rapidly evolving technology landscape. He will drive the innovation charter and provide strategic guidance to clients in different areas to accelerate their digital transformation journey. In addition, Mohit will lead the incubation of new technological capabilities at Infogain, fostering a culture that encourages creative problem-solving and the adoption of cutting-edge solutions.

He has a history of delivering tangible results and working with global organizations to achieve business and technology goals. He has a reputation as a leader in digital transformation and innovation, empowering organizations to harness the power of AI and digital technology for business success.

 

Before Infogain, Mohit was VP of Digital Customer Solutions and Innovation at Canadian National Railways, where he led several digital transformation initiatives across North America.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Pune, India, and a Master’s degree in Science from the University of Denver, USA. He has also earned the Wharton School of Business certification for leading customer-centric growth and other certifications in digital and technology leadership.

Vinod Chaturvedi  as CHRO of Shree Cement

Shree Cement has appointed Vinod Chaturvedi as its new Chief Human Resources Officer.  Vinod brings over 33 years of extensive experience in Human Resources and Employee Relations across diverse industries such as Manufacturing, Telecom, Stainless Steel, VFY, SFD, and Sponge Iron.  He also has a proven track record in strategic, tactical, and operational HR roles and is a valuable addition to the leadership team.

In his new role, Vinod plays a pivotal role in formulating Human Resource strategies, driving organizational growth, and providing support to teams to propel Shree Cement’s expansion efforts. 

Before joining Shree Cement, Vinod served as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Century Group within the Aditya Birla Group (ABG), where he also held the position of Group Employee Relations Head for five years. Additionally, he showcased his versatility and business acumen by leading the Noble Ferro Alloys Business as its Head.  His ability to transform the business environment through legitimate HR intervention, strong EQ & SQ connects well with people, passion for both people and work, works well in ambiguous situations and is a key part of the system.