Apollo Tyres Appoints Omar Bali as Group Head for Talent, Learning and HR Business Leadership

Apollo Tyres Ltd has appointed Omar Bali as Group Head – Talent, Learning and HRBL – Enabling Functions, bringing an experienced global HR leader into its people leadership team.

Bali joins the tyre manufacturer with more than two decades of experience across talent management, leadership development, HR business partnering and organisational transformation. His career has spanned manufacturing, consumer goods, technology and international business environments.

The appointment comes as companies increasingly focus on developing future-ready talent, strengthening leadership pipelines and building workforce capabilities that can support changing business and technology requirements.

In his new role, Bali will oversee responsibilities related to talent, learning and HR business leadership for Apollo Tyres’ enabling functions.

A global talent leader joins Apollo Tyres

Before joining Apollo Tyres, Bali spent more than seven years with Signify, where he held several senior HR leadership positions.

Most recently, he served as Global Head – Talent & DE&I, a role he held from October 2022 to May 2026.

During this period, he led talent and diversity initiatives across a workforce operating in more than 70 countries. His responsibilities covered workforce planning, succession management, leadership development, organisational transformation and digital learning.

His experience at Signify also came during a period when the organisation was continuing its evolution towards technology-enabled and connected solutions.

This provided Bali with exposure to the people challenges that emerge when established global businesses adapt their workforce and operating models to changing technology and market demands.

Building talent and leadership capabilities at scale

Across his global talent leadership role, Bali worked on several areas that have become increasingly important for large organisations.

These included:

• Talent and succession planning
• Leadership pipeline development
• Workforce and skills planning
• Learning and development
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Organisational transformation
• Digital learning initiatives
• Manager and leadership capability building

The growing importance of these areas reflects a wider shift in how organisations approach talent management.

Companies are increasingly moving beyond traditional workforce planning towards skills-based models, stronger internal mobility and continuous leadership development.

Bali’s experience in managing talent initiatives across global markets brings this perspective to Apollo Tyres as the company continues to strengthen its organisational capabilities.

Leadership experience across international markets

Before becoming Signify’s Global Head of Talent & DE&I, Bali served as Head HR for the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan.

In this position, he worked across more than 25 markets and supported business leaders on people strategy and organisational priorities.

His responsibilities included leadership succession, workforce diversity, manager capability, employee experience and organisational restructuring.

Earlier, he was associated with Philips Lighting as Director HR, supporting the organisation’s professional B2B and OEM businesses.

These roles gave him experience across geographically diverse workforces and different business environments, while also building his expertise in strategic HR leadership.

A career spanning consumer, technology and manufacturing businesses

Bali’s career extends across several major organisations and industries.

Before his international roles at Signify and Philips Lighting, he served as Head – Business HR at Micromax Informatics, supporting sales, service and international operations.

He also held senior HR responsibilities at Whirlpool Corporation, with experience spanning business partnering, talent acquisition, learning and development, employee engagement and performance management.

Earlier in his career, he worked with Marico Limited, where his responsibilities covered sales, manufacturing and supply chain functions.

Bali began his HR career at GSK Consumer Healthcare India, progressing from a Management Trainee role to Deputy Manager – HR. He also completed a summer internship with Mahindra during the early stage of his professional journey.

His career has therefore brought together experience across consumer businesses, manufacturing, technology and global operations.

Focus on workforce transformation and organisational capability

The appointment comes at a time when manufacturing companies are increasingly examining how workforce capabilities need to evolve alongside technology and business transformation.

Automation, digitalisation, changing skills requirements and global business expansion are placing greater emphasis on leadership development and workforce readiness.

For companies operating across multiple geographies, building a strong leadership pipeline and developing skills internally can become important competitive advantages.

At Apollo Tyres, Bali’s role will bring together several elements of the people agenda, including talent management, learning and HR business leadership.

His experience in workforce planning, organisational transformation and leadership development is expected to support the company’s broader organisational priorities.

Strengthening the people agenda at Apollo Tyres

Headquartered in Gurugram, Apollo Tyres operates across international markets, with manufacturing facilities in Asia and Europe. The company markets its products in more than 100 countries through brands including Apollo and Vredestein.

Managing a global workforce across different markets requires a people strategy that can balance local business needs with broader organisational priorities.

Bali’s appointment adds experience in international talent management and organisational development to the company’s HR leadership structure.

As businesses continue to compete for specialised talent and prepare for evolving technology requirements, senior HR roles are increasingly focused on long-term organisational capability rather than traditional personnel management alone.

With his background across global talent strategy, leadership development, DE&I and workforce transformation, Omar Bali is set to take on a key role in supporting Apollo Tyres’ people and organisational agenda across its next phase of growth.