Rajeev Dubey to hang up his boots: Ruzbeh Irani to head group HR; Parthasarathy responsible for After-Markets

Rajeev Dubey, group president, HR & Corporate Services & CEO, after-market sector, Mahindra & Mahindra is to retire on April 1, 2020. Dubey will be replaced by Ruzbeh Irani, who is currently president, group communications & ethics & chief brand officer.

While, Dubey will continue to be associated with the group in a non-executive and advisory capacity Irani will head Group HR & Communications, which includes CSR, Ethics and CIS.
Another part of Dubey’s role, will be taken care by VS Parthasarathy. He will head the mobility services sector, which is a new sector being created by combining the after-market sector, Mahindra Logistics and Auto Mobility Services.

Both Irani and Parthasarathy will report to Anish Shah, the designated MD & CEO of the group.

Meanwhile, another change in the HR function has been that of Rajeshwar Tripathi, who is currently the chief people officer of the automotive business. He will now take on the additional role as global head of HR, AFS business at Mahindra and Mahindra.

Talking to HRKatha, Tripathi says, “There is an expansion in my roles and responsibilities. I will lead the global HR function of auto and farm sector with business excellence added to my role from 1st April, 2020.”

He adds, “The farm and equipment sector is highly competitive and challenges such as managing cost and attracting talent will continue to prevail.”

Tripathi will have dual reporting to Rajesh Jejurikar, president, equipment and farm sector, Mahindra & Mahindra and  also Irani.

All of these, is part of the restructuring of the top brass at Mahindra.

Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra Group, says, “This plan reflects M&M’s depth of management talent and will ensure continuity in terms of culture, values, governance and operational effectiveness. In my new role, I see myself as the conscience keeper of the Mahindra Group, as the custodian of its values and the watchdog of the interests of its shareholders. Internal audit will continue to report to me. I will continue to exercise oversight through the Board.”

Dubey had joined the Mahindra group in January 2004 after having spent more than 28 years with the Tata Group. He joined the Tata group in 1975 as a member of the TAS (Tata Administrative Service), the central managerial cadre of the Tata Group. He spent 21 years with Tata Steel, and the next 7 years as CEOs of Tata Metaliks and then of Rallis India.

At Mahindra, his key focus area has been managing the human capital strategy of the group. In addition, as CEO After-Market, he also managed group communications, government relations, CSR and infrastructure. All the respective CEOs of these functions reported to Dubey.

Dubey is also the chairman of Mahindra Insurance Brokers, Mahindra Steel Service Centres and Mahindra First Choice Services, and serves on the Boards of several Group companies including Ssangyong Motors Korea, Mahindra Intertrade and Mahindra First Choice Wheels.

He is Chairman of the Group CSR Council and the Corporate Governance Cell, and a Member of the Governing Council of the Mahindra Institute of Quality and the Governing Board of Mahindra Ecole Centrale.

Dubey is also a University rank holder in Economics. He completed his bachelor’s degree from St. Stephens, and his MA from Delhi School of Economics, where he received a national scholarship. Later he completed his MBA from the Yale School of Management, USA as a JN Tata scholar, and was selected as a distinguished alumnus of the school.

He is also a member of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva and serves on the board of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Geneva, where he is also the chairperson of the Future of Work Policy Group.

Irani has also been working with the Mahindra group since 2007. Prior to that he spent 22 years with Unilever in various capacities and across geographies in marketing, customer management and general management. His stints at Unilever include marketing manager – home and personal care with Unilever Central Asia, and regional manager – western India with Hindustan Lever, vice president – customer development with Unilever’s Africa regional group), and customer development director on the Board of Unilever Maghreb.