Pawan Pathak, SHRM-SCP — Operations Associate
Hi, I’m Pawan. Thirteen years ago, I joined Quest Global as a fresh engineering graduate, thinking I’d spend my career designing things. Turns out, the thing I wanted to design most was how people work together. That shift took me from technical drawings to people conversations, from AutoCAD & Inventor to HR strategy. Over the years, I’ve partnered with teams in North America, Europe, and Asia — sometimes in the middle of a post-merger integration, sometimes in the middle of a benefits renewal crunch — always with the same goal: build systems that work for people and for the business. Today, I lead North American People Operations & Benefits, looking after 2,000+ employees across the U.S. and Canada. My work has spanned: Navigating complex post-acquisition integrations in Germany and Romania, aligning policies, cultures, and benefits. Setting up a Program Management Office for HR in Europe and driving leadership succession planning. Building benefits strategies that balance compliance, cost, and genuine employee well-being. What I’ve learned along the way is this: HR isn’t about forms and policies. It’s about creating clarity where there’s confusion, connection where there’s distance, and momentum where things feel stuck. Outside of work, I’m a guitarist, a proud dad to the best little teacher I could ask for, and a fan of behavioral economics (because understanding why people do what they do never gets old). If you’ve read this far, there’s probably something we could build together — whether it’s a better process, a stronger team, or just a good conversation. Drop me a note, I’d love to hear your story.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a Human Resources expert with a focus on operational excellence and employee engagement.
Location: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Experience: 13 yrs 4 mos
Skills
- Human Resources
- Project Management
- Benefits Management
- Benefits Administration
- Program Management
- Leadership Succession Planning
- Integration Planning
- Change Management
- Performance Management
- Engineering
Career Highlights
- Expert in HR transformation and operational excellence.
- Led successful M&A integrations across Europe.
- Passionate about employee engagement and well-being.
Work Experience
Quest Global
Manager, People Operations & Benefits (North America) (2 yrs 6 mos)
Chief of Staff to the Chief People Officer (10 mos)
Senior Human Resources Business Partner (Windsor, CT) (7 mos)
HR Business Partner North America (Windsor, CT) (1 yr 1 mo)
Europe HR Program Management Office and M&A PMI Partner for Germany & Romania (2 yrs 4 mos)
Europe (Germany & Romania) HR M&A Integration Business Partner (1 yr 7 mos)
HR Business Partner India (Bangalore Offices) (1 yr 11 mos)
Engineer (1 yr 5 mos)
Graduate Engineering Trainee (1 yr 1 mo)
Education
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) at Siddaganga Institute Of Technology
