Saravana Kumar (SK)

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DISC Type : cd

Country People & Organization (HR) Head, India at Novartis India

Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Overview

Saravana Kumar is the Country Head of HR for Novartis India, bringing over two decades of leadership experience from the Life Sciences, IT, and Financial Services sectors. A graduate of IIM Bangalores Executive Program, he has a track record of leading firms like Salesforce and Oracle through hyper-growth, M&A integrations, and large-scale transformations.

He is deeply committed to individual growth, acting as a passionate coach to help leaders unlock their potential. This passion extends to employee wellbeing, underscored by his unique certification as a Mental Health First Aider, reflecting a personal dedication to fostering supportive and thriving work environments where individuals can build meaningful careers.

Unique Fact: Saravana is a certified business excellence assessor and has represented the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in evaluating major companies for HR excellence awards.

Personality Overview

Demanding

Judgemental

Upfront

They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.  They can be nudged to make faster decisions by offering what they value. They care equally about the product and its potential impact.

Topics They Care About

Leadership Development
He is a passionate coach focused on enhancing leadership effectiveness and has curated leadership development summits like 'Lead India' at Salesforce.
Mental Health Advocacy
As a certified "Mental Health First Aider, " he shows a distinct and personal commitment to promoting employee wellbeing beyond traditional HR functions.
Large-Scale Transformations
He has a credible track record of guiding businesses through challenging market scenarios, M&A integrations, and periods of hyper-growth.

Media Appearances

India Country Leadership Team – Novartis India. Featured in Novartis India (official website)

See Now

Work History

11-2025
Country People & Organization (HR) Head, India at Novartis India
6-2024 - 11-2025
Vice President & Head of India ESBP (Employee Success Business Partner / HRBP) at Salesforce
8-2019
Senior Director - ESBP (Employee Success Business Partner) at Salesforce
11-2013 - 12-2016
Group Manager Human Resources at Oracle Corporation
3-2011 - 11-2013
Senior Manager Human Resources at Oracle Corporation

Education

4-2021 - 4-2021
Certified "Mental Health First Aider" from Mental Health First Aid INDIA (MHFA India)
2011 - 2012
EGMP (Executive General Management Program) - IT from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : Hyderabad, Telangana, India Job Level : Senior Designation : Country People & Organization (HR) Head, India at Novartis India
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Insights For Selling To Saravana

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending too much time on pleasantries
  • Highlight the competitive differentiation of your product
  • Stress on the business value that your product offers

DONT's

  • Avoid repeating yourself or making generalizations
  • Refrain from asking too many questions
  • Avoid long winding pitches, stay objective

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Saravana is

  • Conviction in the product matters to them, followed by proof points and strong testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Saravana

  • They may not be very forthcoming, but they will say no if needed.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Saravana move?

  • Their decision making speed is somewhere in the middle.
  • Can Saravana take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks but after weighing up the pros and cons.

You And Saravana

Personality Compatibility


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