Strides Pharma Science has appointed Nandini Matiyani as Executive Vice President and Global HR Leader. The appointment strengthens the company’s people strategy as it expands across regulated and emerging markets worldwide.
Nandini brings over 20 years of experience driving people strategy in multinational environments spanning technology, telecommunications and hospitality sectors. In her new role, she will spearhead talent transformation, organisational culture, leadership development and HR innovation across Strides’ global network.
The executive joins from RateGain, where she served as Vice President – People and Culture since June 2023. At the SaaS solutions provider for travel and hospitality, she led cultural transformation, digital HR initiatives and employee engagement programmes for the APMEA region. She helped shape HR strategy, led workforce management and drove HR business partnering to enable growth in a rapidly scaling environment.
Prior to RateGain, Nandini spent more than 15 years at Wipro across multiple HR leadership roles. She held various positions including Vice President and Global HR Business Partner, managing business units with revenues ranging from $1 billion to $2.4 billion. Earlier in her tenure at Wipro, she served as General Manager and Group Head of Human Resources, where she spearheaded organisational change projects and delivered results in reducing employee turnover whilst enhancing satisfaction scores.
Between 2011 and 2013, Nandini served as Vice President and Global HR Head at OnMobile Global, a publicly listed company with presence in over 30 countries. In this role, she defined and executed HR strategy supporting business goals across talent acquisition, leadership hiring, compensation and benefits, talent management and performance management. She successfully integrated two acquired French companies into the parent organisation and streamlined variable pay processes.
Nandini holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surat. She enhanced her global management acumen with a Diploma in International Business from Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Pune. She is a certified PAPI Facilitator and Certified DMAIC Six Sigma Black Belt.
Her strategic HR leadership will play a pivotal role in supporting Strides’ growth ambitions and strengthening its global workforce capabilities. The company operates in over 100 countries, delivering essential and speciality medicines that improve lives and transform health outcomes.
Established in 1990, Strides is headquartered in Bengaluru and has built a trusted reputation in the pharmaceutical industry through its commitment to making high-quality healthcare accessible worldwide. The company operates two business verticals – Regulated Markets and Emerging Markets – with a dedicated research and development facility in India offering global filing capabilities.
Strides maintains a strong manufacturing foundation with production facilities across multiple continents. The company’s portfolio spans complex generics across multiple dosage forms, including tablets, hard capsules, sachets, liquids, nasal sprays, topicals and controlled substances. It also manufactures drugs in the anti-retroviral, anti-malarial, anti-tuberculosis, hepatitis and other infectious disease segments for its institutional business.
The appointment comes as pharmaceutical companies face increasing talent challenges. Industry research indicates that 83% of life sciences leaders struggle to find the right skills, whilst 75% expect shortages to worsen. Only 37% of pharma companies prioritise blended workforce models, highlighting the sector’s need for innovative HR strategies.
The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing rapid digital transformation, fundamentally changing how human resources operate. Companies are moving beyond traditional HR models to embrace digital solutions that enhance efficiency, quality and compliance. HR teams are leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline recruitment, improve talent development and support manufacturing processes.
Nandini’s expertise in digital HR initiatives, cultural transformation and employee engagement positions her to address these evolving challenges. Her track record includes leading large-scale HR transformation projects, building high-performing teams and implementing data-driven people strategies across geographically dispersed workforces.
The pharmaceutical sector increasingly values HR leaders who can drive workforce agility whilst maintaining focus on employee wellbeing and development. With over 50% of employees requiring significant upskilling, according to World Economic Forum predictions, pharmaceutical companies are expanding professional development programmes to include comprehensive upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
Nandini said she looks forward to working closely with teams across geographies to strengthen capabilities, reinforce culture and support the ambition to make better healthcare a reality through agility, care and meaningful innovation that delivers quality and lasting value for patients, partners and shareholders.
