Leadership summit to see HR titans select young leaders for innovation journey

Leading From Behind Summit and HR 40Under40 awards to celebrate HR excellence of 650+ young leaders

Even as India, with the world’s largest youth population, is set to become the global innovation capital in the next five years, the country’s HR eco-system is set to receive a major boost through ‘Leading From Behind’, a major leadership summit that will award 40 young innovative HR specialists handpicked by several HR titans of corporate India for a year-long mentoring.

To be held on 17th January 2018 in Mumbai, the summit will not only award 40Under40 HR leaders for having leveraged technology and innovation in the course of doing exemplary work in Leadership and Organizational development, but will also release the findings of an extensive People Development Index from Jombay, one of India’s fastest growing talent assessment and development companies.

At a time when the People Agenda has invariably featured amongst the top 3 priorities of most CEOs, the index is expected to help HR heads in their quest for talent retention through talent engagement and delight.

The day-long Leading From Behind summit will also provide insights and inspiration to the HR fraternity through fireside chats with a galaxy of experts including a Michelin Star Chef, Bollywood Director, Start-up Founder, Venture Investor, Corporate Leader, Spiritual Guru, Journalist, Management Guru and a Fashion Designer.

The Leading From Behind summit, the HR 40Under40 awards and the People Development Index are perhaps the most significant initiatives to energize the HR space in India. The HR40Under40 award winners will be identified by a jury of HR titans from corporate India, who will select the winners from a shortlist of 100 young HR leaders in turn selected from over 650 who had entered the fray.

The illustrious jury comprising of Yash Mahadik, Shanta Vallury, Rajkamal Vempati, Dr. PV Murthy, Prabir Jha, Dhananjay Singh, Govind Ethiraj, Keshav Sanghi and Roma Balwani, selected the winners through a scientific and extensive process. Leadership potential assessment, Learning Agility Assessment and a Behavioral Event Assessment to know work-life achievements were three important areas of assessment.

The pre-eminent jury will be available to help Jombay co-founders Mohit Gundecha and Suruchi Wagh as they provide these young 40 leaders an ecosystem for innovation. The remaining 60 of the 100 shortlisted leaders who reached the jury round will receive a certificate of appreciation.

Gundecha said, “The goal is not to just provide recognition and fame but provide exposure — a year-long exposure to brainstorming, proto-typing, access and networking.”

It has been called ‘Leading From Behind’ to iterate the need for a community of innovators vs a community of followers in the HR space. “While most other verticals – whether marketing, finance, sales or operations – have been disrupted, HR has largely remained a laggard,” Gundecha said, adding, “Technology may have brought in efficiencies to the transactional aspects of HR, but there has not been much innovation in areas that truly impact talent. We hope to help correct this in the year to come.”

“Today, more than ever, the HR eco-system needs innovation,” Gundecha said, adding, “Copy-paste innovation from the western countries is not going to always work. The HR space in India has needed a platform to innovate — an ecosystem of thinkers and change-makers, and access to like-minded innovators.

“We are grateful to the eminent jury for having helped us create this confluence of innovation and evangelism. As true leaders, they have graciously seen this as an opportunity to give back to the younger HR audiences. Jombay is delighted to have been a partner in this process.”