Wagh Bakri Tea Group has appointed Swayampriya Shah as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), bringing in a seasoned HR leader as the company sharpens its focus on organisational capability and workforce strategy.
Shah joins the Ahmedabad-headquartered tea major after more than seven years at Bira 91, where she held multiple senior HR leadership roles. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President – HR and Administration at the craft beer maker.
At Wagh Bakri, she will lead the company’s people strategy, talent development initiatives and organisational transformation agenda. The mandate includes strengthening workforce capabilities and aligning culture with the company’s growth ambitions.
In a LinkedIn post announcing her appointment, Shah said she looked forward to shaping a “progressive people agenda” and cultivating a culture that promotes both performance and purpose.
Her move comes at a time when legacy consumer brands are investing more heavily in leadership capability and talent systems to support expansion and navigate a rapidly evolving market environment.
During her tenure at Bira 91, Shah played a central role in building talent strategy, leadership development programmes and HR operations within a fast-growing consumer business. The company expanded significantly during that period, requiring scaled HR processes and organisational restructuring.
Earlier in her career, Shah held senior HR roles at Cohne & Wolfe Six Degrees PR and CMGRP India, where she led the HR and talent function for Weber Shandwick in India. She has also worked with Beam Suntory and Text100, now Archetype, gaining experience across employer branding, organisational development and strategic HR management.
Shah holds an MBA in Human Resources from FORE School of Management, New Delhi.
For Wagh Bakri Tea Group, the appointment signals continuity in its effort to institutionalise people processes as it scales operations. As consumer companies face heightened competition and shifting workforce expectations, the effectiveness of HR leadership is increasingly seen as central to long-term business resilience.
Shah’s immediate priority will be to embed a cohesive people framework that supports growth while preserving the values of one of India’s oldest tea brands.