“The best leaders are

multipliers,

and true leadership begins when their growth creates growth in others.”

Global GCC & HR Leader | Transformation Leadership | Operational Excellence | Future of Work

Sachin Malhotra

Lived it.
Still at it.
Driving what's next.

XLRI HR · Oxford University · Computer Engineering

Sachin brings global HR and GCC leadership experience through senior roles including Senior Vice President, Director, and Head of Shared Services across Smiths Group, Aggreko, Cielo Talent, Chevron Phillips Chemical, and LTIMindtree — leading transformation across India, Manila, the US, the UK, EMEA, and LATAM.

With over two decades of experience, he has built, transformed, and driven operational excellence across HR and Non-IT Shared Services — leading people, building high-performing teams, strengthening capability, and creating value within complex global organisations.

A Six Sigma Black Belt (Oxford), Sachin brings a hands-on approach to Operational Excellence — applying transformation principles through execution, not just governance. He is now focused on how AI is reshaping HR, Shared Services, and Operations — enabling smarter decisions, stronger teams, and future-ready organisations.

He is committed to sustainability, responsible leadership, and creating impact beyond business through people-first initiatives and future-of-work conversations.

"Engineer by degree and mind. HR by heart. Ideator of work by experience."

Connect on LinkedIn →

Curating
Conversations
on the Future
of Work.

WorkNext is a self-led initiative by Sachin, built to shape the future of work in an evolving business landscape — bringing together leaders across GCCs, HR, Shared Services, Business Operations, Engineering, AI-driven functions, and beyond for ideas, meaningful dialogue, and honest conversations that create real impact.

At its core, it is driven by the founder's pro bono commitment to share experience, strategic insight, and practical learning with the ecosystem. The focus goes beyond roundtables and collective discussions — it is about building an environment where operational excellence, people leadership, sustainability, and future-ready business models come together.

From strategic advisory to meaningful conversations, the intent is simple — to connect people, challenge perspectives, and create opportunities for learning, growth, and impact.

The WorkNext Practice

Four pillars.
One practice.

The WorkNext Practice is built on 23 years of real HR, GCC, transformation and technology experience — and a belief that the best conversations create real change.

🪑

The Collective

A curated circle of leaders, HR heads, founders and thinkers — built around real conversations, roundtables and industry connects.

Learn more →

🎬

The Studio

Where the thinking lives — short videos, white papers, LinkedIn publishing and Cubicle of Hope, the comic strip series about the real world of work.

Visit The Studio →

🏢

The GCC Practice

Deep inside global capability centres for over twenty years — building, scaling and transforming them. Strategy, operating models, governance and the shift from cost centre to intelligence hub.

Explore →

🎯

The Connect

Reach out directly — for advisory conversations, campus collaborations, speaking engagements or just to exchange ideas about what's coming next.

Lets talk →

The Collective

Where the right
people find each other.

A curated circle of leaders, HR heads, founders and thinkers — built around real conversations, roundtables and industry connects. Selective Conversations. By Invitation.

By Invitation Only

The Table.

An exclusive, invite-only gathering — either pro bono or sponsored — where senior leaders sit together around the real conversations that shape the future of work. No agenda theatre. No slides. Just substance.

Seats are limited. The right conversation with the right people changes everything.

Express Interest for the Invite →

Topics on The Table

∞

Future of Work

Where work is heading and what leaders must do now to stay ahead.

🧬

Gen Z Talent Roadmaps

Building organisations that the next generation actually wants to be part of.

🤖

AI Disruption

What AI is actually doing to roles, teams and the human side of organisations.

🌍

Geo-economics Impact

How shifting global economics are reshaping GCC strategy and talent decisions.

📈

ROI Led Models

Moving beyond activity metrics to models that prove real business value.

The Studio

Where the
thinking lives.

Thought Leadership Through Stories, Insights, and Ideas.

Expressed through videos, white papers, LinkedIn publishing, and The Cubicle of Hope—this is where experience meets perspective, and ideas turn into meaningful conversations. A space dedicated to leadership, AI, workplace transformation, and human connection—shaping the future of work through practical insight and real-world impact.

Watch Videos → Published Insights →

Meet the Cast

Cheer The Good Things Force "Not on your org chart. Just always there."

Cheer

Hara HR Leader "Holds the humans together — including herself."

Aiden

Chip CIO · Tech Leader "Logic: 100%. People skills: updating..."

Chip

Aiden AI Colleague "Fluent in everything. Except sarcasm."

Hara

Ember & Blaze Same Cubicle. Different Story. "The fire is quiet. It is not out."

Ember & Blaze

Reya GCC Leader "She built the bridge. She also crosses it daily."

Reya

The Cubicle of Hope^™

Seven characters. One office floor. Real stories of leadership, AI, workplace challenges, and the human moments in between—guided by Cheer, the quiet spirit in the background reminding everyone about balance, perspective, and finding peace within.

The New Colleague

Aiden has already read all your emails.

Soon

The Day Nobody Wanted

The layoff. Cheer showed up at sunset.

Soon

What Cheer Knows

Mental health. Taught differently.

Soon

GCC : Global Capability Center

Building Beyond
Operations.

Your GCC has challenges? The good news, they have been solved before.

My perspective was built from the inside — over two decades in global organizations across People Operations, HR, HR Tech, non-IT shared services, and transformation programs. I've seen the ambition, the friction, and the realities that rarely show up in strategy decks. I understand the complexity behind the scenes: stakeholder tensions, operating models that look good on paper but struggle in practice, leadership gaps, governance challenges, and cultures that stay busy without truly moving forward.

My value comes from connecting strategy with operational reality — and helping organizations do both better.

Over the years, I've worked across areas such as:

GCC strategy, scaling, and operating model design
Location selection and expansion thinking
Governance frameworks and leadership alignment

Building ROI and value proof frameworks that HQ leadership trusts
Operational Excellence through Six Sigma and process transformation
AI integration into people operations and future operating models

Powered by the Dual Velocity^™ Model : Run Better, Run Different — supported by proprietary frameworks, operating methods, and GCC transformation models currently being developed (IP in progress).

Connect for Advisory →

The Book

Start. Again. Everyone.

Your Second First Day in the Age of AI

Currently Writing

After 23 years of building careers, leading teams, and navigating change — I found myself standing at a new starting line.

This time, it wasn't just me. Artificial Intelligence has done something no technology ever has — it has reset the clock for everyone. The seasoned professional and the fresh graduate are standing at the same point, for the first time.

This book is for every professional who feels the ground shifting — and wants to know how to run from here.

Coming soon.

Prompt

A Practical Guide to Thinking and Working with AI

Launching Soon!

The difference between people who find AI powerful and people who find it frustrating is not intelligence, technical skill, or job title. It is clarity — the ability to explain what you need, how you need it, and where the boundaries are.

That skill is learnable. This book is a practical guide to communicating with AI in plain English. No jargon. No technical background required. Just real-world situations, simple frameworks, and better ways to ask better questions.

Whether you are a student, manager, creator, entrepreneur, or simply curious about AI, this book helps you move from random prompts to meaningful outcomes.

Because the future will not belong only to people who understand AI. It will belong to people who know how to talk to it.

Words That Matter

In their own words.

From colleagues, teams and leaders across the years — unprompted, unedited.

Just knowing you is enough — your ideas, collaboration, and presence made work more meaningful. A person like you leaves behind memories, inspiration, and connections that stay for life.

— Colleague

You have been the finest boss and one of the strongest leaders I've worked with—firm, positive, and always supportive. Your guidance and belief in people create lasting impact, and working with you is something I'll always value.

— Team Member

Your leadership goes beyond mentorship—you lead with empathy, wisdom, and a vision that inspires everyone around you. You create not just strong teams, but a sense of family, leaving a lasting impact on every person you guide.

— Leader

People often join organizations for the brand, but rarely for a leader—you made us believe that choosing the right leader should always come first.

— Team Member

You've been a pillar of strength, an advocate, and a mentor whose support made every challenge easier. Some people are simply MEGAMINDs—full of ideas, inspiration, and wisdom—and you've always been one of them.

— Team Member

Your calmness, patience, and quiet strength bring comfort and confidence to every situation. The energy, balance, and heart you bring to the team create a lasting impact that people genuinely look up to and value.

— Colleague

More than a mentor, your guidance, wisdom, and support have been a true source of inspiration. The way you shape people—with warmth, perspective, and an uplifting spirit—is something I deeply admire and will always value.

— Team Member

Your leadership, trust, and guidance have created opportunities that shaped both personal and professional growth. The confidence you place in people and the clarity you bring to their journey make you a truly inspiring leader.

— Leader

Your leadership, dedication, and positive energy inspire confidence and bring balance to every challenge. Like in pickleball, you lead with strategy, focus, and the perfect balance—making success look effortless and teamwork stronger.

— Colleague

Your leadership is defined by expertise, empathy, and genuine care for people—bringing both strength and heart to every situation. You create trust, inspire confidence, and serve as a true pillar of support, making a lasting impact on everyone around you.

— Team Member

A strong GCC leader is built on clarity, process discipline, and the ability to turn complexity into scalable outcomes. Thank you for creating the right operating model—where frameworks like APQC drive consistency, execution, and lasting business impact.

— Leader

The Studio

Published Insights

📄

The Digital Workforce Has No Manager. That Is HR's Problem to Solve.

As AI agents proliferate across organisations, a critical question is going unanswered: who is accountable for how they perform, and what they do? This is not a technology question — it is HR's to own.

View on Gamma →

📄

Stop Upskilling. Start Rethinking.

The AI era is not an exam you can study your way through. It is a relationship you need to learn to navigate — with intention, with judgment, and with a clear sense of what only you can bring to it.

Read on LinkedIn → View on Gamma →

📄

Small Language Models are Quietly Reshaping

Why Small Language Models are quietly reshaping SaaS, ERP, and the way regular employees grow their careers.

Read on LinkedIn → View on Gamma →

📄

Reshaping GCC through Six Sigma

A practical perspective on reshaping GCC profitability through Six Sigma — applying operational excellence frameworks to drive real business impact.

Read on LinkedIn → View on Gamma →

More insights coming soon. Follow on LinkedIn for updates.

Lived it.Still at it.Driving what's next.

Curating Conversations on the Futureof Work.

Four pillars. One practice.

Where the right people find each other.

The Table.

Where the thinking lives.

Building Beyond Operations.

Start. Again. Everyone.

A Practical Guide to Thinking and Working with AI

In their own words.

Published Insights

Lived it.
Still at it.
Driving what's next.

Curating
Conversations
on the Future
of Work.

Four pillars.
One practice.

Where the right
people find each other.

Where the
thinking lives.

Building Beyond
Operations.