United Breweries has appointed Parul Malhotra as its new chief human resources officer (CHRO), designated as director – people, effective 1 July, 2026. In this role, she is expected to lead the company’s people agenda, focusing on building future-ready teams, strengthening organisational culture and aligning talent strategy with long-term business priorities.
The appointment was approved by the company’s board on the recommendation of the nomination and remuneration committee, reflecting a renewed focus on strengthening people strategy, leadership capability and organisational culture as the company navigates growth in an increasingly competitive beer market.
Malhotra brings more than two decades of HR experience across APAC and emerging markets. She joins from adidas, where she most recently served as senior director HR, Southeast Asia, based in Singapore. In that role, she led regional HR strategy with a strong focus on culture building, talent development and organisational transformation across diverse markets.
Her nearly 18-year journey at adidas included several leadership positions across India and Southeast Asia. She previously served as HR head for Thailand and earlier as HR head for India, where she worked on strengthening talent frameworks and people practices. Her tenure also included roles spanning rewards, HR management and strategic workforce initiatives, giving her broad exposure to business partnering and organisational effectiveness in high-growth consumer environments.
Before adidas, Malhotra worked with organisations such as Keane and Patni Computer Systems, building experience in strategic HR initiatives and business partnering early in her career.
Malhotra holds an MBA in Human Resources and Marketing from SCMHRD Pune and a BA (Hons) in Sociology from Sri Venkateswara College.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, United Breweries is one of India’s leading beer companies and is widely recognised for its Kingfisher portfolio across premium and mass-market segments.
