Previous edition

unHRd 2025

Culture and Community

A day of conversations on workplace culture, community, and the people who shape both. This is the full recap — 11 speakers, 3 moderators, the published agenda, photographs from the room, and the venue.

11

Speakers

3

Moderators

1 day

At Shangri-La

Bengaluru

City

Why unHRd exists

The best conversations rarely happen on stage.

They happen over coffee, dinner, shared experiences, and honest discussions with people who understand the challenges you face. unHRd exists to create those moments. The conference brings the community together once a year. Collectives and experiences keep it going.

Conference

One day. Many perspectives.

Collectives

Small groups. Deep conversations.

Experiences

Learning beyond the boardroom.

Community

Connections that continue long after the event.

Beyond the job description

Today's HR leaders do far more than build culture.

They navigate business transformation, lead through uncertainty, shape strategy, embrace emerging technologies, and help organizations adapt. unHRd is a space to explore what leadership looks like beyond traditional HR.

The 2025 stage

Speakers

Everyone who took the room last year — names, sessions, and photographs, in one place.

Jonty Rhodes

Jonty Rhodes

Expert on Team Culture

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM · with Sriram Sullia

Former international cricket star turned leadership coach, renowned for his dynamic approach to building team culture. Drawing from his high-pressure sports career, Jonty brings unparalleled expertise in fostering trust, resilience, and collaboration within teams.

Vikrant Massey

Vikrant Massey

The Underdog Story of Perseverance

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM · with Sriram Sullia

National Award-winning actor celebrated for his versatility on screen and unwavering grit and determination off it. Known for embracing challenging roles and pushing creative boundaries, Vikrant's journey is a testament to resilience in the face of adversity.

Vinesh Johny

Vinesh Johny

Food Culture: The Pulse of Community

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM · with Gully Tours

Vinesh Johny is a celebrated pastry chef, educator, and co-founder of Lavonne Academy, India's premier international baking school. Known for redefining pastry education in the country, Vinesh has been featured in Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 and continues to inspire with his commitment to culinary excellence and innovation. At unHRd, Vinesh shares his unique perspective on food as a powerful expression of cultural authenticity — exploring how the stories we tell through cuisine can shape identity, foster belonging, and bring people together across diverse workplaces and communities.

Raghu Dixit

Raghu Dixit

Mental Wellbeing

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Captivating vocalist and celebrated musician known for blending folk and contemporary sounds, Raghu Dixit champions mental health awareness, sharing inspiring insight on fostering wellbeing and resilience in the workplace.

Nishith Shah

Nishith Shah

Harnessing NLP in HR

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Distinguished NLP Master Trainer, Nishith explores how transformative communication and leadership can unlock potential, ignite vision, and elevate human engagement.

Jishnu Dasgupta

Jishnu Dasgupta

Harmony at Work

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Better known as Bass man at folk fusion band Swarathma, this leadership strategist and organizational psychologist shares practical approaches to creating harmonious and collaborative workplaces where every voice is valued.

Kalpana Bansal

Kalpana Bansal

Enterprise AI strategy

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Kalpana Bansal stands at the intersection of enterprise AI strategy, platform architecture, and business storytelling. With over 25 years of leadership across conglomerates, consulting, and enterprise technology, she brings a rare ability to translate executive ambition into real, intelligent systems — and to narrate that transformation in ways that resonate deeply with decision-makers

Gautam Duggal

Gautam Duggal

Talent & Learning Leadership

With over two decades of distinguished leadership in human resources, Gautam has architected and directed Talent & Learning divisions, propelling organizational triumph across medium and large-scale enterprises. His proficiency encompasses talent management, learning, culture transformation, recruitment, leadership cultivation, learning ecosystems, succession frameworks, performance optimization, and transformative organizational development. Currently he is the Senior Vice President for Learning and Culture at Citi, overseeing global functions across the Asia South, JANA, and MEA clusters.

Saraswathi Ramachandra

Saraswathi Ramachandra

Analytics, AI & Digital Transformation

Saraswathi is a thought leader in Analytics and AI with over 25 years of global experience across Citi, Danske Bank, Cisco, FICO, Accenture, and Wipro. Currently Managing Director & Country Head at Lightcast India, she has built and scaled global capability centres and led high-impact data and AI initiatives driving digital transformation. A strong advocate of diversity and inclusion, she has chaired DEI councils, co-authored books on exponential technologies and enterprise innovation, and been recognised among India's top analytics leaders. She regularly speaks on AI, technology, and the future of work.

Unmesh Pawar

Unmesh Pawar

Leadership Advisory & Transformation

Unmesh Pawar is a globally experienced leadership advisor and transformation strategist with over 25 years across Accenture, KPMG, and now as Chief People Officer at dentsu South Asia. He partners with CEOs and Boards to shape people-first cultures, strengthen leadership pipelines, and drive large-scale transformations. Previously CHRO at KPMG India and Global HR leader at Accenture, Unmesh has led organisational restructuring, M&A integration, and leadership transitions for businesses worldwide. Recognised as a Top 20 HR Influencer, he is also an angel investor and advisor to startups, passionate about talent, culture, and the future of work.

Rohit Munjal

Rohit Munjal

CHRO/Board HR Advisor/Startup Mentor

25+ years of career spanning across multiple industries IT services, Manufacturing, Engineering, Product & Technology, SAAS. Rohit currently is CHRO, APJI for Sprinklr which is right at the centre of the AI revolution and other prominent roles that he has played are: Group CHRO- Ola, HR leader for GE healthcare, South Asia, HR leader for Infosys, Hyderabad to name a few. Rohit breathes the philosophy of having the Right people, in the Right roles, with the Right capabilities and mindset to deliver high business impact that enables organizations to meet their ambitious goals whilst building the Entrepreneurial Talent within.

Hosts of the room

Moderators

Sriram Sullia

Sriram Sullia

Event Host & Community Builder

Passionate event host and community builder with a talent for creating engaging conversations. Sriram specializes in facilitating meaningful discussions and building connections between diverse groups.

Suman Akkiraju

Suman Akkiraju

AI & Technology Leadership

Experienced technology leader with expertise in AI and digital transformation. Suman brings deep insights into emerging technologies and their impact on business and society, making him an ideal moderator for AI-focused discussions.

Vinay Parameswarappa

Vinay Parameswarappa

Founder of Gully Tours & Leadership Coach

Founder of Gully Tours, one of India’s first experiential travel & learning company started in 2009. He has hosted more than 40,000 people from Heads of States, Global CXOs, Oscar winning Hollywood celebrities & ex-UN Chief Mr Kofi Annan, Apart from founding Gully Tours, he is a certified Leadership Coach & in training to be an organisation psychologist. Vinay has lived and worked in India, Singapore & UK. He is an engineer and an MBA from the University of Oxford

How the day ran

The 2025 agenda

Culture and community, from morning cricket to an evening underdog story. Built from the published 2025 sessions.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Expert on Team Culture

Jonty Rhodes · Sriram Sullia

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Mental Wellbeing

Raghu Dixit

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Food Culture: The Pulse of Community

Vinesh Johny · Gully Tours

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Lunch

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Harmony at Work

Jishnu Dasgupta

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Harnessing NLP in HR

Nishith Shah

4:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Enterprise AI strategy

Kalpana Bansal

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The Underdog Story of Perseverance

Vikrant Massey · Sriram Sullia

Additional voices on the 2025 stage included Gautam Duggal, Saraswathi Ramachandra, Unmesh Pawar, and Rohit Munjal — listed with the speakers above. Shangri-La Bengaluru.

Where it happened

Shangri-La Bengaluru

56, Palace Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru. The 2025 conference lived in the same city the community still meets in.

View on the map

Who can join

The room

unHRd is built for people who carry the human side of the business — and for the leaders who work next to them.

Chief Human Resource Officers

Senior HR leaders

People & culture heads

Business leaders who sit with HR

Presented by

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Next: 4 September 2026

Same community. A sharper brief. Conrad, Bengaluru.

See unHRd 2026