Scaling company culture: Top down, bottom up!
25 Oct 2023
Scaling company culture: Top down, bottom up!
25 Oct 2023
About the speakers
Santosh KherAdvisory Board at IMT Business School, DubaiSantosh is a seasoned HR leader with around 19 years of International HR experience. He is currently a Partner in PeopleSquare HR Consulting and in the past has led key HR portfolios in leading organizations such as FedEx, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Hutchison 3G that include Rewards, Talent & Organization Development, HR Analytics, HR Business Partnering, Health and Safety, Culture & DEI. He has led few M&As and facilitated organizations to transform into a Great Place to Work. Santosh has been awarded the CHRO of the year by Future Workplace Awards Middle East and also at the Global HR Excellence Awards presented by World HRD Congress. Santosh is an MBA in HR and Major in Statistics. He is also a certified MBTI practitioner, certified in Korn Ferry Job Evaluation method, Korn Ferry Leadership Architect, Executive Program on Talent Builders through IE Business School and Leadership & Management Development Program through University of California Los Angeles (UCLA Extension). Santosh serves as an Advisor in a couple of Educational institutes in the UAE and is a frequent speaker at HR Forums. Outside of the HR and corporate world, he is also an avid entrepreneur in the Entertainment and Hospitality space.
Rahul BhartiEVP & Head of HR-International Business at Zee EntertainmentRahul Bharti is the Executive Vice President & Head of HR for Zee Entertainment, International Business. As part of the Zee HR leadership team, he is responsible for developing and overseeing the people strategy and execution across the international business with his talented team of local HR Country leaders & HR partners, to accelerate business outcomes through talent. Rahul has over 22 years of experience working within Human Resources across multiple industries, geographies and disciplines. His background spans all aspects of HR including, leadership and employee development, succession planning, organization design, employee relations, workplace culture, talent and performance management, reward management, mergers & acquisition, change management, and organizational development and capability. His passion is leading HR teams and coaching leadership teams to maximize their people assets. Rahul holds a master’s degree in business studies and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development in the UK.
Loes SchrijversGroup Director - Talent & Leadership Development at DP WorldWith over a decade of experience in diverse learning and leadership development roles, Loes has had the privilege of working with Unilever, one of the world's leading consumer goods companies. Since January 2023, she has embarked on an exciting new chapter of her career in the vibrant city of Dubai, where she currently serves as the Group Director of Talent & Leadership at DP World, a global leader in trade and logistics solutions. In her current role at DP World, she has the responsibility of designing a comprehensive multilevel leadership development curriculum, aimed at empowering individuals at all levels within the organization, cultivating the leaders of tomorrow. Additionally, she is dedicated to fostering a new One DP World culture, firmly rooted in enhanced DP World Principles. Her purpose in both personal and professional life is simple yet profound: "Igniting Human Growth, through connections, compassion and adventures." She believes that every interaction, every act of compassion, and every adventurous endeavour we embark upon has the potential to inspire growth and transformation in ourselves and those around us. In addition to her passion for leadership development, she is a certified yoga instructor, mindfulness trainer and deeply committed to the holistic wellbeing of individuals. I firmly believe that a balanced and healthy mind and body are the foundation for personal and professional success. Loes shares her life with her Romanian husband. Together, as global citizens who have lived and worked in various corners of the world, including Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Bucharest, Singapore and now in Dubai, they enjoy embracing the multicultural variety of life, drawing inspiration from its diverse cultures and experiences.
Dinesh ChaudhariHead of Human Resources and Talent Development at Dinesh has derived his rich professional experience out of working for over 21 years in five star luxury hotel chains like Kempinski, Jumeirah Group of Hotels and Resorts and Palazzo Versace, Dubai. Some of the big names he has in his profile include Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Leela Kempenski, Palazzo Versace Dubai in addition to various other hospitality task force projects. Dinesh comes from a strong hotel operations background having worked in Rooms Division prior to establishing himself as a seasoned Human Resources and Learning & Development practitioner. Moreover, Dinesh has also spearheaded the entire L&D pre-opening setup for Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and then moved to Jumeirah Beach Hotel as an Associate Director of L&D managing People Development and other HR facets. He currently leads the team of HR professionals at the Palazzo Versace Dubai as Head of HR and Talent Development. During the span of his career, Dinesh has worked on several projects that turned out to be great success stories including the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA) and Emirates Benchmarking Management (EBM) Award supported by Dubai Economic Department (DED). For his contribution towards to UAE National Development project at Burj Al Arab, Dinesh was recognized with the highest accolade in Jumeirah – The Colleague of Exceptional Value. In 2018, Dinesh spearheaded the complete Talent and Culture change project as part of total hotel refurbishment and re-opening that included various initiatives focusing on Engagement and standards enhancement at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. In 2015, Dinesh was commended by the Hozpitality Excellence Award MENA for excellence in Training and Development and in 2019 he received the award from CIPD - HR and L&D team of the Year for his valuable contribution in Talent management, Succession Planning and Culture project at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Dinesh was awarded with HR Leader of the year by HR Tech Mena Conference and Awards in 2023. He was also recognized among the top 30 Best HR Leaders in the Middle East by Hozpitality.com in 2023. He has been speaking on number of occasions as a speaker sharing his knowledge, experience and learning in various reputable conferences like ATD Middle East, HR Tech 2023, HR Leaders Conference, HR Tech Mena, Work 2.0, Training & Development show, etc. Dinesh is currently on the Advisory Board for Dubai College of Tourism (part of DTCM) as well as a certified Instructional Designer and Results Coach from the Neuro Leadership Institute.Dinesh has derived his rich professional experience out of working for over 21 years in five star luxury hotel chains like Kempinski, Jumeirah Group of Hotels and Resorts and Palazzo Versace, Dubai. Some of the big names he has in his profile include Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Leela Kempenski, Palazzo Versace Dubai in addition to various other hospitality task force projects. Dinesh comes from a strong hotel operations background having worked in Rooms Division prior to establishing himself as a seasoned Human Resources and Learning & Development practitioner. Moreover, Dinesh has also spearheaded the entire L&D pre-opening setup for Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and then moved to Jumeirah Beach Hotel as an Associate Director of L&D managing People Development and other HR facets. He currently leads the team of HR professionals at the Palazzo Versace Dubai as Head of HR and Talent Development. During the span of his career, Dinesh has worked on several projects that turned out to be great success stories including the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA) and Emirates Benchmarking Management (EBM) Award supported by Dubai Economic Department (DED). For his contribution towards to UAE National Development project at Burj Al Arab, Dinesh was recognized with the highest accolade in Jumeirah – The Colleague of Exceptional Value. In 2018, Dinesh spearheaded the complete Talent and Culture change project as part of total hotel refurbishment and re-opening that included various initiatives focusing on Engagement and standards enhancement at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. In 2015, Dinesh was commended by the Hozpitality Excellence Award MENA for excellence in Training and Development and in 2019 he received the award from CIPD - HR and L&D team of the Year for his valuable contribution in Talent management, Succession Planning and Culture project at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Dinesh was awarded with HR Leader of the year by HR Tech Mena Conference and Awards in 2023. He was also recognized among the top 30 Best HR Leaders in the Middle East by Hozpitality.com in 2023. He has been speaking on number of occasions as a speaker sharing his knowledge, experience and learning in various reputable conferences like ATD Middle East, HR Tech 2023, HR Leaders Conference, HR Tech Mena, Work 2.0, Training & Development show, etc. Dinesh is currently on the Advisory Board for Dubai College of Tourism (part of DTCM) as well as a certified Instructional Designer and Results Coach from the Neuro Leadership Institute.
Swarnaleka Shetty VyasHead of Corporate Life and Pensions at Zurich International Life Middle EastSwarnaleka Shetty Vyas is the Head of Corporate Life and Pensions at Zurich International Life Middle East (Zurich), part of Zurich Insurance Group. Swarnaleka joined Zurich in 2008as Sales Manager and was the Director of Bank Distribution before being appointed as the Head of Corporate Life and Pensions – Middle east. At Zurich, Swarnaleka leads a team of customer relationship managers and is responsible for the overall strategy and delivery of corporate solutions in the Middle East. With 21 years of experience in the insurance industry, Swarnaleka has extensive knowledge ranging from sales, relationship management, bancassurance partnerships, key account management, strategy delivery as well as the development of suitable propositions. Previously, Swarnaleka was the Senior Relationships Manager at ALICO UAE where she successfully managed and generated significant profits through banking relationships. She also served as a Sales Manager in Financial Planning Services at HSBC in Chennai and proficiently handled the financial planning channel across South India. Swarnaleka holds a Bachelor of Engineering in computer science and is a certified sales coach. She has also completed a PGDBA in in digital business strategy as well as courses conducted by the Life Office Management Association (LOMA). Swarnaleka is an Co-Sponsor of the Zurich Women’s Innovation Network (WIN) Middle east chapter. In her role as Co-Sponsor, she engages with the wider team to support initiatives relating to learning and development, diversity and inclusion, maternity/paternity benefits, sustainability and mental wellness.
Key takeaways