Sharad brings to his role of leading human resources at Iris Software in India a wealth of experience gained from similar roles at other companies. Underpinning his success is an innate belief that “business is about people,” and that it is therefore important to understand “how to unleash the creative function of the employees,” so that they can excel in managing client portfolios.

Little wonder that Sharad has been ranked “India’s No. 2 HR Influencer” by the Society for Human Resource Management. At last count, he had 30,000 followers on LinkedIn and nearly 15,000 followers on Twitter. A graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur, Sharad is also an avid blogger, and shares his insights on subjects ranging from mindfulness to talent hacking, technology and behavior.