There are two ways to face challenges—be consumed by doubt or choose to be drowned in hope. Bala V. Sathyanarayanan has always chosen the latter. As Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Greif, he believes that empowering people is the key to transforming organizations.
With a steadfast commitment to diversity, inclusion, and employee well-being, Bala has implemented forward-thinking HR strategies that strengthen collaboration, improve decision-making, and drive innovation. His leadership is instrumental in integrating Greif’s Build to Last strategy, ensuring that sustainability and long-term business goals align seamlessly with daily operations.
By championing a culture of engagement and purpose, Bala ensures that investing in employees leads to exceptional customer service and a more resilient organization. His unwavering belief in hope, progress, and people continues to position Greif as a leader in the industrial packaging sector, with a strong focus on sustainability and the circular economy.
Leader Driving Employee-Centered Innovation
With a career spanning globally renowned corporations, Bala has shaped his leadership philosophy through diverse experiences in HR strategy, business transformation, and organizational development. As Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Greif, he leverages this wealth of expertise to foster a people-centric culture that drives business success.
Early Career and Foundational Experiences
Bala’s leadership approach is shaped by his extensive experience across major global organizations, where he has played a pivotal role in driving people development, business transformation, and organizational agility. He began his career at Coca-Cola India as a Regional Training Manager, where he focused on enhancing people development and implementing effective training systems.
At Hewlett-Packard (HP), he contributed significantly to aligning HR strategies with global business needs, ensuring a more agile and responsive organization. His tenure at Xerox saw him leading key business transformation initiatives, aimed at improving operational efficiency and driving profitability. Through these experiences, Bala has developed a strategic and results-driven leadership style that fosters growth and innovation within organizations.
Strategic and Employee-Centric Approach
Bala’s leadership at Greif integrates customer-centricity, change management, and strategic vision into HR practices, ensuring that employee well-being directly contributes to exceptional customer service and long-term organizational success. “Under my guidance, the company has embraced a “One Greif” mindset, unifying operations across regions to reduce inefficiencies and enhance collaboration. I established a “One HR” approach through clearly defined HR mission and principles, ensuring consistent and adaptable HR practices worldwide.” States Bala.
A key initiative under Bala’s leadership is Greif University, a centralized learning platform that has significantly improved employee training and engagement. Additionally, he introduced the “Lead to Last” program, which standardizes leadership training across the organization to develop strong and capable leaders. His focus on inclusion and belonging has led to the creation of an Inclusion and Belonging Steering Committee, along with the implementation of the LEAD model, which fosters a more inclusive workplace culture.
Bala has also championed pay equity, achieving global gender pay parity in 2023 and implementing ongoing monitoring to maintain fairness. His efforts in colleague engagement have resulted in remarkable progress, with employee engagement scores rising from the 32nd percentile to the 85th percentile by 2023. Through his strategic vision, global perspective, and unwavering commitment to an engaged workforce, Bala has transformed Greif into a more cohesive, efficient, and innovative enterprise. His leadership ensures that a strong employee culture directly translates into superior customer service, positioning Greif as a leader in industrial packaging with a focus on sustainability and a circular economy.
Driving Alignment, Engagement, and Inclusive Leadership at Greif
Bala plays a pivotal role in ensuring alignment and engagement among the company’s diverse global workforce. Through strategic HR initiatives, he champions the “One Greif” mindset, unifying the organization across regions and departments while maintaining flexibility to adapt HR practices to regional needs.
Under Bala’s leadership, Greif has undergone significant transformation, fostering a unified and efficient organizational culture. “The One Greif Mindset initiative streamlined operations across regions, reducing redundancies and enhancing efficiency. To establish a cohesive human resources strategy, I developed the HR Mission and Principles, introducing a “One HR” approach that ensures consistency while accommodating regional needs.” Says Bala. Recognizing the importance of continuous learning, he spearheaded the launch of Greif University, a centralized learning platform designed to enhance training and employee engagement across the organization.
In addition, Bala introduced the Global Leadership Development program, “Lead to Last,” which standardized leadership training, ensuring a strong and capable leadership pipeline. His commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace led to the establishment of an Inclusion & Belonging (I&B) Steering Committee and the implementation of the LEAD model to promote inclusivity. Under his direction, Greif achieved global gender pay parity in 2023, with ongoing efforts to maintain equity across the organization. Furthermore, his focus on employee experience led to a remarkable improvement in colleague engagement, with scores rising from the 32nd to the 85th percentile by 2023.
These initiatives have positioned Greif as a cohesive and competitive organization, where employees feel valued, empowered, and aligned with the company’s mission.
Leadership Through Vulnerability and Inclusion
Bala’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in vulnerability, transparency, and open dialogue. “By fostering a culture of trust and collaboration, I tend to encourage inclusive and innovative problem-solving within Greif’s executive team. My ability to unify diverse regions and departments strengthens Greif’s strategic objectives, organizational culture, and overall performance.”
With a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, Bala continuously enhances decision-making and team dynamics, ensuring that Greif remains agile, resilient, and forward-thinking in the industrial packaging sector.
Leading Digital Transformation
Bala has played a crucial role in leveraging technology and digital transformation to enhance HR operations and employee experiences, particularly during the pandemic. His strategic use of HR technology, data analytics, and digital communication tools has created a responsive, efficient, and inclusive HR environment that aligns with Greif’s long-term business priorities.
“Organizations are increasingly prioritizing digitalization and data fluency by implementing advanced HR technology platforms and analytics to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.” Quotes Bala. As hybrid work models become the norm, strategic approaches are being developed to effectively manage geographically dispersed teams while considering diverse cultural backgrounds. Leveraging technology to foster transparency, innovation, and operational efficiency remains a key focus, ensuring that digital tools contribute to seamless and efficient service delivery.
A strong emphasis is placed on employee experience, with initiatives designed to enhance satisfaction and engagement through the integration of modern HR technologies. In the broader scope of digital transformation, organizations continue to invest in advanced HR systems and digital communication tools to streamline processes, improve workflow efficiency, and drive business success. Sustainability and operational efficiency are also critical considerations, with efforts directed toward promoting energy efficiency, minimizing raw material consumption, and increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources.
Furthermore, fostering a global and inclusive workplace remains a priority, with diversity, inclusion, and skill-building initiatives designed to create an equitable and future-ready workforce. By aligning digital transformation with human-centric strategies, organizations can build resilient, innovative, and sustainable work environments. Through these initiatives, Bala has ensured that Greif remains agile and future-ready, with a workforce that is engaged, digitally empowered, and aligned with business goals.
Driving Inclusion & Belonging at Greif
Under Bala’s leadership, Greif has launched several initiatives to achieve its ambitious Inclusion & Belonging goals, including global gender pay parity and a commitment to ensuring that women hold at least 30% of leadership roles by 2025. One of the key milestones in this journey was achieving global gender pay parity in 2023, ensuring equal pay for equal work across all genders. To promote awareness and fairness in the workplace, the company has implemented unconscious bias training across all levels of the organization. Additionally, mentorship programs have been introduced to support career growth and leadership development for women, providing guidance and opportunities for advancement.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), such as the Greif Women’s Network, play a crucial role in driving gender equality and fostering a supportive environment. Leadership development initiatives are also in place to help women advance into key leadership roles, reinforcing the company’s commitment to diversity at the highest levels. To oversee and drive these efforts, Greif has established an Inclusion & Belonging Committee, which is responsible for implementing company-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives. Furthermore, the organization prioritizes performance development by ensuring regular career growth discussions and creating development opportunities that empower employees to reach their full potential. Through these strategic initiatives, Greif continues to build an inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees can thrive.
These holistic efforts reinforce Greif’s commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, ensuring equal opportunities for all employees. With a continued focus on diversity, innovation, and empowerment, Bala is leading Greif toward a more equitable and sustainable future, with a clear path to achieving its 2025 leadership diversity goals.
Leading Greif’s Transformation with the “Build to Last” Strategy
As Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Greif, Bala V. Sathyanarayanan has been instrumental in driving the company’s long-term vision through the “Build to Last” strategy. This approach ensures Greif not only excels in the present but also builds a strong foundation for future success. The strategy is structured around four core missions, each critical to Greif’s goal of becoming the best-performing customer service company in the world:
“Our commitment to creating thriving communities focuses on enhancing both employee and community well-being, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where individuals can grow and succeed.” Says Bala. By delivering legendary customer service, we continuously strive to exceed customer expectations, ensuring exceptional experiences through innovation and dedication. Additionally, we prioritize sustainability and low-carbon solutions to protect our future, integrating environmentally responsible practices into our operations. At the core of our strategy is ensuring financial strength by driving high-margin EBITDA growth and maintaining financial resilience, positioning our organization for long-term success.
By integrating sustainability priorities into each of these missions, Greif ensures that day-to-day operations align with long-term goals. This holistic approach allows the company to deliver innovative packaging solutions, benefiting customers, employees, and stakeholders alike, while securing sustained growth and industry leadership.
Leadership Lessons and Transformational Initiatives
Under Bala’s leadership, Greif has navigated significant challenges and implemented transformational HR and business strategies. His leadership philosophy emphasizes alignment, innovation, and inclusivity, ensuring the company remains agile in a rapidly evolving industry.
Greif’s leadership approach focuses on alignment, ensuring that culture, operations, and strategy are seamlessly integrated under a shared purpose. A key initiative in this effort is fostering a “One Greif” mindset, unifying regions and departments to eliminate redundancies and enhance overall efficiency. Additionally, the organization has undertaken a comprehensive HR transformation, leveraging technology and data analytics to develop agile and responsive HR processes.
Recognizing the importance of continuous learning, Greif established Greif University, significantly expanding training opportunities and professional development programs. The company is also deeply committed to fostering inclusion and belonging by creating dedicated committees and initiatives that promote diversity and equity within the workplace. A notable achievement in this regard was reaching global gender pay parity in 2023, with ongoing monitoring to maintain fairness in compensation.
Furthermore, Greif has strengthened its strategic HR partnership by aligning HR initiatives with broader business objectives, ensuring that talent management supports overall company success. The organization also demonstrated adaptability during the pandemic by enhancing communication and virtual collaboration to support remote work effectively. Through these initiatives, Greif continues to build a resilient, inclusive, and high-performing workforce.
Driving Global Strategy with Local Agility at Greif
Balancing global corporate strategy with local cultural nuances and market demands is a complex yet essential process that requires strategic alignment, flexibility, and regional responsiveness. At Greif, this balance is achieved through a unified global framework that allows for localized execution, ensuring the company remains agile, competitive, and customer focused.
Greif’s strategic focus includes, Margin expansion and portfolio reshaping are critical strategies for strengthening profitability and driving long-term growth. By optimizing resource allocation and refining the business portfolio, organizations can enhance operational efficiency and create sustainable value. Additionally, maintaining sustainable shareholder returns is essential for ensuring financial resilience and enhancing business valuation. A well-balanced approach to capital allocation, cost management, and revenue growth fosters long-term investor confidence. Furthermore, achieving operational excellence requires a commitment to standardizing processes on a global scale while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to local market dynamics. This balance enables organizations to enhance efficiency, improve service delivery, and remain competitive in an evolving business landscape.
Priorities for the Future
As Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Bala V. Sathyanarayanan continues to focus on organizational alignment, technological enablement, and Inclusion & Belonging to strengthen Greif’s workforce and strategic execution.
Key Initiatives Under Bala’s Leadership:
- One Greif Mindset – Fostering a unified corporate culture across global regions.
- Technological Transformation – Redesigning HR processes to be agile, data-driven, and scalable.
- Greif University – Expanding centralized learning and development opportunities.
- Global Leadership Development – Implementing the “Lead to Last” program to cultivate strong leaders.
- Inclusion & Belonging – Establishing committees and programs to promote diversity and inclusion.
These initiatives are essential in positioning Greif as a more cohesive, innovative, and competitive organization within the industrial packaging sector. Through Bala’s leadership, Greif continues to align global strategies with local execution, ensuring sustainability, business growth, and a thriving workforce.
