New Delhi: Telecom giant Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced the appointment of Amrita Padda as its chief people officer, with effect from 1 October. She will report to Bharti Airtel MD and CEO, Gopal Vittal.

Padda was previously associated with Hindustan Unilever for over two decades, where she handled the entire spectrum of human resources roles. In her new role, she will be responsible for Airtel’s people strategy as the company transforms into a digital services provider, as per an official statement.

Commenting on the appointment, Gopal Vittal said, “I am delighted to welcome Amrita to Airtel. Our People and culture of empowerment are our biggest strengths that enable us to deliver world-class experiences to our customers. I am confident that Amrita will add immense value to Airtel’s exciting journey, help build new capabilities and ensure the company continues to be a magnet for top talent from across the world.” 

Amrita takes on the baton from Samit Deb, who has decided to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities outside of Airtel. “I would like to thank Samit for his contribution to Airtel and strengthening our people practices. On behalf of everyone at Airtel, I wish him the very best in all his future endeavours," Vittal added.