Strengthening Leadership in Talent Strategy, Organizational Transformation, and People Excellence
Amgen India has appointed Anjali Rao as Executive Director Human Resources, reinforcing the company’s commitment to building a high-performance culture, accelerating talent development, and advancing organizational transformation across its growing operations.
With more than two decades of experience spanning global HR leadership, talent acquisition, organizational development, and people strategy, Anjali brings a wealth of expertise gained through senior leadership roles at Eli Lilly, Novartis, Intel Corporation, and the Azim Premji Foundation. Her appointment reflects Amgen India’s continued focus on cultivating talent and fostering a people-first organization.
Leading Human Resources at Amgen India
As Executive Director Human Resources, Anjali Rao will oversee strategic HR initiatives aimed at enabling business growth and strengthening organizational capabilities.
Her areas of focus include:
- Talent strategy and workforce planning
- Leadership development and succession planning
- Employee engagement and culture building
- Organizational transformation
- Talent acquisition and employer branding
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
- Performance and rewards management
- Building future-ready workforce capabilities
Her leadership comes at a time when organizations across the life sciences sector are increasingly prioritizing people, culture, and leadership development to drive innovation and long-term growth.
Strengthening HR Leadership Across Global Organizations
Executive Director, Human Resources – Lilly Bengaluru
Prior to joining Amgen India, Anjali served as Executive Director, Human Resources – Lilly Bengaluru at Eli Lilly and Company, where she supported talent and people strategies for one of the company’s key innovation centers.
Her work focused on:
- Leadership partnership
- Talent development
- Organizational effectiveness
- Culture transformation
- Strategic workforce initiatives
Country Head People & Organisation India, Novartis
As Country Head People & Organisation India at Novartis, Anjali led HR initiatives across the Indian organization and played a key role in aligning people strategies with business priorities.
She focused on:
- Workforce transformation
- Leadership capability building
- Employee experience
- Organizational effectiveness
- Culture and change management
Nearly Two Decades of Leadership at Intel Corporation
Anjali spent more than 18 years at Intel Corporation, progressing through several leadership roles that shaped her expertise in human resources and talent management.
Senior Director Human Resources, Networking and Edge Group
Based in the United States, she led HR strategy for Intel’s Networking and Edge Group, partnering with business leaders to drive talent and organizational priorities.
Head of HR & Senior Director HR, Intel Technology India
In this role, she provided overall HR leadership for Intel India’s nearly 9,000-employee organization spanning R&D, sales, enterprise IT, and business support functions.
Her responsibilities included:
- Strategic HR partnership
- Organizational design
- Leadership development
- Employee engagement
- Workforce planning
Director Talent Acquisition South Asia
Anjali led talent acquisition strategy across South Asia, overseeing recruitment operations, employer branding, stakeholder engagement, and innovative hiring approaches.
She focused on:
- Talent planning
- Candidate experience
- Recruitment transformation
- Vendor management
- Compliance and operational excellence
Director Human Resources
As Director HR, she supported one of Intel India’s largest engineering organizations and drove initiatives related to:
- Organizational development
- Employee engagement
- Leadership transitions
- Performance management
- Compensation and benefits
HR Business Partner and Staffing Consultant
Earlier in her Intel journey, Anjali built strong expertise across workforce planning, employee relations, mergers and acquisitions support, career development, and recruitment strategy.
Early Career at Azim Premji Foundation
Anjali began her HR journey with the Azim Premji Foundation, where she contributed to recruitment, campus hiring, induction programs, and talent processes supporting educational initiatives across India.
This experience laid the foundation for her people-centric leadership philosophy and long-term focus on organizational impact.
Expertise Across Human Resources and Organizational Leadership
Throughout her career, Anjali Rao has developed expertise across:
- Human Resources Strategy
- Organizational Development
- Talent Acquisition
- Leadership Development
- Workforce Planning
- Employee Engagement
- Change Management
- Culture Transformation
- Succession Planning
- Performance Management
- Compensation and Benefits
- Employer Branding
- Diversity and Inclusion
- HR Operations
- Talent Management
- Executive Coaching
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Employee Relations
Her ability to align people strategies with business objectives has made her a respected leader across the technology, healthcare, and life sciences sectors.
Why This Appointment Matters
As organizations navigate changing workforce dynamics and increasing competition for talent, strategic HR leadership has become a critical business differentiator.
Anjali Rao’s appointment highlights:
- The growing importance of people-centric leadership
- Increasing investment in talent and culture transformation
- Rising focus on leadership development and workforce capability
- The strategic role of HR in driving business outcomes
- The evolution of HR as a key enabler of organizational growth
Her diverse experience across global organizations positions Amgen India to continue building a strong culture of innovation and talent excellence.
CXO Gateway Perspective
At CXO Gateway, Anjali Rao’s career reflects the evolution of modern HR leadership from talent management to strategic business partnership.
Her journey from recruitment and HR business partnering to executive leadership roles at Intel, Novartis, Eli Lilly, and now Amgen India demonstrates how people strategy has become central to organizational success.
As companies continue to compete for talent and build future-ready organizations, leaders like Anjali Rao are shaping workplaces that combine innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth.