Rajiv Naithani

I believe organisations grow best when people grow with them.I serve as Chief People Officer at Persistent Systems. My focus is on building the capabilities, leadership and culture required for our next phase of growth, while creating a simpler and more human employee experience.A significant part of my work is preparing for the Human + AI enterprise. This goes beyond introducing AI tools. It means reimagining work, creating future roles, helping people build meaningful careers and preparing leaders for a world where humans and AI work together.Technology should remove friction and expand human potential. It should never make the workplace less human.Before Persistent, I served as Chief People Officer at Infogain and led its global people agenda. I worked through two private equity ownership cycles with ChrysCapital and Apax Partners, along with acquisitions, integration, leadership transitions and restructuring. This taught me to balance growth with discipline, transformation with trust and business outcomes with the human realities of change.At Infogain, the Great Place to Work Trust Index improved by 25 points over four years, and the organisation was recognised among India’s Top 100 technology workplaces in 2022 and 2024.My career gave me significant responsibility early. I became the youngest Country, Regional or Global HR Head at GlobalLogic, Dassault Systèmes and Infogain. My experience spans transformation, M&A and cultural integration, leadership development and high-performance cultures.My work has received several industry recognitions. In 2026, I was named among India’s Top 50 HR leaders by ETHRWorld and The Economic Times. I was also included in Engagedly’s Top 100 HR Influencers 2024. Earlier recognitions include Young HR Professional of the Year, Outstanding HR Leader and GlobalLogic’s CEO Achievement Awards.I see these recognitions as reflections of the teams and cultures I have had the privilege to help build. I contribute to industry and academia through forums, speaking engagements and articles.Wellbeing is central to how I lead. My philosophy looks at body, mind, intellect and spirit. At work, this means creating the energy, resilience, belonging and support people need to perform sustainably.My roots are in the hills of Uttarakhand and continue to keep me grounded. I also serve as a Trustee of the Pauri Garhwal Trust, supporting underserved communities.My approach is simple: listen deeply, speak honestly, act with pace and never lose sight of the human being behind the role.