Start up of a retail business in India – Aditya Birla Retail (ABRL)

This $41 billion Group decided to foray into Retail and I was hired as the HR chief and third employee in the Retail business.  Notable transformational achievements would include:

1. Talent Acquisition: Successfully managed the acquisition of a 200-store discount retail chain with no adverse consequences for business or employees. This was done when the acquiring company was itself in start up mode.
2. Start up: Successfully hired a 250+ head office team of managers and specialists in 100 days in a tight labor market. I was also able to set up buying offices in Dubai and Shanghai completing the entire gamut of activities from company registration to hiring of staff.

What made this achievement unique was that it combined both speed and scale in defining a strategic business vision and executing the vision into becoming a reality. ABRL till date continues to be an Employer of Choice and a successful retail business.