Poonam Bavdankar Email & Phone Number

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

As the Lead Talent and HRBP, I am responsible for driving talent strategies and human resources initiatives across a portfolio of leading media businesses. My role encompasses:News Channels: Spearheading talent management for Times Now, TN Navbharat, and Mirror Now, ensuring the right leadership and workforce alignment to meet the fast-paced demands of the news industry, from Talent hiring to retention.Business News Channels: Managing HR initiatives for ET Now & ETN Swadesh, with a focus on strategic workforce planning, engagement, and development.Entertainment Channels: Overseeing HR business partnering for Movies Now, Romedy Now, MN+, MNX, & Zoom, enhancing the talent pipeline to support creativity and innovation. Leading the HR function for Times Influence, a premier brand and content engagement business unit, aligning HR strategies with business growth and content innovation.Digital & Revenue Units: Driving talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies for the Times Network Digital Business Unit.Worldwide Media (WWM): Heading HR for iconic brands such as Miss India Org, Femina, Filmfare, Grazia, and GoodHomes, focusing on cultivating a culture of excellence and brand-driven talent management.ET Edge (Times Strategic Solutions Limited): Partnering with the leadership at ET Edge to design and implement HR strategies that support the company’s mission of driving knowledge and innovation through conferences and events.Junglee Pictures: Overseeing HR and talent strategies, ensuring alignment of human capital with the creative and production goals of this dynamic film production company.Revenue Unit: Leading HR strategy to ensure robust revenue performance across all business verticals including TV Distribution & OTT.My role is pivotal in fostering a vibrant and agile work environment across these diverse businesses, ensuring that HR processes and strategies are future-ready, innovative, and aligned with the overall organizational goals.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Led HRBP for Revenue, Digital, and Broadcasting Channels- News, Business News, and Non-News, at Times Network, driving strategic HR initiatives to support business growth. Played a pivotal role in the strategic partnering and launch of two news channels—TN Navbharat in August 2021 and ET Now Swadesh in October 2021—during and post-pandemic. As a key contributor, I was involved from business plan proposal to channel launch, ensuring all key resources, including anchors, were onboarded within the approved manpower budget.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Led HRBP for Revenue, Corporate Functions, Distribution, TV Channels at Times Network. I spearheaded people initiatives across key channels, including TIMES NOW, ET NOW, ZOOM, MOVIES NOW, ROMEDY NOW, MN+, and MNX. In a dynamic environment characterized by hyper-growth and multiple start-ups, such as MIRROR NOW, ROMEDY NOW, Branded Content - Times Influence, and Digital, I consistently navigated challenges and leveraged opportunities for innovation and strategic HR advancement.

Led HR for Westerns India (Maharashtra, MP, Goa, Gujarat), managing the entire employee lifecycle for 300 employees and 11 Radio stations. Worked closely with Regional Heads and corporate leaders to resolve conflicts, foster positive employee relations, and reduce turnover. Developed and implemented HR strategies that aligned with the regional business objectives.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Reliance Broadcast, setting up Television unit

Mumbai

Led HR for a Start up unit. Played a key role in the launch of the Jamnagar refinery (Oil) alongwith PMO team, with a primary focus on recruitment.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Led Talent Acquisition and Engagement for CNBCTV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNN IBN, IBN7, and Web18. Additionally, I served as the HR Business Partner for several start-ups, including Tangerine Digital (now ToTheNew), Bigtree (now Bookmyshow.com), Homeshop18, NewsWire18, Events18, and Studio18. Handled launch plan for Marathi News Channel - IBN Lokmat.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

My journey started as a management trainee and quickly advanced to lead the Training & Development function, focusing on enhancing employee skills and organizational effectiveness, onboarding, Employee Engagement initiatives and HRBP-Sales. Kay Highlights :- Gallup Employee Engagement Survey - Administration & Action Planning-3yrs.- GET Campus hiring FY 2004, 2005, 2006 - Monthly Inductions of Engineers and Customer Service employees - Behavioral / Technical Training, - Supported Recruitment & PMS Achievement : Best Employee Award - April 2005 (Excellent Execution Category) - Implemented Process Training for all employees to increase productivity and efficiency.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Training & Development Initiated, planned & executed functional process training for Customer Service & Sales Team (306 processes) to reduce error, resulting in drastic reduction in customer complaints.

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Mumbai

Mba, Human Resources

Activities and Societies: Placement committee General Management

Bachelor'S Degree, Economics And Commerce

Activities and Societies: Students Council - Cultural and Social Services At Ramnarayan Ruia College, Mumbai