May 2022

The year 2021 saw diversity, equity, and inclusion make it to the top of the agenda for most firms. However, we still have a long way to go before we truly achieve the balance that reflects our society’s reality.

Launched in succession to our Women in Business report last year, our new global series, Her Corner Office, brings to light the stories of opportunities, challenges, and achievements that catapulted leading women executives to success.

Our next episode features Dr. Shalini Sarin, Co-Founder & Executive Director at Elektromobilitat India Pvt. Ltd, an EV charge point operator, with global and local hardware & software partners for intelligent charging and managed services.

“For me, leadership is about authenticity, courage, and empathy.”

In her conversation with Sanjay R. Shastry, Senior Partner at Kingsley Gate Partners, Shalini dives deep into her journey from being a Consultant to a Global HR Leader, and now being an Entrepreneur and Thought Leader on sustainability. She talks us through her drivers, lessons learnt, the relevance of mentorship and balancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

Find out what motivates Shalini’s leadership style, her top prediction for 2022, and the advice she would give her younger self.

About Dr. Shalini Sarin

Dr Shalini Sarin is the former global Senior Vice President HR at Philips Lighting, now Signify. Her experience ranges from, global Chief People Officer to leading Sustainable Social business and has worked across India, Europe and the US in regional and global roles. Value creation through intangibles like purpose and leadership is her mantra. She is the co-founder of a EV charging CPO- Elektromobilitat and sits on a few boards where she serves as an Independent Director.

Shalini serves as an Independent Director with Linde India, Meritor Automotive Axles and Kirloskar Oil Engines in India and on the Global Supervisory board of Nagarro SE, Germany and serves on several committees including audit committee, Risk committees, Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and chairs CSR the committee. She also serves on the advisory committee of a few not for profits namely Alliance for Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), Worldwide Sherors (D&I) etc. And serves on the Academic Council of MDI, Gurgaon and Trustee & Chair at Center for Clean Energy at Plaksha University.

She started her career as a professor of Organization behaviour and has over three decades of Corporate experience. In her role as the HR head, her specialization has been change management, leadership, succession and a significant experience in transformations during mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, divestiture and IPOs. She advises companies on restructuring, culture and other strategic HR areas.

In her experience as head of CSR & the Foundation, she has been able to create a global strategy aligned with the business, establish a global foundation, with an Independent board and governance. Mobilize over 90 projects across the globe spanning from LATAM to Indonesia including India & Africa, in the area of energy access and entrepreneurship through the Foundation funds and leveraged funds from various Governments and multilaterals funds in collaboration to build the complete eco system. She now chairs several committees for CSR and Sustainability to bring this leaning.