Sunitha Thejas John
Global Talent Acquisition Leader
Bengaluru
Summary
Senior Talent Acquisition Leader with 16+ years of experience, including 11 years with IBM, leading large-scale hiring across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and corporate functions. Expert in plant ramp-ups, workforce planning, TA governance, and stakeholder management. Strong track record in reducing hiring cycle time, optimizing recruitment costs, and delivering critical talent closures.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Global Talent Acquisition Leader – APAC & India
IBM
08.2024 - Current
- Lead end-to-end global TA strategy for manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and corporate roles
- Partner with Plant Heads, CXOs, and HR Leaders to align hiring with capacity ramp-ups
- Govern recruitment delivery across internal TA teams, RPOs, and niche vendors
- Drive TA dashboards, metrics, and data-driven hiring decisions
- Lead internal mobility, campus hiring, and succession pipeline programs
- Key Achievements:
- Closed 90%+ critical roles within SLA
- Reduced time-to-fill by ~30%
- Achieved ~25% recruitment cost reduction
- Supported multiple plant ramp-ups
- Improved early tenure retention through structured onboarding feedback
- Enhanced employer branding through strategic partnerships, social media campaigns, and targeted recruitment events.
- Negotiated favorable contract terms with external recruitment agencies, reducing costs while maintaining high-quality service standards.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders across various departments, improving communication and collaboration during the hiring process.
- Collaborated closely with HR leadership in developing workforce planning initiatives that aligned with overall business objectives.
- Developed and delivered comprehensive training programs for new recruiters, resulting in improved productivity and performance.
- Mentored junior members of the talent acquisition team, providing guidance on best practices and career development opportunities within their roles.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement within the talent acquisition team by regularly soliciting feedback from stakeholders and implementing necessary changes.
- Oversaw campus recruiting efforts at top universities, building a robust pipeline of future leaders for the organization.
- Identified and created recruitment and administrative performance metrics and data to analyze trends, drive change, and assess progress.
- Advocated for staff members, helping to identify and resolve conflicts.
- Improved talent acquisition processes by implementing innovative sourcing strategies and streamlining candidate assessment procedures.
- Managed high-volume recruiting projects successfully while adhering to tight deadlines and budgets.
Delivery Centre Transition Manager
IBM
03.2021 - 07.2024
- Led end-to-end transition processes with strong expertise in central and management reporting
- Managed stakeholder risk, governance, UATs, go-lives, and steady-state handovers
- Delivered 65+ new hire trainings for EY USA, UK, and Canada
- Managed E2E recruitment processes across 23 countries during Intel to IBM transition
- Led campus hiring, knowledge transfer, and qualification readiness programs
- Tools: Blueworks Live, Workday, Avature, HiredScore, ServiceNow
- Collaborated with stakeholders to define objectives, scope, and deliverables for each transition project.
- Ensured seamless integration of new systems and processes by effectively communicating expectations and requirements to all relevant parties.
- Led change management efforts by providing training, support, and guidance to affected employees throughout the transition process.
TA Optimization Delivery Manager – Recruitment
IBM
11.2014 - 02.2021
- Led end-to-end recruitment delivery for Flowserve, General Motors, and Syngenta
- Owned governance, compliance, performance metrics, and client satisfaction
- Handled full lifecycle hiring including negotiations and onboarding
- Tools: BrassRing, Taleo, SuccessFactors
Assistant Manager – Talent Acquisition
QUEST Global
03.2008 - 03.2013
- Managed and mentored a team of 10 engineering recruiters
- Led global hiring across APAC, US, and Europe
- Implemented recruitment tools and standardized processes across OBU Spain and Italy
Education
PGDIM -
Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS)
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
Postgraduate - Psychology
Skills
Global Talent Acquisition Strategy
Manufacturing & Engineering Hiring
Blue Collar Hiring
Workforce Planning
CXO & Stakeholder Management
Hiring Governance
RPO & Vendor Management
TA Analytics
Campus & Early Careers Hiring
Process Optimization
Certification
Agile Training (IBM)
Timeline
Global Talent Acquisition Leader – APAC & India
IBM
08.2024 - Current
Delivery Centre Transition Manager
IBM
03.2021 - 07.2024
TA Optimization Delivery Manager – Recruitment
IBM
11.2014 - 02.2021
Assistant Manager – Talent Acquisition
QUEST Global
03.2008 - 03.2013
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
Postgraduate - Psychology
PGDIM -
Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS)