In its dedicated edition, The Most Influential Leader Revamping the Business in 2025, Insights Success features Bala V Sathyanarayanan, Greif’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Bala is a force of change transforming the industrial packaging sector. His inspiring vision, driven by passion and innovation, is leading Greif’s 147-year-old tradition into sustainable growth and global stature.
Bala’s dominance in leadership and HR demonstrates how much he enjoys performing at high-speed, high-energy levels. His style of leadership—characterized by resilience, creativity, and the ability to motivate others—is sparking purpose and passion within teams. Bala was chosen by Insights Success because of his entrepreneurial nature and relentless commitment to excellence, mentioning his talent for solving problems and creating a culture of forward motion. His servant leadership style empowers employees, aligning their work with the mission of Greif to deliver legendary customer service.
Greif’s success is dependent upon its focus on sustainability, innovation, and dependability, pillars Bala fights to uphold in order to support the company’s strong market presence. With presence in 45 countries, Greif offers industrial packaging solutions to safely protect, transport, and store vital commodities, keeping society in motion. Bala’s strategic vision concentrates on growing local market expansion and maintaining global operating excellence. Through leading digital and supply chain changes, he utilizes AI to drive operations, improve customer experiences, and align with Greif’s strategic objectives.
Bala’s efforts go beyond business performance. His leadership has fueled diversity, equity, and inclusion, reaching global gender pay equity and growing women in leadership positions. These actions create an inclusive, engaged workforce, fueling resilience and innovation. As Bala continues to break barriers, his impact at Greif inspires future generations of leaders to invest in authenticity, innovation, and sustainability.
Through this attribute, Insights Success appreciates Bala’s capability of integrating innovation and authenticity, bringing industry leaders back to the priorities of sustainable development and positive contributions. His accomplishment emphasizes a life spent on empowering organizations with strategy and people-based leadership, achieving a benchmark in excellence for the years 2025 and ahead.
