PERNOD RICARD INDIA ELEVATES NAMITA BHARADWAJ AS CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

Pernod Ricard India has appointed Namita Bharadwaj as Chief Human Resources Officer, strengthening its leadership team. Having joined the company in 2022, she previously led total rewards, performance, analytics and digital HR initiatives. With more than two decades of experience, she will now steer the company’s people strategy and workforce transformation in India.

Pernod Ricard India has elevated Namita Bharadwaj to the position of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), reinforcing the company’s leadership team as it continues to expand its operations and talent strategy in one of its key global markets.

Bharadwaj confirmed the appointment through a LinkedIn announcement, marking a significant step in her career with the company, where she has been part of the leadership framework for nearly four years. Before assuming the CHRO role, she served as Head of Total Rewards, Performance, Analytics and Digital Experience, overseeing critical functions such as compensation structures, performance management frameworks and HR technology initiatives.

In her new position, Bharadwaj will lead the company’s human resources strategy across India, guiding talent management, leadership development, rewards systems and organisational transformation initiatives. The role also places her at the centre of efforts to strengthen employee engagement and support the organisation’s long-term growth plans in the country.

Her elevation reflects a broader trend among global corporations operating in India to strengthen internal leadership pipelines and place greater strategic emphasis on people and culture functions. With businesses navigating evolving workforce expectations, digital transformation and competitive talent markets, the CHRO function has become increasingly central to corporate decision-making.

Bharadwaj brings more than two decades of experience in human resources and organisational advisory to the role. Prior to joining Pernod Ricard India in 2022, she spent over a decade with Mercer, where she served as Principal at Mercer Human Resource Consulting. In that capacity, she advised organisations on compensation strategy, executive pay design and talent management frameworks across multiple industries.

Earlier in her career, she held HR and rewards-related positions at Vertex Data Science, People Factor and Quark, gaining experience across learning and development, compensation management and performance systems.

Academically, Bharadwaj holds an MBA in marketing and human resources from Management Development Institute Gurgaon and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

Her appointment comes at a time when Pernod Ricard India continues to deepen its footprint in the country’s premium spirits market, where evolving consumer trends and regulatory complexities require agile leadership and strong organisational capability. With Bharadwaj stepping into the CHRO role, the company is expected to focus on building a future-ready workforce while strengthening leadership pipelines to support its growth ambitions in India.