Employer of the Year Awards Judging Committee

Chair: 
Erin Noel Braaten, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition
Ampact, North Branch, Minnesota

Erin Braaten is an inspiring HR leader, mentor, coach, and change champion. Erin thrives on translating strategic plans into tactical execution to empower people, teams, and organizations. Erin has been supporting people and organizations through bold, insightful, and transformational HR leadership for over 12 years. Erin has a unique combination of technical skills and human resources expertise which allows her to optimize HRIS systems and use data analytics to develop insights into employee morale and leverage people analytics to drive organizational strategies. Erin has a strong record of success in team building, coaching/mentoring employees at all levels, and developing training programs for new hires. Erin enjoys working with managers to support their development into compassionate and accountable leaders. She is a self-described “HR nerd”. Her passion for Human Resources is contagious and her person-centered approach to supporting employees and leaders has allowed her to build collaborative and lasting relationships with her colleagues.

Erin’s experience spans across retail, manufacturing, health care, and nonprofit sectors. Erin’s previous executive positions include serving as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Ellie Mental health and the Vice President of Human Resources at Rise, Inc. Erin has also served as a Human Resources Consultant and Manager at Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities.

When she isn’t working, Erin spends her time baking with her daughter and enjoying the outdoors with her family. Erin is an active community member, serving on the board of directors for 180 Degrees, a Minnesota nonprofit organization that provides youth and adult residential support services by creating safe spaces and services that honor each individual's healing journey. Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Hamline University and a Master of Arts in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Erin has had her Society of Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional Certificate since 2017.

Committee:

Gergana Ancheva, Employer Branding Communication Lead
Sirma Solutions, Sofia, Bulgaria
Gergana is an Employer Branding leader and a growth-driven person. Professionally, she is committed to shaping strong brands through compelling stories and innovative content. Gergana holds a BSc degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Sussex, UK and a MSc degree in International Marketing from King’s College London.

Vamsi Krishna Dhakshinadhi, Chief Technology Officer
GrabAgile Inc, Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
Vamsi Krishna Dhakshinadhi is the CTO at GrabAgile Inc. and a Forbes Technology Council member. With expertise in agile methodologies and career development, he drives innovation and growth in the tech industry.

Rohit Kamath, Head of Finance Planning and Analysis
Traeger Pellet Grills, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Rohit has 16+ years of finance, strategy, and consulting experience at Nike, Restaurant Brands, International Popeyes, and Atos Origin. Rohit, head of FP&A at Traeger Pellet Grills, has significant accomplishments including Nike Apple Watch partnership in 2016, NFL contract from 2012-2014, and driving Nike digital to 50% of the overall brand.

Quyen Anh Khuc Huu, Corporate Culture Manager
Galaxy Holdings Ltd, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam


Akhil Khunger, VP Quantitative Analytics
Barclays, New York City, New York, United States
Akhil has over ten years of experience in the financial industry and is currently working in quantitative analytics at Barclays. He has experience in statistics, time series modeling, quantitative strategies, and programming experience in Python, C++, and SQL. He worked on quantitative models for FX, Macro, Credit, and Futures businesses.

Rohit Kulkarni, Associate Director
Merck, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Rohit has over 18 years of experience in Financial Trading, Educational Research, Data Analytics and Pharma industries such as Thomson Reuters, McKinsey and Merck. Rohit is responsible for developing FAIR data products for Merck scientists to expedite drug discovery. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering, a Master of Science in Information Science and MBA.

Mayada Maged, Managing Partner
Staff Arabia, Giza, Egypt
Mayada Maged, Managing Partner at Staff Arabia HR Outsourcing Global Service Provider. With more than 20 years of experience in the HR field and outsourcing industry, Mayada Holds a PGD from Eslsca Paris University, Six Sigma and Global Management certified, as well as being recognized by the AUC for Entrepreneurship in 2023.

Anwar Mohammed, Associate Vice President
RAKBANK, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Anwar, a highly skilled professional, was awarded the Golden Residency Award in 2022 by the UAE government. He was also named one of the "TOP 50 CISOs" in the Middle East by Cyber Security Global Awards in 2024. His research paper was published in the International Journal of Research Culture Society.

Jwala Khan Pathan, CEO
GrabAgile Inc, Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
JwalaKhan, CEO of GrabAgile Inc., specializes in transformative leadership and strategic development. With a background in technology and business management, he spearheads innovative projects like EventCope. Committed to fostering a collaborative environment, JwalaKhan excels in operational excellence and continuous improvement, driving impactful growth in the tech industry.

Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Director, Corporate Strategy and Operations
TWILIO, McKinney, Texas, United States
Sidharth Ramsinghaney is a distinguished global strategist with 15+ years at the helm of corporate strategy, business transformations, and turnarounds. His journey includes impactful roles at McKinsey, where he led multi-billion-dollar growth transformations, and at Deloitte, orchestrating large-scale initiatives for Fortune 100 clients.

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