Meet Bala V Sathyanarayanan, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Greif, a 146-year-old multi-national supplier of industrial packaging products and services.
Mr. Sathyanarayanan started his career in 1991 as a Graduate Engineer trainee at United Technologies and navigated the management chain to own P&L for Otis’s Field Operations in Chennai, India. His illustrious career has seen him in influential roles at renowned organizations such as Coca-Cola, Polaris, Avaya, Hewlett Packard, Xerox, and Balmer Lawrie-Van Leer Ltd.
Academically, Mr. Sathyanarayanan is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Complementing this achievement, he holds a Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM) degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey, an MBA in General Management from the University of Madras, and a BE in Electronics and Communications Engineering from SVCE.
A recipient of many global awards, Mr. Sathyanarayanan was named among the list of Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business (AABDC), Executive of the Year by Columbus CEO Magazine, Top Inspiring Business Leaders of the Year in 2020 by Industry Wired Magazine, 10 Most Influential Business Leaders to Follow in 2021 by CIO Insights Magazine to name a few.
A century-old Company
Established in 1877, Greif is a leading global supplier of various industrial packaging products and services. With strategic locations throughout more than 40 countries, Greif remains steadfast in its commitment to being the highest-performing customer service entity for its global and regional customers.
Greif’s global packaging division supplies steel, fiber, and plastic drums; intermediate bulk containers (IBCs); container liners; closures; filling and reconditioning services, which helps protect and safely transport products worldwide. On the other hand, Greif’s Paper Packaging and Services (PPS) division manufactures containerboard, coated recycled paperboard, uncoated recycled paperboard, industrial and corrugated products, and offers recycling services. In North America, PPS serves construction, paper products, textiles, explosives, automotive, manufacturing, and many other industries. PPS also has a closed-loop system that recycles the brand’s fiber, providing competitive advantages through flexibility, supply security, and sustainability.
Life at Greif
Mr. Sathyanarayanan joined Greif in 2018 as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer to create a global workforce capable of effectively executing business strategies and delivering exceptional value to customers. Known for his strategic acumen, Mr. Sathyanarayanan closely collaborates with the CEO, the Executive Leadership Team, the Leadership Council, and the Board of Directors to drive organizational change and envision the company’s future success.
As a dynamic business leader, he goes beyond the conventional approach by constantly motivating and acknowledging colleagues with regular personal recognition. This, in return, boosts employee morale and translates into better customer service and business yields.
Mission and Vision
As the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources officer at Greif, Mr. Sathyanarayanan’s mission is to deliver a world-class, diverse, and engaged workforce to help the company deliver its global vision. Mr. Sathyanarayanan’s role is of a strategist, an activist inside the organization who shakes things up and allows it to become more innovative. However, his personal mission as the Global CHRO extends much beyond managing the present; instead, it involves strategically laying the foundations that will ensure enduring global success in the future.
Looking at the Future
Looking ahead, Mr. Sathyanarayanan envisions a future where he can successfully leverage his capabilities to make a meaningful impact by fostering flourishing communities in the various countries where Greif operates. He plans to achieve these goals by focusing on Greif’s executive leadership team’s strengths: open-mindedness, action bias, passion for continuous learning, and the desire to positively impact the brand’s global customers by providing them with legendary customer service through a highly engaged workforce.
