Amit Chilka — Co-Founder
The most talented leaders I know are quietly running on empty. After 22 years inside the system that produces that result, I left and built the thing I wish had existed. I had designed performance frameworks, cut attrition, built cultures, coached first-time managers, and sat across the table from founders at some of India's most ambitious companies. And quietly, I watched the same thing happen over and over again. Talented, driven, deeply capable people—grinding themselves down to nothing. No, they were not weak. But nobody had ever given them permission to stop. To think. To ask whether the life they were building was actually the one they wanted. I was one of them. In late 2022, I made a decision that confused many. I left. Moved from Pune to the Himalayan foothills of Dehradun. Slowed down deliberately. And spent a year designing something I wish had existed when I needed it most. Not therapy. Not a motivational seminar. Not a vacation. A Strategic Pause! A structured, intentional retreat experience—designed specifically for founders and leaders who are performing well on the outside but running on empty on the inside. People who are too smart for generic wellness advice, too busy to justify stopping, and too honest with themselves to keep pretending that more hustle is the answer. Here's what I've learned from 22 years inside the system: The leaders who burn out aren't the ones who care too little. They're the ones who care the most—and have never built a life around that caring with any real intention. They're excellent at solving other people's problems. Terrible at pausing long enough to solve their own. That's exactly who my retreats are for. What I offer: 🏔 Leadership Retreats: Multi-day immersive experiences for burned-out founders, senior leaders, and corporate teams that are designed around three outcomes: clarity, a concrete plan for intentional living, and actually arriving in life. 🤝 Fractional CHRO & HR Advisory: For founders and early-stage companies that need senior HR leadership without a full-time hire. I bring 22 years of experience building cultures that perform without destroying people. I also speak on stages—on records broken, mountains climbed, and what it took to walk away from 22 years of corporate life. Speaker profile linked below. If any of this sounds like where you are right now: I'd love to talk. Not a sales call. Just a conversation. Email me at amit@pauseandarrive.com or DM.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a Leadership Development and HR Transformation expert in the Wellness and Corporate sectors.
Location: Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Experience: 13 yrs 3 mos
Skills
- Leadership Development
- Organizational Development
- Talent Acquisition
- Hr Consulting
- Hr Transformation
- Talent Management
- Executive Coaching
- Training & Development
Career Highlights
- Designed transformational retreats for burned-out leaders.
- 22 years of experience in corporate HR and leadership.
- Expert in building high-performing teams and cultures.
Work Experience
Pause and Arrive
Founder & Retreat Host (11 mos)
Wadhwani Foundation
Startup Mentor (3 yrs 5 mos)
HR Niti
Human Resources Consultant (3 yrs 6 mos)
Intelliswift Software, Inc.
Sr. Director - Human Resources (CHRO) (1 yr 10 mos)
Greenlatte
Executive Coach (5 yrs 7 mos)
Synergist Learning Solutions
Head - HR Consulting (6 yrs 7 mos)
Synechron
Manager - Human Resources (2 yrs 9 mos)
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Senior Executive Human Resources (3 yrs 5 mos)
Wipro Technologies
Senior Recruitment Executive (1 yr 8 mos)
Syntel
Executive - Recruitments (1 yr)
Comptech Solution
Human Resources Executive (3 yrs)
Education
Global HR Leaders Program at National University of Singapore
Certified Life Coach at Symbiosis CLC
PGDHRM at Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning
B E at D. Y. Patil College of Engineering ( DYPCOE ) , Akurdi, Pune
