Shaping Global Talent Strategy, Executive Alignment & Workforce Transformation
In a strategic leadership move underscoring the growing importance of talent as a competitive advantage, Rajesh Hariharan has been appointed Senior Assistant Vice President – Talent Acquisition at EXL. This appointment marks a defining milestone in a career spanning over two decades across global talent acquisition, executive leadership advisory, workforce strategy, and enterprise-scale recruiting transformation.
With deep experience across North America, Europe, Latin America, and global delivery ecosystems, Rajesh brings a rare blend of operational rigor, strategic foresight, and people-centric leadership to one of the world’s leading analytics and digital operations companies.
Stepping Into the Senior AVP Role – EXL
As Senior AVP – Talent Acquisition, Rajesh is responsible for driving EXL’s talent strategy at a time when organizations are redefining workforce models amid rapid digital transformation, AI adoption, and evolving client expectations.
His mandate includes:
- Leading enterprise-wide talent acquisition strategy
- Scaling high-impact hiring across digital, analytics, and consulting roles
- Strengthening executive and leadership hiring pipelines
- Enhancing hiring agility, quality, and candidate experience
- Aligning workforce strategy with long-term business growth objectives
This role positions Rajesh at the intersection of business strategy and human capital–an area where his career has consistently delivered results.
Chief of Staff to the CEO – Mindlance
Prior to EXL, Rajesh served as Chief of Staff to the CEO at Mindlance, a global staffing and workforce solutions firm with over $425M in annual revenue.
In this role, he:
- Drove strategic initiatives reporting directly to the CEO
- Supported enterprise-level planning and execution
- Enabled alignment across leadership, operations, and growth priorities
- Contributed to organizational effectiveness across global staffing domains
His tenure reflected his ability to operate as a trusted advisor at the highest levels of leadership while maintaining sharp execution focus.
Global Head of Talent Acquisition – Atos / Eviden
One of the most impactful chapters of Rajesh’s career was at Atos, where he held multiple senior leadership roles, including:
- Global Head of Talent Acquisition – Digital Business Line
- Americas Recruiting Head for Eviden (Atos Group Company)
- Head of Recruitment – Americas
- Head – Talent Acquisition (Americas, UK, EU) at Atos | Syntel
In these roles, Rajesh:
- Led recruiting across the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, MEA, APAC, and GDCs
- Built and scaled hiring for digital, cloud, and cybersecurity businesses
- Improved hiring efficiency through process transformation and targeted sourcing
- Partnered closely with business leaders to align talent strategy with growth goals
His work helped Atos and Eviden strengthen their global talent engine during periods of transformation and restructuring.
Foundations in Enterprise Talent & Consulting Leadership
Rajesh’s earlier career laid a strong foundation in talent acquisition, consulting management, and P&L ownership, with leadership roles at:
- Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) – Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition
- World Bank Group (Contract) – Talent Acquisition & Stakeholder Management
- Collabera – Regional Manager & Head of ERP Talent Acquisition
- ARK Solutions, ASGI – Director & Manager roles serving large enterprise clients
Across these organizations, he led hiring and consulting delivery across domains including financial services, life sciences, public sector, utilities, retail, and technology, managing large teams, enterprise clients, and complex workforce models.
Early Career: Engineering Roots to Leadership Impact
Rajesh began his professional journey on the engineering and technology side, with early roles at:
- Microsoft – Global Process Lead
- SDAPL – Sr. R&D Engineer (Product Development)
- National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) – Intern
This technical foundation continues to shape his ability to understand skill depth, assess technical talent, and bridge business needs with workforce capabilities.
Leadership Philosophy: Talent as a Strategic Advantage
Across geographies, industries, and leadership roles, Rajesh Hariharan’s approach to leadership reflects a consistent philosophy:
- Talent strategy must align tightly with business outcomes
- Strong hiring processes enable faster, sustainable growth
- Leadership hiring shapes organizational culture and performance
- Execution excellence matters as much as vision
His transition from engineering to global talent leadership uniquely positions him to lead in today’s skills-driven economy.
CXO Gateway Reflection
At CXO Gateway, we view Rajesh Hariharan’s appointment as Senior AVP – Talent Acquisition at EXL as a powerful example of modern people leadership.
In an era where talent defines transformation success, leaders like Rajesh–who combine strategic clarity, operational excellence, and deep global exposure–will play a pivotal role in shaping resilient, future-ready organizations.