Ira Pradhan

Ira is a Corporate Communications Leader with extensive experience in Internal Communications, Employer branding, PR, Social media, Leadership Communications and stakeholder management. Worked in various sectors such as Healthcare, Consumer Electronics, IT, Retail, luxury automotive and currently with the SaaS giant, Freshworks. A career spanning nearly 20 years as a Communications expert, championed and lead various programs on Employee Value Proposition, Media relations, Automotive Safety, Innovation, CSR and social media. In addition, partnered with several sustainable business practices, diversity and inclusion programs. Besides work, Ira is one of the founding members of Global Women in PR (GWPR) India chapter and also a speaker and member of the regional PR Committees in India. Ira was featured as Global Influence 100, Rising stars by the international PRovoke identified by peers and among 40 Young Turks by Reputation Today.

• Corporate Communications and CSR Executive, Philips Innovation Campus, 12/01/02, 03/31/07, My super versatile work as a Corporate Communications professional and CSR manager in my first job at Philips made me a communicator for life. As part of a two member team, we worked on building the brand inside out for the Innovation Center with a focus on employer branding and advertising, CEO communications, internal communications, employee engagement and event management, Media Relations, and Corporate Social Responsibility. We worked with Bob Hoekstra, our CEO and a champion of India! Worked closely with global teams for international media events and branding campaigns. Managed two agencies for events and creative campaigns.
• Global Employee Communications and Employer Branding, Wipro Technologies, 03/01/07, 05/31/10, Connecting 150,000 colleagues in 126 countries with compelling, consistent, creative communication strategies during a time of growth, change and expansions. Part of a two-member global team, I was responsible for connecting employees to the goals of the company through quarterly global meet with our Chairman Azim Premji and the management team, and global initiatives including ‘women of wipro’, ‘eco-eye’ and communication strategy for people with disabilities as the company grew more diverse and responsible. Supported people practices and change communications and the popular Spirit of Wipro run world-wide as a part of culture communications. Worked with other legal entities of Wipro for promotional campaigns and other global campaigns by going above and beyond. Managed multiple stakeholders across regions and a creative agency.
• Team Lead - Corporate Communications, Tesco Hindustan Service Center, 05/01/10, 07/31/13, Got back to corporate communications, led community initiatives (CSR) and became a first time team leader. Our focus was on Media Relations, Internal Communications, Employer Branding, CSR and Event Management. Had the pleasure of hosting Sir Terry Leahy in Bangalore as part of the events team and held a global Innovation campaign at the Center. Managed a team of two and three agencies for creative campaigns, events and media relations.
• Break from corporate, 08/01/13, 01/31/14, A short break to be back home in Sikkim with family as I engrossed myself in raising my son. Took to Freelance writing during maternal break to stay in touch.
• Interim Communication Manager, Philips Innovation Campus, 02/01/14, 09/30/14, Joined back Philips to ‘return to work’ after the break. I got the opportunity to manage a global media event, internal communications and got to manage social media.
• Head Corporate Communications, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, 10/01/14, 11/30/20, Set up the Corporate Communications function for an ever growing organisation based in Bangalore and Pune, starting with Internal Communications, building a team of nine as we expanded our scope of R&D and technology doubling the strength of our colleagues in Bangalore and Pune and therefore putting more rigour on Employee Engagement, Employer Branding and experiences, Media Relations, External Communications, Social Media, Event Management. Part of the CEO office, worked closely on executive communications, providing media training for our executives as we built more executive presence, internal and external branding. Worked closely with international teams for global messaging and culture change communications. Initiated and managed creative and media agencies. Spokesperson for R&D in India.
• Global Director & Head, Internal Communications, Freshworks, 12/01/20, Present, As Sheryl Sandberg famously says, ‘If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat!’. I got a chance to be part of this rocketship called Freshworks just a year before it went public! A chance to work on IPO communications for a very international, global employee (13 countries) base meant a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a communications professional. I set up the internal communications - employee and leadership - function for Freshworks as a part of the HR leadership team. Worked on various employer brand as well as media communications projects. Once we went public on Nasdaq, we integrated all communications functions and moved my team to Corporate Communications under marketing.

• Founding member Global Women in PR
• Member PRCAI
• Writer at Reputation Today, Paul Writers & Darjeeling Chronicle
• Speaker Daimler Global Communicators Conference 2016, 2018 - Germany at Daimler Global Employer Branding Conference 2019 – Germany
• Speaker/ panel moderator at various Corporate Communications conferences: The Page CCO Meet-up, Global Women in PR international panel, Diversity and inclusion panel
• Mentor – Lead like a girl program of Shenomics