Technology has become a pervasive term across industries today, and its profound impact on HR strategies over the last two decades has led to a significant transformation in the role of HR. This transformation has driven HR functions to become more reliant on technology, making them more tech-enabled to deliver better business results. Leading the charge in aligning organizational transformations with business goals while shaping employee experiences is a formidable challenge. However, there are numerous HR leaders who have adeptly taken on this dual approach, making their mark across diverse industries. One such HR leader from the IT industry is Soumitra Kumar Das, the Global Chief Human Resources Officer of Redington.

Soumitra kickstarted his career journey with Tata Steel right after completing his post-graduation in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from XLRI Jamshedpur. During his professional journey, Soumitra has deftly steered several strategic and innovative business-aligned HR solutions in diverse organizations in manufacturing, engineering, automobile, IT, professional services, and healthcare domains. After a brief stint at Ashok Leyland, he soon shifted to the booming IT industry joining Compaq Computer Corporation which later merged with Hewlett Packard, where he managed HR for the erstwhile Technology Services Group. His next role was that of Head of HR for the Siemens Information Processing Services and then as Global Head of Resource Management in Siemens IT. Later he moved to Nuance Transcription Services India as the Head of Human Resources.

Before his current role at Redington, Soumitra undertook a bold leap into entrepreneurship. In 2015, he founded his own consulting company, ‘People Performance Practitioners’ that offered HR and Leadership consulting to several Indian and multinational companies across the world. He also served briefly as the Global Head of Talent Management at Sutherland Global. During his exciting professional journey, he has managed end-to-end global talent solutions in highly matrixed, high volume and rapid growth organizations which have had a multi-generational, geographically dispersed, and culturally diverse workforce.

Today as the Global Chief Human Resources Officer(CHRO) at Redington, Soumitra is responsible for the entire spectrum of human capital management within the organization. This expansive role encompasses leveraging the entire talent lifecycle from ‘hire to retire’ to achieve exceptional business results. He leads the HR functions across three regions - SISA (Singapore, India, and South Asia), MEA (Middle East & Africa) and Turkey, where his focus is on driving organization excellence through effective HR strategies and talent development.

“It's really a very challenging role, but at the same time extremely rewarding too as it allows me to make significant impact on the company's success and the lives of all the employees worldwide. As a builder and enabler of talent, I have to work in a dynamic culture that demands the achievement of aggressive revenue, profitability, and growth targets in fast, globally diverse workforce environment”, says Soumitra. Add to that, “A relentless focus on enhancing customer and employee experience, increasing shareholder value, and promoting a strong employer brand. What more could an HR professional ask for in terms of learning through challenges?"

Redington, an integrated technology solutions provider and a Fortune 500 company, enables businesses in their digital transformation journeys by addressing technology frictionthe gap between Technology innovation and its adoption. With presence across 38 markets through 60 subsidiary offices, 300+ brand associations and 43000 channel partners, Redington enables seamless distribution for all categories of IT/ITeS, Telecom, Lifestyle, and Solar products in India, Singapore, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.

Soumitra also elucidates how he has adopted a multi-faceted approach to delivering on the organizational imperatives by focusing on HR strategic planning, talent management, and fostering a high-performance culture by communicating clearly through change and ambiguity. His advice to all the HR professionals is, “Ensure that you are always current in your functional expertise, understand & align with the business, have a digital mindset, be agile in data and analytics, practice empathy and inclusiveness and above all, invest in your personal and professional development.”