Sharmilaa Thakur

I am a globally experienced HR leader with over 25 years of multi-industry expertise spanning Technology, IT, ITES, Software Products & Services, SaaS, FMCG, and Manufacturing, having served in progressive leadership roles across India, EMEA, and APAC.

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Renowned as a strategic people architect and transformation leader, I specialize in shaping future-ready organizations where business growth, culture, and human potential converge. My work centers on building scalable HR ecosystems that fuse digital innovation, talent intelligence, and human empathy — creating workplaces that are both high-performing and deeply human.

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I currently lead HR as Head of HR for Mobily InfoTech (MIT), the technology arm of Mobily, Saudi Arabia's part of the Etisalat Group — reporting directly to the CEO and am spearheading the organisation's transformation from a Global Capability Centre (GCC) into a full Systems Integrator (SI), across a multi-year growth roadmap spanning India, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. 

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Transformational Leadership at Mobily InfoTech

Since joining, I've been rearchitecting the organization's HR foundation to support its shift into a full-scale Systems Integrator:

• Authored a detailed year-by-year workforce and cost plan through 2030, translating business growth targets into a phased, multi-geography scaling strategy

• Redesigned the organization's end-to-end grade and career architecture, and built dedicated workforce plans for all 7 Centres of Excellence, including a ground-up ServiceNow CoE build-out

• Led a Board-directed retention strategy and employee-satisfaction action plan, and launched a flagship Leadership Academy for high-potential managers

• Overhauled the compensation and career-grading framework in line with Mercer, Korn Ferry, Aon, and WTW methodology across India, Egypt, and KSA

• Established the organization's AI Governance Policy and AI Usage Policy, positioning HR as the organization's authority on responsible AI adoption

• Authored a full revision of the Egypt Employee Policy Handbook, a tri-geography Code of Conduct, and a Middle East Business Continuity Plan

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Previously at SitusAMC, I led People & Culture for a 10,000-strong global workforce, aligning cross-border talent, culture, and business strategy across the U.S. and India. Previously, at PepsiCo, I served as HR Advisor driving enterprise-wide talent and DEI initiatives, and at Bureau Veritas, I spearheaded the establishment of Global Shared Services Centres across India, Malaysia, and France — scaling operations to 3,800+ employees and transforming HR into a strategic global capability.

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Transformational Leadership at Bureau Veritas

At Bureau Veritas, I played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s global HR architecture.

• Established and scaled the BV Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) in India from the ground up — growing from zero to 875 professionals in 8 years.

• Set up additional shared service centres in France (345+ resources) and Malaysia (250 resources), while leading Global Finance Operations, expanding to 280+ headcount.

• Designed and institutionalized global HR processes, frameworks, and policies, aligning talent, compensation, and leadership development across three continents.

• Spearheaded organization diagnostics, global benchmarking, change management, leadership hiring, and competency development, shaping a unified HR governance model.

• Led global compensation transformation, including job architecture, short-term and long-term incentives, and equity structures.

• Drove employee relations and trade union partnerships, ensuring constructive dialogue and industrial harmony.

• Implemented HR digitization, automating HRIS and ATS systems, achieving a 30% reduction in administrative overhead.

• Orchestrated a successful TUPE transition, increasing workforce size by 60% and ensuring seamless cultural integration.

• Partnered with business leadership to set up an R&D and Testing Centre for Electric Vehicles (EVs), expanding BV’s capability in inspection, certification, and compliance.

• Launched a cross-functional Innovation Lab, connecting engineers, data scientists, and operations experts to accelerate capability building in the EV and sustainable mobility sector.

These achievements reflect my strengths in strategic workforce architecture, operational scaling, and talent transformation — creating measurable business and cultural impact.

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Leadership Philosophy

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I believe that technology should amplify, not replace, human potential. I am a Thought leader in AI-enabled HR, Global Workforce Architecture, and DEI, I advocate and work for a future where speed and empathy coexist — a leadership approach grounded in strategic foresight, inclusive culture-building, and sustainable talent ecosystems.

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Recognized among EMEA WeQual Awards finalists for advancing gender balance in global leadership, I continue to mentor emerging HR leaders and contributes to the dialogue on “Reimagining the Future of Work” through speaking engagements and industry forums.