Lavina Das
Bangalore,Karnataka
Summary
An INSEAD alumnus and a Human Resource professional with over two decades of experience across industry sectors and global locations. Expertise in leading teams to deliver on the design, implementation and institutionalization of strategic HR policies, processes and systems to facilitate business strategy.
A certified Coach & Trainer and strategic leader driving high performance and learning culture built on Values and tuned to a changing world.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director Human Resources, South Asia Region
Bureau Veritas Group
08.2018 - 11.2025
- As the Regional HR Head and a member of the Leadership Team for South Asia Region, responsible for design and deployment of the Regional HR strategy and facilitate realization of business goals, creating a culture of high performance and excellence through effective talent management and organizational learning and development.
- Provide HR leadership for diverse business & functional groups in Bureau Veritas South Asia.
- Development of Talent Management Strategy for both leadership and technical talent. Conceived and implemented development programs for the South Asia Leadership Team, Manager Development Program, Women Leadership Development Program, Succession Planning and HR Capability Development.
- Drive performance and accountability culture within the company. Effectively optimize employee cost to deliver on the operational KPIs.
- Spearheaded design & implementation of Total Rewards strategy - Compensation Benchmarking, Rewards Strategy design and deployment, Annual Business KPIs, preparing budgets and funding proposals for annual Pay Reviews, Sales Incentive Schemes design & Retention Bonus Plan design.
- Effectively manage stakeholders, both internal & external. Liaise with global partners and regional HR Generalists to ensure consistent communication and delivery of HR solutions and initiatives.
- Devise an Industrial relations strategy in concurrence with relevant stakeholders, including Labour Unions, to ensure optimal work environment and pay advantage.
- OD and Culture: Responsible for various initiatives and interventions, including D.E.I; Employee Engagement; Impact Planning, Feedback systems; Values anchor and behaviors.
Head HR - West India & Africa
Indian Hotels Company Ltd (Taj Group of Hotels, Resorts and Palaces)
09.2015 - 07.2018
- As a strategic business partner, responsible for evaluating, developing and implementing an HR strategy for the region, aligned to Group strategy with accountability for over 7000 employees.
- Business Leadership - Provide direction and support to all levels of management, particularly in organization design, employee engagement, change management and leadership development.
- OD and Change - Lead cultural change through programs in collaboration with the business with a strong emphasis on performance development.
- Talent Management - Build organizational capability across business. Institutionalize an integrated approach of identifying, selecting, developing and retaining top talent required for sustainability of business.
- Responsible for manpower budget and pay exercise and implementing Reward & Recognition practices.
- Employee Relations – Advisory in managing challenging ER environment, engage in collective bargaining negotiations & manage litigation.
Head - Corporate HR, India Business
Cipla Limited
01.2014 - 04.2015
- Holding a dual role as a COE leading the Corporate HR function with accountability for 10000+ employees across the domestic business in India and an HR Business Partner to Marketing, Distribution & Support functions.
- Organization design – Designed organization structure to align with the global strategy and vision for the Sales, Marketing and Domestic Distribution functions; developed JDs and KRAs for key positions.
- Performance Management and Reward practices - Defining & managing the performance cycle, designing & institutionalizing the Reward & Recognition framework.
- Manpower Budget - Budgeting, Planning & Forecasting the manpower expenditure for domestic Business & monitoring budget utilisation.
- Compensation & Benefits - Compensation structuring, employee benefits, salary benchmarking and review.
- Employee Relations – Advisory to Business on labour law application to initiatives; HR audits; managing employee issues; conducting domestic enquiry and advisory on legal matters.
Head Policy and Advice, India
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Mumbai
07.2011 - 11.2013
- A member of the global HR function overseeing the management and delivery of employment related proposition for the RBS Group in India, covering the Banking, BPO & Information Technology entities.
- Designed strategy and initiatives to successfully support business goals in over 25 change projects across RBS entities in India: Projects undertaken – Business Restructuring (Due-diligence, demerger & integration of legal entities, hive-off of non-core businesses) in India.
- Responsible for the global design of the renewed Employee Value Proposition (EVP) at RBS Group. The design provided the foundation for the renewed EVP at a global level.
- HR Risk Management - Initiated, designed and implemented the ‘Assurance and Governance’ model for RBS entities towards managing risks covering HR Operations.
- Litigation & Union Management – Responsible for leading the negotiations and consultation with the in-house union. Successfully handled employment litigations, industrial disputes and external union interference at RBS locations in India.
Manager – Employee Relations, Asia
Standard Chartered Bank
Mumbai
09.2004 - 06.2011
- A member of the global team working with senior Business Leaders in the Group to strategize & ensure seamless delivery of the Standard Chartered Group’s people agenda.
- Provide leadership to Business in countries through future focused Employee Relations agenda to realise the Group’s strategic agenda.
- OD and Change – Proposal and implementation of change initiatives in accordance with Business needs.
- Mergers and Acquisition - Leadership and support to the local HR teams in the country of acquisition to ensure successful delivery of integration milestones.
- Employee Engagement – Analysis and design of strategic initiatives within countries to maintain optimal organization health and improve productivity.
- Union Management – Successfully helped countries in designing strategy for collective bargaining agreements. Lead negotiations and consultation with formal unions and staff Associations at various locations in Asia & Africa on behalf of the Group.
- Global assignments at Standard Chartered Bank (SCB):
- Standard Chartered Bank Ghana & Indonesia: Lead negotiations on Collective Bargaining Agreement & successfully signed the agreement at commercially viable terms.
- Permata Bank (Indonesia): Played a pivotal part in the Project team to deliver Capacity Planning & strategy for restructuring of Permata Bank, Indonesia to align with the SCB Group agenda and culture.
- Played a vital role in developing the Project Plan & strategy for restructuring operations for SCB, Philippines.
- Group ER framework - Developed the ER framework for SCB-Group which provided the tools for effective employee relations across the Group to support the Business agenda.
- Awarded the runner-up trophy in the Individual winner category of the SCB-Global HR Recognition Programme, 2008 (selected from 87 nominations across 56 countries).
HR Business Partner
Samudera Shipping Line (I) Pvt. Ltd.
01.2002 - 08.2004
- Inclusive of 1 year stint in Corporate HR at J.M. Baxi & Company Pvt. Ltd.
Senior Executive – HR
K.G.K. Group of Companies
05.2000 - 01.2002
Education
Insead Executive Program - Business Management & Leadership
Insead Business School
08.2016
Master’s - Management studies
Mumbai University
05.1999
Diploma - Training & Development
ISTD India
06.2003
Bachelor of Science - Electronics
Bangalore University
03.1997
Certification
- Certified Competent Coach – ACSTH & pursuing ACC certification.
- OD Practitioner – Institute of Organization Development, USA.
- Internal Position Evaluation – Mercer.
- Certified Corporate Trainer & Facilitator – SHRM, CPD & HRCI.
Learning And Development
Facilitated learning modules for Leadership Development, Women Leadership Development, Mid-Manager Development, First Time Manager, Embedding refreshed Corporate Values, Safety training module.
Permanent Residential Address
B-901, Sethna Power Towers, 7th Cross, Agara Main Road, Babusapalya, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560043
Current Mailing Address
C – 503 / 504, Shiv Shakti, Chincholi Bunder Road, Off Link Road, Malad (w), Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400064
Timeline
Director Human Resources, South Asia Region
Bureau Veritas Group
08.2018 - 11.2025
Head HR - West India & Africa
Indian Hotels Company Ltd (Taj Group of Hotels, Resorts and Palaces)
09.2015 - 07.2018
Head - Corporate HR, India Business
Cipla Limited
01.2014 - 04.2015
Head Policy and Advice, India
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
07.2011 - 11.2013
Manager – Employee Relations, Asia
Standard Chartered Bank
09.2004 - 06.2011
HR Business Partner
Samudera Shipping Line (I) Pvt. Ltd.
01.2002 - 08.2004
Senior Executive – HR
K.G.K. Group of Companies
05.2000 - 01.2002
Insead Executive Program - Business Management & Leadership
Insead Business School
Master’s - Management studies
Mumbai University
Diploma - Training & Development
ISTD India
Bachelor of Science - Electronics
Bangalore University