Careers rarely move in a straight line. Mine certainly hasn’t. A decade ago, if someone had asked me whether I envisioned myself leading global HR operations and aspiring to be a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), I would have laughed. Yet here I am, shaped by each role, challenge, and lesson along the way.
What I’ve learned is simple: HR is not just about policies or systems. It’s about people, trust, and culture, the elements that shape business as much as strategy does.
Payroll: Where It All Began
My journey started at Tata Consultancy Services in payroll administration for the US and Canada. At first, it looked like a routine role, data entry, pay processing, and resolving queries. But it quickly became clear that payroll was not just about numbers.
I still remember an employee calling, distressed because a delayed paycheck meant missed rent and bills. That moment changed my perspective. Payroll wasn’t just a transaction; it was about trust, dignity, and responsibility. I realized HR’s true weight: if we failed, we weren’t just missing deadlines; we were letting people down.
Amazon: Scale, Pressure, and Leadership
At Amazon, I managed payroll and process transitions across multiple geographies. The challenges here were less about individuals and more about scale and complexity. Systems failed, data misaligned, deadlines loomed, but what mattered most was teamwork and resilience.
I recall a late-night payroll migration in the UK that nearly collapsed. Instead of blaming systems or people, we worked through the night, manually checking data until dawn. We made it on time. That experience cemented two lessons: resilience under pressure and the importance of trust within a team.
It was also at Amazon that I first managed people. I learned that leadership isn’t about hierarchy; it’s about presence. Teams look to you when things break or when motivation fades. That’s when trust is either built or lost.
PepsiCo: Expanding Horizons
PepsiCo was a real turning point. I led larger teams and managed the entire employee lifecycle from onboarding to compliance. Later, I had the opportunity to work in both the HRIS and Total Rewards teams, which exposed me to new dimensions of HR. In HRIS, I gained hands-on experience in managing systems and driving process efficiencies, while in Total Rewards, I explored compensation and benefits. Every decision in these roles carried weight whether it was benchmarking salaries or benefits processes, because it wasn’t just about numbers. It was about fairness, competitiveness, and demonstrating how the company values its people. This phase pushed me to think more strategically, balancing business realities with employee expectations.
Verisk: A Global Lens
At Verisk, I have the privilege of leading HR operations across EMEA and APAC. Operating across such diverse regions, with their unique labor laws and regulations, requires balancing deep attention to detail with big-picture strategy.
But beyond the systems and compliance, what inspires me most is the people side of HR. I find energy in mentoring young professionals, building confidence within my teams, and creating a culture where individuals feel empowered to thrive. Because while technology will keep advancing and policies will continue to evolve, the essence of HR remains constant is people. Employees may forget the dashboards or workflows, but they never forget how HR made them feel supported and valued.
Looking Ahead: Why CHRO?
My aspiration to be a CHRO isn’t about titles or hierarchy it’s about impact. A CHRO operates at the intersection of people and business, shaping culture and strategy simultaneously.
The future of HR will be tech-enabled but human-centered. AI and automation will streamline processes, but empathy can’t be automated. The CHRO of tomorrow must balance insights from data with human judgment and courage.
And courage is essential: courage to say no when business decisions threaten culture, courage to advocate for employees even when unpopular, and courage to push HR from the back office into the boardroom.
The Journey Ahead
From payroll calls at midnight to leading global operations today, my career has been defined by lessons in trust, resilience, and leadership. Each role whether in operations, compliance, rewards, or strategy has shaped who I am and who I aspire to become.
The road to CHRO is not a finish line but a journey that continues. Challenges will grow, decisions will get harder, and the landscape will keep shifting. But my belief remains unchanged from that very first payroll call: HR is about people, always.
That’s the kind of CHRO I aspire to be, someone who not only builds effective systems but, more importantly, builds trust. The journey is far from over, and there’s still a long way ahead - but every step brings me closer.
About Author
Deepak is an HR Operations Delivery Lead with over 11 years of experience across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. He specializes in payroll, total rewards, and employee life cycle management, and is passionate about designing efficient processes and fostering employee experiences that create lasting business impact.
Find him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deepak894
Disclaimer from Renous
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the views of our publication. The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. The reader should always conduct their own research and due diligence before taking any action based on the information provided in this article.
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My HR Journey: The Road Toward Becoming a CHRO