Hailing from a Computer Science background, smart and open-minded business leader, Upasana Kohli Arora brings a wealth of experience and flairs to the current position as the Brickredsys India's Managing Director and Chief Human Resource Officer.Prior to establishing Brickredsys India she has been associated with big technology giants of repute including PublicisSapient and HCL Technologies.

As Chief Human Resource Officer at Brickredsys India, she is presently spearheading the global people strategy which involves 300+employees in more than 5 Countries, with the intent of developing an inclusive environment in which people from multicultural societies may thrive equally. She is responsible for acquiring, developing, and maintaining excellent talent who enjoy Brickred's collaborative, innovative, and highly diverse culture.As MD, she is also looking into Global Delivery, Enterprise Business, and Digital Transformation missions for the organization, and she is currently supervising Client Engagement and Delivery from Brickredsys India's offshore Center in Noida, ensuring that the firm delivers on what it promises, as well as Value-Adds to ensure that its clients gain value beyond their investment.

In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur Magazine, Upasana Kohli Arora enlightens us about her professional traits and her take on the industry.

Take Us Through Your Early Educational Journey And The Cross-Functional & Diverse Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table.

Born and brought up in a Family of Lawyers in Dehra Dun; I was the first one to plunge into the world of Technology. My schooling began at the Christian Missionary School inDehra Dun - Convent and Jesus of Mary followed by Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Punjab University in Chandigarh.

Prior to embarking on my entrepreneurial journey with Brickredsys India, I gained experience by working with IT behemoths such as HCL Technologies, PublicisSapient, and a few others. During my stint, I gained international exposure by working across the globe for financial clients such as NASDAQ OMX, NSE Stock exchanges, and e-commerce fashion leaders such as Ralph Lauren, Hollister, Amway, and more. I have served on the boards of DronaaEducon Pvt. Ltd. and the Board of Visitors of SalesOne, a CRM new generation platform, as well as a few advisory bodies and charity organizations. In a Techno-Managerial role, I have led the sales and delivery of multi-million-dollar engagements in the UK Public Sector - Crown Commercial.

In Your Opinion, What Are The Most Significant Milestones That You Have Achieved Throughout Your Professional Journey? What Has Been The Driving Force Behind Your Success As A Business Leader?

The only driving force that keeps me going is my passion and love for my work, as well as my unwavering determination to make the impossible attainable. I am still naive compared to Business Leaders around the world; milestones have been achieved, but they are still baby steps toward my dream which we are working as a group to achieve at Brickredsys India..

"The only driving force that keeps me going is my passion and love for my work, as well as my unwavering determination to make the impossible attainable"

The only success mantra that I have worked on is to give 100% hard work and dedication to the assigned job at hand. At HCL, I was recognized as an outstanding performer for a continuous 5years, at Sapient I was badged as the youngest Manager in the organization, and Bricked is our baby so how can any stone be left unturned in terms of hard work, dedication, and passion. Within two years of our inception, we have had 100%growth in both personnel and revenue; we have been accredited as a Salesforce Certified Partner., certified as ISO9001 & ISO27001, and are Microsoft Gold Partners.

How Do You Foresee The Indian HR Industry Growing And Evolving In The Future?

Since each generation is smarter than the one before it, the HR sector must adapt in tandem with our changing generations in order to retain new talent. The key trends we see developing in the industry are the hybrid work paradigm and the challenges that come with it in terms of keeping employees motivated and connected in remote working as well as physical offices. With the outbreak of the pandemic, the HR team needs to shift from employee well-being to Healthy Organizations, where mental health must be prioritized alongside physical well-being.

Be prepared to embrace the Gig Economy that is the new trending employment way coming up in India post-Pandemic, and equipped enough to identify Powerskill personnel rather than single skilled people to ensure that instead of layoffs and frequent resignations, we focus on upskilling and reskilling our talent pool. Last but not least, with all of the tools and technologies coming in and being the drivers of our world, the human touch cannot be lost; the HR team must ensure that we are dealing with humans who, at the end of the day, have emotions, feelings, aspirations, and dreams, so special care must be taken to appreciate, motivate, and ensure that each employee's workplace is like a second home.

What Is Your Vision For Brickredsys India's' Growth In The Future? How Do You Keep The Company Aligned With The Industry Trends?

Customer acquisition and retention are two everyday battles that every business is fighting today. At Brickredsys India, we believe that enhancing customer experience is one way to win the future and digital transformation is one of the ways to align ourselves. With years of experience, Brickredsys India brings in stability and credibility with the complimenting agility and speed that itsCoE and well-established Practices provide. This gives us an edge over the others and makes us a trusted partner of choice by customers.We Co-create, Modernize, and Automate solutions in new trends in MS Dynamic, ServiceNow, SalesForce, DevOps and CloudOps, TestOps, and Microservices-based application development to cater the critical business needs.

Drawing From Your Experience As A Business Leader, What Would Your Advice Be To The Young Aspiring Girls Wanting To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

I have just one piece of advice for our young women and girls who aspire to be entrepreneurs –“Not everyone will understand your journey.That's okay. Do not let anyone dull your spark; listen to your heart and follow your dreams passionately and they will surely come true."