Employer of the Year Awards Judging Committee

Chair: 
Kifaya Abu-Thallam 
HR Executive Advisor
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Kifaya Abu-Thallam is a trusted Executive HR Advisor to business leaders and boards of directors in HR Transformation & Organization Design in the United Arab Emirates. With 20+ years of experience in government, semi-government and private sectors, she has served in some of the most significant industries including defense, telecommunications, banking, energy, and infrastructure development.  Kifaya is accredited by many recognized international Human Resources organizations such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the United Kingdom, a certified member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, CPHR Canada, a Certified Organization Development Professional (USA), and CINS.

Kifaya has focused experience in designing HR models that drive organizational and employee performance through digital transformation, building effective HR strategies, workforce capabilities building programs, human-centric organizational cultures (employees’ happiness, D&I strategies), and Agile performance management systems. Kifaya is also a regular speaker and moderator at HR Summits locally and internationally.

On being asked to Chair, Kifaya commented: “The Stevie® Awards for Great Employers are a global symbol of excellence in workplace culture and people-first leadership. They shine the spotlight on organizations that set the standard for how great employers attract, engage, and support their teams — shaping a better future for employees everywhere. I’m honored to serve as Chair of this year’s Judging Committee and help celebrate the companies and leaders driving positive change in the world of work.”

Committee:
 

Saurabh Agarwal, Senior Manager  
Discover Financial Services, Riverwoods, Illinois, United States
A results-oriented PMP-certified professional with 19+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, Cloud Management, Technical Program Management, Change Management, Release Management, Account & Bid Management, and People Management. Saurabh is adept at mentoring teams, overseeing performance evaluations, and HR collaborations and has successfully led a $500M global digital transformation program across five countries.

Rinita Datta, Director of Marketing
Cisco, Fremont, California, United States
Rinita is a marketing leader who thrives at the intersection of product strategy, customer value, and innovation. As Director of Marketing at Splunk, a Cisco company, she leads global initiatives across product adoption, developer engagement, and community growth. Rinita combines technical fluency, systems thinking, and business storytelling to drive innovation.

Betty Encinales, Global Talent Acquisition Partner
Becruit London, London, United Kingdom
Betty is Global Corporate Talent Acquisition Partner; she has spent over a decade connecting, building, and developing relationships with organizations and sector-leading experts in fintech, finance, and media. Betty has worked with major brands like Goldman Sachs, HSBC, NatWest, Lloyds, Santander, Financial Times, and Newsweek, providing valuable insights to their organizations.

Jaidev Jayakumar Jay, Manager     
Deloitte & Touche Llp, Boston, Massachusetts, United States   
Jaidev (Jay) Jayakumar is a management consultant with experience supporting Fortune 500 companies in digital transformation, Mergers and Acquisitions and enabling next-generation solutions. Jay is a Project Management Professional (PMP), holds a Masters in Biotechnology Management from University of California Irvine and a Gold medalist from Anna University, Chennai.

Priyank Mishra, Senior Manager, Supply Chain
Lam Research, Fremont, California, United States
Priyank is a Supply Chain Professional with more than 10 years of industry experience. He is currently working as a Senior Manager at Lam Research, where he has been a thirteen-time recipient of Above and Beyond awards and a one-time recipient of Standing Ovation awards. He holds a Master's from Duke University in Engineering Management.

Sudheer Obbu, Vice President - Senior Lead Software Engineer
JPMorgan Chase, Delaware, Ohio, United States
Sudheer is an accomplished DevSecOps, Cloud, and platform engineering service lead with 19 years of expertise in architecting, securing, and optimizing complex multi-cloud infrastructures. His focus includes innovating FinOps solutions, integrating advanced technologies like GenAI for AIOps, driving efficiency through automation initiatives, and a track record in enhancing security and reducing costs.

Amber Hussain Siddique, Director - Finance Controlling & Planning
Dr Reddy's Laboratories INC, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Specializes in the generics pharmaceutical industry and is currently heading the finance controlling function of Dr. Reddy's North America business. Amber is a Chartered Accountant from India with proven expertise in financial controlling and planning, business analytics, and a deep understanding of pharmaceutical supply chain operations, including inventory management and cost optimization.
 

Guanwei (Rachel) Tao, Manager, New Business & Customer Strategy
TriMas, Los Angeles, California, United States
Rachel Tao is a seasoned product strategist and innovation leader with over 18 years of experience in the global medical device industry. She has successfully launched more than 27 products across Asia, Europe, and North America. Her career spans from sales at Johnson & Johnson to senior product management roles at Abbott. 

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