About Vivek S. Patwardhan

Vivek Patwardhan began his career with Tata Electric Companies [now called Tata Power] and worked for a brief period with Herbertsons Ltd. He worked with Asian Paints for over thirty-three years and retired in May 2009.

Career

He joined Asian Paints as Welfare Officer and held successively higher positions. He was working as Corporate Industrial Relations Manager of the company before he assumed charge as the Head of HR eleven years ago.

As Vice President-HR he was Head of HR function for Asian Paints and its group companies including its international subsidiaries in 20 countries.

Since May 2009, he works as an independent consultant on specific OD projects, executive coach and trainer to many organisations such as Tata Sons, Tata Management Training Centre, HiTech Plast Ltd., Technova Imaging Systems, The Paper Products Ltd. and Sunjewels.

Industrial Relations

At the beginning of his career, Vivek negotiated several productivity agreements, the first one in 1979. Vivek was subsequently responsible for industrial relations at the corporate level. In that capacity he had opportunity to study Industrial Relations in various states and some countries abroad. Vivek played a major role in developing healthy work ethic through workers’ education. Vivek has edited a book in Marathi on Industrial Relations

Human Resources

In his role as Head of HR he helped create a work culture of coaching and development. He actively participated in promoting organisational values and particularly in the organisations acquired by Asian Paints after the year 2000. He represented HR at the highest level within the organisation.

Vivek has published several articles on positive psychology, travelogues, pen-sketches.

Learning

He has travelled extensively. This has given him an opportunity to study HR and IR practices in several countries. Vivek attended training in June 2006 at London Business School on Strategic HR.

Vivek was sponsored by The Employers’ Federation of India to participate in the program on Mainstreaming Gender Equality at International Labour Organisation [ILO], Turin, Italy.

Professional Standing, Honours and Awards

In November 2006 Vivek was appointed as ‘TISCO Chair Professor of Industrial Relations’ at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai for a period of one year. In that capacity he has delivered lectures at Tata Institute of Social Sciences on various subjects in Human Resource management. Vivek organised study of and seminars on Reward management policies of various organisations.

Vivek played active role in the leadership team that launched and promoted the Leadership Development and Talent Management Cluster of CII’s ‘India Inc. - Going Global’ program.

Vivek has been teaching the elective of ‘Conflict Management’ at Tata Institute of Social Sciences since 2007.

Vivek was felicitated by his Alma Mater [Maharashtra Institute of Labour Studies, affiliated to Mumbai University] in March 2007 for his contribution to the field of Industrial Relations. He was also felicitated by Rotary Club of Thane Central for his outstanding vocational achievements.

Qualifications

Vivek is a science Graduate from Bombay [Mumbai] University and he read for his Master’s degree in Labour Welfare at Bombay Labour Institute, now called Maharashtra Institute of Labour Studies.

Family

Vivek is married to Sulabha. They stay at Thane. Their children, a son and a daughter, are married and well settled.