The decision to change leadership stands as one of a company's most transformational moves, paving the way for numerous strategic shifts, both internally and externally. Sun Pharma, the fourth-largest global specialty generic pharmaceutical company, recently witnessed a smilar change with the appoitment of Saleel Panse, who joined the firm's Talent Acquisition team as the Global TA CoE.

Throughout a career spanning over two decades, Saleel has maintained a career path devoted to Talent Acquisition. For the past decade, he has been instrumental in the Talent Acquisition field within Fortune 100 American MNCs, holding key regional TA roles. Most recently, Saleel served as the regional TA leader for South Asia, which encompassed India, the Middle East, and Africa, at Mondelez International. During this tenure, he oversaw the recruitment of over 1500 individuals across 12 countries. 

Prior to this role, the leader assumed the position of AP Cluster TA Leader at MSD Pharmaceuticals, where he managed talent acquisition for four countries. In the initial phase of his career, he collaborated with a boutique executive search firm, where he provided consultancy and guidance to senior leaders across healthcare, retail, and engineering sectors, facilitating critical career transitions.

In an exclusive conversation with People Matters, Saleel Panse discussed his recent career transition and shared insights into his vision for Sun Pharma and his new position. During the discussion, Saleel highlighted the factors that drew him to join the company, commencing his role on November 9th, 2023.

"Having overseen Regional TA responsibilities in recent years, what intrigued me about Sun Pharma was the opportunity to lead the Global TA CoE for an Indian multinational. While Sun Pharma holds a dominant position in the Indian Pharmaceutical industry, what truly excited me was its expansive global presence: over 40,000 employees, operations across 80+ countries with 40+ manufacturing sites, and a staggering USD 6 billion revenue, with two-thirds generated outside India. This role presents an exhilarating prospect due to its scale, complexity, and the chance to spearhead a significant transformation in Talent Acquisition," he told People Matters.

Leadership path: Lessons from Mondelez to Sun Pharma

Saleel is geared up to initiate a transformative phase at Sun Pharma, drawing from invaluable insights garnered during his tenure at Mondelez International. Reflecting on his past experience, he emphasised his role in cultivating and leading high-performing TA teams at the company. This journey imparted to him the significance of empathetic leadership, a lesson he intends to uphold for a lifetime, contributing to enhanced leadership practices. 

"Developing and steering high-performing TA teams has been a fulfilling endeavour. I strongly advocate for empathetic leadership, echoing the sentiments of Simon Sinek, an influential American author and speaker, who articulated, 'The true duty of a leader isn't just about 'being in charge', it's about caring for those under our guidance.' Mondelez provided me with the autonomy to shape my team on this principle, and I believe it holds equal importance at Sun Pharma," he affirmed. 

“Along my corporate trajectory, while overseeing fundamental TA operations, I nurtured a profound enthusiasm for Early Careers and Employer Branding portfolios. Mondelez offered me the latitude to explore diverse initiatives in these realms, notably the Launch of Mondelez Maestros, which evolved into a distinguished case study competition in just three years. I am eager to leverage these experiences and insights gained at Sun Pharma," he added.

Talent acquisition and retention strategy

Anticipating a surge in hiring activities for 2024, TA leaders have been engaging in discussions regarding hiring strategies, retention tactics, and compensation policies. In our exclusive conversation, the leader shared insights into his strategies, outlining plans to address hiring and retention challenges within his organisation to attract top-tier talent. 

"My goal revolves around fortifying the Sun Pharma brand across diverse sectors, extending beyond the pharmaceutical domain, to draw in top-notch talent. This initiative holds utmost importance, considering our position as the largest Indian multinational company in the pharmaceutical sector and the fourth-largest in the global specialty generics sphere. I've observed that this fact isn't widely recognised. With the arrival of our new CHRO Suresh Rai, equipped with 24 years of global experience at Unilever, I'm optimistic that Sun Pharma's employer brand will significantly strengthen," he emphasised.

As we step into the early days of 2024, it's an opportune moment to anticipate and forecast the trends that will shape the trajectory of the industry throughout the year. Delving into HR trends, the recently appointed Global TA CoE at Sun Pharma outlined the company's strategy regarding the recruitment of Data Scientists and the rationale behind it. 

"With the escalating significance of Data, Digital, and AI, I foresee the pharmaceutical industry integrating best practices from FMCG, E-Commerce, and Quick Commerce sectors. Sun Pharma has already set plans in motion to establish a robust team of Data Scientists, intending to amplify the integration of AI across various functions, including HR and Talent Acquisition. In fact, we are on the verge of unveiling an AI tool within our Talent Acquisition sphere. I distinctly recall the phenomenal response garnered during my tenure at Mondelez, where we introduced AR/VR Onboarding utilising Oculus devices. Exploring analogous possibilities on a global scale at Sun Pharma promises to be an exhilarating endeavour," he revealed.