Dev Sharma, director-HR, Mondelez International, has decided to end his full-time corporate career. From a union leader to an HR director, Sharma’s professional journey is truly inspiring.
Sharma recalls how his “career started way back in 1980 as a shop-floor worker with Eicher.” Later, armed with a master’s degree in human resource management from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Dev Sharma, went on to become manager-HR transformation, at the same company, in 1992, working out of Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. Two years later, he was promoted to plant HR manager, managing the employee relations for the Eicher plant in the Alwar area. During this stint, he managed to rightsize the manpower through successful voluntary-retirement schemes. After an eight-year tenure with Eicher, Sharma moved to PepsiCo, as plant HR manager, in February 2001.
For four years he lead the HR agenda for the plant, based out of Punjab. He then moved to Kolkata on being elevated to plant HR head. He spent the next year and a half setting up the HR processes for the greenfield plant in Kolkata. In addition to overseeing the employee relations agenda for the plant, Sharma also set the ground for a sustainable union-free environment. From 2006 to 2008, Sharma played vice president-HR (operations and SC), based out of Gurugram. Six years into this role he was elevated yet again to vice president-employee relations, PepsiCo.
It was in 2015 that Sharma began his association with Mondelez International, the American multinational confectionery, food, and beverage company. For over a decade he oversaw the HR and employee relations (ER) strategies and their execution across internal and external manufacturing network, He also spearheaded numerous initiatives, including major supply-chain reinventions.
Looking back on his career, Dev Sharma admits to being “humbled with pride and filled with so much gratitude for all the leaders, mentors, peers, and teams I had the opportunity to work with. I am grateful for all your support, guidance and encouragement” in his social-media post.
He goes on to state, “As I draw curtains on my full-time professional career, I am eagerly looking forward to the next chapter. I will continue to engage with corporates, industries, and society in a different capacity through varied initiatives.”
HRKatha salutes Dev Sharma and his inspiring professional journey.
1 Comment
There seems to be a date (year) error in para 2 that needs correction: “After an eight-year tenure with Eicher, Sharma moved to PepsiCo, as plant HR manager, in February 2021.”