Smita Puranesh (she/her/hers)

CEO

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India21 yrs 8 mos experience

Key Highlights

Led HR for major media tech organizations.
Expert in organizational design and talent acquisition.
Experience across diverse industries including media and entertainment.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned HR leader in the media and entertainment industry.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

LeadershipOrganizational DevelopmentTalent AcquisitionChange Management

Other Skills

Talent ManagementOrganizational EffectivenessSPHREmployee EngagementCall CenterTrainingManpower PlanningRetention managementDiversity & InclusionManagementMISProject PlanningCall CentersHuman ResourcesTeam Management

About

HR Head in India and APAC, building high growth media tech organisations. I enjoy working with leaders on culture, business and organisation transformations. Worked across industries like hospitality, consulting, telecom, ITES and most recently in Media and Entertainment as a senior HR professional. My experience includes a global role in China early in my career and more recently setting up the People function and building organisations like Netflix and Hotstar, as Head of HR in India, before moving onto a regional role with HBO Max as Talent Lead, APAC. Prior experience in sales and BD has been a key leverage in partnering with business. Specialities: Building leadership teams, Organisation Design and Development to scale, Key Talent Acquisition, Change Management, I&D and Building a strategic People function and culture that is in sync with business strategy.

Experience

21 yrs 8 mos

Total Experience

2 yrs 5 mos

Average Tenure

1 mo

Current Experience

Career break

Personal goal pursuit

Apr 2026 – Present · 1 mo · India

I’m taking a short break to focus on a few personal projects that have been in the works for a while. After many years of being in full sprint mode, I’m excited to slow down a bit and be more intentional with what I build next.
Over the next 3–4 months, as things crystallise, I’m open to select consulting and project-based opportunities (not full-time for now).
Grateful for the journey so far and for the time to pause and craft the next few years with purpose .

Jiostarindia

Sr Executive Vice President & HR Head

Nov 2024 – Dec 2025 · 1 yr 1 mo · Mumbai Metropolitan Region · On-site

HR head for Digital and Sports, working with both the CEO’s to build the forward looking organization for the newly minted JV , JioStar

LeadershipOrganizational Development

Viacom18 media private limited

Chief Human Resources Officer-Viacom18 and Jio Cinema

Dec 2022 – Nov 2024 · 1 yr 11 mos · India

Head of People for Viacom18 and Jio Cinema

LeadershipTalent Acquisition

Warner bros. discovery

VP & HR Head , Direct to Consumer (HBO Max), APAC, at Warner Bros. Discovery

Sep 2021 – Sep 2022 · 1 yr · Mumbai / Singapore

Organisation design, Leadership hiring , culture and change management to build out HBO Max in APAC

Change ManagementOrganizational Development

Netflix

Director -HR

Mar 2019 – Sep 2021 · 2 yrs 6 mos · India

Talent AcquisitionOrganizational Development

Star tv network

2 roles

SVP & HR Head - Entertainment Busines

Feb 2018 – Mar 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo · Mumbai Area, India

Vice President

Dec 2013 – Jan 2016 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Mumbai Area, India

Hotstar

SVP and HR Head

Jan 2016 – Apr 2018 · 2 yrs 3 mos · Mumbai Area, India

Genpact

2 roles

Associate Director - HR Leader

Aug 2009 – Oct 2013 · 4 yrs 2 mos

Heading HR for a fully owned Genpact subsidiary company - Axis Risk Consulting

AVP

Mar 2006 – Aug 2009 · 3 yrs 5 mos

Business HR Lead for the Analytics business
Genpact China - Operations & Quality Lead - Voice Processes .

Airtel

Manager - Call Center and Customer Service Operations

Sep 2003 – Dec 2005 · 2 yrs 3 mos

Set up and ran the premier customer care centre for the circle. Overall Customer Care centre head for Airtel Karnataka circle (ABTS) with a team of close to 350 employees.