Shashikant Nikam — Co-Founder

Most growing businesses don’t struggle because of lack of effort. They struggle because their systems, roles, and decision frameworks haven’t scaled at the same pace as their growth. I fix that. 24 years. HR leadership at scale. At DMart, I led HR for the New Store Opening team — launching approximately 50 stores every year across India. I also led Pan-India HRIS transformation and contract workforce governance for 70,000+ workers across 14 states. That experience shaped one belief I carry into every engagement: Growth is not difficult. Scaling sustainably is. Today I work through OptiMindHR — a Business and People Transformation practice built for two kinds of organisations: Startups and MSMEs that have grown fast and need structure to match their ambition. Roles aren’t clear. Accountability isn’t designed. Decisions still flow through the founder. The systems haven’t caught up with the growth — yet. I work across org design, role architecture, performance systems, HR policy, succession planning, and execution discipline — building the operating backbone your next phase demands. Scaling companies and corporates that need the right leader in the right role. I assess and place senior talent — not just for experience, but for judgment maturity, systems thinking, and scale capability. Because the wrong senior hire doesn’t just cost money. It costs momentum. What I bring to every engagement: → A practitioner’s lens — not a consultant’s template → Phase-by-phase methodology with clear sign-off discipline → Every system designed for the organisation you’re building — not just where you stand today → Personal involvement at every strategy session and deliverable review If you are a founder, CXO, or HR Head wrestling with: → An organisation that has outgrown its current structure → A senior hire that needs to be right the first time → Performance systems that exist on paper but don’t drive behaviour → Processes that live in people’s heads — not in the business Let’s talk. 📩 contact@optimindhr.com 🌐 www.optimindhr.com OptiMindHR — Optimum Growth, Mindful by Design A Division of OptiMind Integrated Services LLP

Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned HR leader specializing in retail and organizational transformation.

Location: Thane, Maharashtra, India

Experience: 16 yrs 6 mos

Skills

Hr Transformation
Leadership Hiring
Hr Consulting
Hr Strategy
Hr Operations
Hris
Performance Management
Governance
Compliance Procedures
Recruiting
Training And Development (hr)

Career Highlights

Led HR for 50 new store openings annually.
Governed a contract workforce of 70,000+ across India.
Expert in HR transformation and leadership hiring.

Work Experience

OptiMind Integrated Services LLP

Founder (1 yr 7 mos)

Humane HR

Principal Consultant (9 mos)

DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd

Assistant General Manager Human Resources (1 yr 9 mos)

Assistant General Manager (1 yr 9 mos)

Senior Human Resources Manager (4 yrs)

Circle HR Manager (4 yrs 5 mos)

ESS DEE ALUMINIUM LTD

Head of HR (5 yrs)

SPARSH BPO SERVICES LTD.

Asst. Manager - Human Resources (7 mos)

Education

Human Resources Development at XLRI - VIL Programs

Postgraduate Degree at SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS)

Advanced at Sriiom

Shashikant Nikam

Co-Founder

Thane, Maharashtra, India16 yrs 6 mos experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Led HR for 50 new store openings annually.
Governed a contract workforce of 70,000+ across India.
Expert in HR transformation and leadership hiring.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned HR leader specializing in retail and organizational transformation.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Hr TransformationLeadership HiringHr ConsultingHr StrategyHr OperationsHrisPerformance ManagementGovernanceCompliance ProceduresRecruitingTraining And Development (hr)

Other Skills

Org designRole architecturePerformance systemsHR policySuccession planningExecution disciplineHR Policieslabour lawHuman Resources Information Systems (HRIS)Executive SearchOrganization SkillsHuman Resource DevelopmentPeople ManagementStrategic ThinkingHR Analytics

About

Experience

16 yrs 6 mos

Total Experience

4 yrs 1 mo

Average Tenure

Current Experience

Optimind integrated services llp

Founder

Nov 2024 – Present · 1 yr 7 mos · Thane · Hybrid

OptiMindHR is a Business and People Transformation practice working with founders, CXOs, and leadership teams across startups, MSMEs, and scaling organisations.
HR Transformation — Org design, role architecture, performance systems, HR policy, succession planning, and execution discipline for organisations between 30 and 2000 employees.
Leadership Hiring — Senior talent assessment and placement evaluated on judgment maturity, systems thinking, and scale capability.
Every engagement is personally led. Every deliverable is built for the organisation you’re growing into — not just where you stand today.
Sectors served: Healthcare, Retail, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Trading & Distribution, Agro-Machinery, Corporate Services

HR TransformationLeadership HiringOrg designRole architecturePerformance systemsHR policy+2

Humane hr

Principal Consultant

Apr 2024 – Jan 2025 · 9 mos · Thane · Hybrid

Independent HR consulting engagement prior to founding OptiMindHR.
Worked with growing businesses on HR advisory, policy design, and people process structuring.

HR ConsultingHR StrategyPerformance ManagementHR Policieslabour lawHuman Resources Information Systems (HRIS)+2

Dmart - avenue supermarts ltd

4 roles

Assistant General Manager Human Resources

Jun 2022 – Mar 2024 · 1 yr 9 mos

Led Pan-India HRIS transformation and contract workforce governance at one of India’s fastest-scaling retail organisations.
→ Governed a contract workforce of 70,000+ workers across 14 states
→ Spearheaded HRIS implementation for 400+ users — improving data accuracy, compliance, and decision-making
→ Standardised HR policies for contract and outsourced employees across diverse labour environments
→ Strengthened contractor management through structured audits, vendor evaluations, and risk assessments
→ Transformed the HR Helpdesk — improving response time and employee experience at scale
This role reinforced a core belief: technology, structure, and discipline — combined with the right leadership intent — transform how organisations manage people at scale.

RecruitingHR StrategyOrganization SkillsHuman Resource DevelopmentHR PoliciesPeople Management+29

Assistant General Manager

Promoted

Jun 2022 – Mar 2024 · 1 yr 9 mos

HR StrategyHR PoliciesHR OperationsGoal SettingAttritionPerformance Management+4

Senior Human Resources Manager

Promoted

Jun 2018 – Jun 2022 · 4 yrs

Post-IPO, DMart set a target of opening 50 new stores annually. I led the HR of New Store Opening.
→ Managed the full lifecycle of 300+ Operations Excellence Trainees (OET) every year — building DMart’s future store leadership pipeline
→ Designed a customised 4–12 month training and evaluation framework in partnership with the Training function
→ Built HR processes and audit systems for new store launches across multiple states
→ Developed retention policies that reduced attrition among high-potential trainees
→ Supported experienced managers from non-retail backgrounds through structured onboarding and performance reviews
Growth doesn’t come from individual brilliance — it comes from disciplined systems and structured development. This role proved it.

RecruitingHR StrategyOrganization SkillsHuman Resource DevelopmentHR PoliciesPeople Management+30

Circle HR Manager

Jan 2014 – Jun 2018 · 4 yrs 5 mos

Served as HR Business Partner for the Western Mumbai region — leading HR operations for 4,800 employees across multiple stores and warehouses, with a team of 17 HR professionals.
→ End-to-end HR operations: recruitment, onboarding, payroll coordination, grievance management
→ Manpower planning and staffing for new stores and seasonal peaks
→ Employee engagement and communication programs across store locations
→ Statutory compliance and labour authority management
This role laid the foundation for the nationwide responsibilities that followed.

RecruitingHR StrategyOrganization SkillsHuman Resource DevelopmentHR PoliciesPeople Management+26

Ess dee aluminium ltd

Head of HR

Jan 2009 – Jan 2014 · 5 yrs · Mumbai

Led the HR function for a listed packaging manufacturing company across 11 factories and the corporate office, with a team of 8 HR professionals.
→ Implemented online attendance and payroll systems — improving accuracy and transparency
→ Designed HR policies aligned to business needs and labour regulations
→ Introduced structured induction programs for faster role alignment
→ Drove cost-effective recruitment through Employee Referral Programs and in-house hiring
→ Led Strategic HR Meets with leadership to set action plans for business growth

RecruitingHR StrategyOrganization SkillsHuman Resource DevelopmentHR PoliciesPeople Management+26

Sparsh bpo services ltd.

Asst. Manager - Human Resources

May 2008 – Dec 2008 · 7 mos · Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Early career HR role managing a team of 5 HR Executives across talent management, compensation, compliance, and employee relations in a high-volume BPO environment.
Represented HR in the Information Security Management team — an early exposure to cross-functional governance.

RecruitingHR StrategyOrganization SkillsHuman Resource DevelopmentHR PoliciesPeople Management+28