Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Personal Information
Awards
Executive Education
Samir Kaul

Samir Kaul

Summary

Experienced business and HR leader with over 20 years of expertise in cultivating high-performance organizations.

Skilled in spearheading significant people and organizational transformations, including people development, process optimization, and technology integration.

Adept at leveraging a comprehensive understanding of business operations to drive strategic initiatives and deliver impactful results.

Committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment that empowers individuals and drives organizational success.

Proven expertise in large-scale business transformation and change management to consistently exceed company objectives.

Overview

24
24
years of professional experience

Work History

Sr. Director People and Organisation Excellence

STC Bahrain
08.2010 - Current
  • Engage and collaborate with leadership team to define the organizations short and long-term strategy and goals; provide leadership support to the executive management in taking key strategic decisions around growth and business expansion
  • Identify and monitor key performance indicators for the human resource sector; assess performance trends and its impact on the competitive positioning of the company
  • Design, implement and manage competitive compensation, benefits, performance appraisal, and employee incentive programs to retain and reward high performing talent
  • Lead and guide the human resources operations team to design and implement new solutions and improvement plans to support exceptional service delivery and employee experience
  • Manage HR Risk, Audit and Compliance with employment, benefits, insurance, safety, and other laws, regulations, and requirements
  • Guide the human resource team in assessing organizational health and developing initiatives and practices to promote strong engagement and culture
  • Develop and control the annual HR budget; drive cost rationalization, cost restructuring and cost savings initiatives to stay in line with the revenues
  • Design to retain top-tier and a robust talent pipeline for seamless succession and redeployment by executing cutting-edge HR best practices in Talent and Performance Management
  • Lead necessary analysis on Operating Model, preserving size and OPEX, ensuring Operating Model remains nimble and agile to organically support growth of emerging areas of business (Fintech/ICT/CVM& Analytics)
  • Partner with business heads and HR teams to drive strategic sourcing, recruiting and hiring strategy; assess predictive churn and implement solutions to restrict loss of talent; strategize, evaluate and implement innovative and cost-effective talent acquisition strategies and platforms
  • Drive Talent Learning & Development agenda to ensure upskilling and reskilling of employees for sustainable performance and business expansion; design and deliver on learning strategies by identifying the training needs, developing customized training plans and ensure effective delivery
  • Advice top management and line managers to build the processes and implement policies that are conducive to building a conducive work environment and enable positioning the company as an employer of choice
  • Representation in multiple committees/programs, including Business Efficiency Program, Employee Assistance Program, Business Investment Committee, and Disciplinary Committee to ensure organisational governance and success

Manager OD and Talent

Bahrain Airport Company
01.2009 - 07.2010
  • Oversaw various key functions, such as team training and development, manpower planning, budgeting, recruitment, and outsourced workforce management with keen focus of driving organizational growth and efficiency
  • Led successful privatization of Civil Aviation Authority and seamless transition of 500 FTEs and Operations to new entity
  • Mapped out forward-looking five-year strategic HR plan that prioritized transformation of people, processes, and technology

Sr. Manager Management Consulting

BDO International
01.2006 - 01.2008
  • Provided strategic and visionary oversight and managed P&L for management consulting business, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis to ensure profitability and sustainable growth
  • Ensured financial success and growth across diverse service areas, including IT systems implementations, HR consulting, business process reengineering, nationalisation, e-governance, and cost optimisation
  • Drove excellence in service delivery, fostered client relationships, and contributed to overall success of consulting practices
  • Built and cultivated strong client relationships by offering tailored consulting solutions as trusted advisor

Manager Infrastructure Advisory

CRISIL India Consulting
01.2005 - 01.2006
  • Conducted in-depth productivity and manpower analyses to identify inefficiencies, reduce costs, and recommend improvements to enhance operational effectiveness
  • Developed and implemented privatisation strategies aligned with client goals and regulatory requirements, ensuring smooth transition to private ownership
  • Delivered comprehensive HR consulting services to government clients, including State Power Plants and Electricity boards regarding privatisation, productivity/manpower analysis, and organisation restructuring, and cost optimisation
  • Led and managed consulting projects through project planning, resource allocation, and project team coordination

Manager HR

Nicholas Piramal India Ltd
01.2004 - 01.2005
  • Introduced new HR technologies that streamlined administrative tasks while increasing data accuracy and accessibility.
  • Established partnerships with local colleges for access to highly skilled candidates for internships and entry-level positions.
  • Enhanced employee engagement by implementing innovative HR programs and initiatives.
  • Developed succession planning strategies to ensure continuity of leadership in critical roles.
  • Developed comprehensive training programs for continuous employee skill development.
  • Facilitated change management processes during organizational restructuring, minimizing disruption to business operations.
  • Coached managers on effective leadership techniques, fostering positive team dynamics and increased employee satisfaction.
  • Conducted workforce planning exercises to align staffing needs with organizational strategy and goals.
  • Implemented effective performance management systems to drive productivity and results.
  • Maintained company compliance with local, state, and federal laws, in addition to established organizational standards.
  • Facilitated onboarding sessions and on-the-job training for new hires bolstering position knowledge and skillset.
  • Implemented performance reviews and motivational strategies to elevate HR team results.
  • Developed comprehensive process for new hires and reviewed new hire productivity, optimizing onboarding effectiveness.
  • Recruited top talent to maximize profitability.
  • Facilitated successful policy implementation and enforcement to maintain legal and operational compliance.
  • Liaised between multiple business divisions to improve communications.

Executive HR

SkyTECH Solutions Pvt Ltd.
01.2002 - 01.2004
  • Developed innovative solutions to complex problems, resulting in improved organizational performance.
  • Interviewed, recruited and trained new onboarding candidates.
  • Optimized operational efficiency by redesigning processes, systems, and workspaces for increased productivity.
  • Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
  • Raised property accuracy and accountability by creating new automated tracking method.
  • Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.

Officer HR

HR DDA Group of Companies
01.2001 - 01.2002
  • Maintained strict adherence to industry regulations, minimizing risk exposure for the organization.
  • Enhanced communication between team members by organizing regular meetings and fostering open dialogue.
  • Implemented process improvements that streamlined workflows, reducing redundancies and increasing operational efficiency.
  • Delivered high-quality training programs, enhancing employee skill sets and contributing to professional development efforts.
  • Ensured compliance with national and local laws through regular policy reviews and updates.
  • Collected, arranged, and input information into database system.
  • Generated reports detailing findings and recommendations.
  • Maintained database systems to track and analyze operational data.
  • Created and managed project plans, timelines and budgets.

Education

Master's - Human Resources

University of Pune

Bachelor's degree - commerce

University of Jammu

Leading for Future -

London Business School, London
01.2022

Strategic Business Leadership -

Chicago Booth University, Chicago
01.2019

Business Strategy for HR -

INSEAD Business School
01.2014

Strategic Talent Development -

Stanford Business School
01.2013

Certified Human Capital Strategist & Workforce Planner -

Human Capital Institute
01.2009

Skills

  • Talent Management
  • Cost Restructuring & Optimisation
  • Digital Transformation & Adoption
  • Performance Management
  • Employer & Employee Brand Value
  • Business Acumen
  • Business Process Reengineering
  • Corporate Governance & CSR
  • Our Sourcing Strategy
  • Partner Management
  • Organization Culture
  • Board Representation
  • Coaching and Mentoring
  • M&A Deals & Integration
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Advisory and Consulting
  • Leadership Succession
  • KPI and Data Analysis

Accomplishments

  • Achieved YoY around 3% cost savings by restructuring costs, prioritizing spend and launching initiatives supporting in cost optimization.
  • Maintained lower than 10% employee churn for last 5 years, and less than 3 % on business-critical roles.
  • Achieved reward maturity level -5 rating from Gartner INC, around total rewards framework
  • Managed to push internal sourcing rate to 40% confirming a very strong workforce pipeline
  • Led Nationalization Agenda and ran 3 cohorts of award-winning Graduate Development Program
  • Launched 2 streams of Innovation Campaigns IDEARISE and BEAM; (stcPAY) is an outcome of IDEARISE.
  • Achieved 20% reduction in deal costs and only 2% redundancy in an acquisition deal in 2016
  • Achieved YoY 20% increase in Digital Learning adoption resulting in reducing Training and Development Cost
  • Achieved 80 % internal succession pipeline for C Suite for last 5 yrs.

Personal Information

  • Date of Birth: 02/11/76
  • Nationality: Indian
  • Marital Status: Married

Awards

  • Global HR Leader in Asia-2014
  • Professional Excellence Award 2016
  • 100 Most Influential Global Leaders 2017
  • CXO Business Leadership Award-2024
  • GCC Top HR Leadership-2024
  • Best Graduate Development Program 2019/2024
  • Best Employer Brand GCC 2018
  • Best Organizational Sourcing Strategy 2024
  • GCC Best Training and Development Strategy-2024
  • 50 under 50 HR power Leaders-2025

Executive Education

  • Leading for Future, London Business School, 2022
  • Strategic Business Leadership, Chicago Booth University, 2019
  • Business Strategy for HR, INSEAD Business School, 2014
  • Strategic Talent Development, Stanford Business School, 2013
  • Certified Human Capital Strategist & Workforce Planner, Human Capital Institute, 2009

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Samir Kaul