2025 JUDGE'S PROFILE

Ilja Rijnen

Ruchika Pal

Group Head – HR

Apollo Tyres

Ruchika is a seasoned HR professional with a comprehensive grasp of talent management across various regions, across the globe. With over two decades of hands-on experience, she has spent more than ten years with Mercer Consulting, where she honed her expertise in delivering strategic HR solutions to a diverse clientele. Her tenure at Mercer has equipped her with a deep understanding of the intricacies of global HR practices, enabling her to navigate complex challenges and deliver impactful results.

In her career, Ruchika has spearheaded a team of consultants and provided strategic guidance to organisations, enhancing their capabilities to source talent and knowledge on a global scale. She has helped align talent and learning strategies, employee rewards, and HR technology with broader business objectives and employee growth. During her consulting career, Ruchika has delivered on implementing HR strategies that not only address immediate talent needs but also anticipate and prepare for future market dynamics. Her consultative approach involves collaborating closely with business leaders to ensure that HR initiatives are fully aligned with organisational goals, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

Her expertise encompasses various HR specialties, such as job evaluation, organisational effectiveness, talent management, executive and broad-based compensation, performance management, succession planning, leadership competencies, performance management design and goal setting, employee engagement, learning and development, and expatriate compensation. She is also a skilled trainer, having facilitated numerous workshops.

Currently, Ruchika partners with the business to deliver on global priorities. She oversees talent management, learning and development, performance management, global rewards and mobility, HR policy formulation, and HR technology implementation in this role. Additionally, she serves as the global HR Business Partner Head for all global functions, offering counsel and support to HR Business Partners in rewards, performance management, talent development, employee engagement, learning and development, global mobility, and HR technology.

She has contributed numerous articles to respected international platforms, sharing insights on human resources, leadership, and organisational development.

View other 2025 Judges’ Profile
Anish Lalchandani

Anish Lalchandani

Global Head of Talent Management

A.P. Moller – Maersk

Rajaswari

Rajaswari

Group Director, Human Resource Division

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Ruchika Pal

Ruchika Pal

Group Head - HR

Apollo Tyres

Rahul Kalia

Rahul Kalia

Vice President HR AMEA

Barry Callebaut

Gareth Poh

Gareth Poh

Former Regional Head of HR

C.H. Robinson

Jia Mun Loon

Jia Mun Loon

VP, Talent Management and Engagement

CIMB Singapore

Florence Tan

Florence Tan

Head of Singapore HR, Global Ops

Collins Aerospace

Jonathan Joo

Jonathan Joo

Regional Director of People & Culture

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore

Azrina Mansor

Azrina Mansor

Head/Deputy Director APAC Talent Acquisition

GlobalFoundries Singapore

Sameen Khan

Sameen Khan

Regional HR Director (APAC/MEA)

Grey Global (WPP)

Jayaram Philkana

Jayaram Philkana

Group CHRO

Indorama Corporation

Allan Chong

Allan Chong

Deputy Director of Talent Attraction and Acquisition

Nanyang Technological University Singapore

Aaron Lim

Aaron Lim

Global Director of People and Culture

International SOS

Tina Sharma

Tina Sharma

Lead, People and Culture for Asia

National Australia Bank

Woei Woei Goh

Woei Woei Goh

Deputy Director – Talent Acquisition

National University of Singapore

Gerard Lai

Gerard Lai

Assistant Vice President, Learning & Development

Parkway College (IHH Healthcare)

Julia Koh

Julia Koh

Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO)

Sunningdale Tech