Hero MotoCorp Appoints Richa Malik as HR Head for Corporate & Enabling Functions

Hero MotoCorp has appointed Richa Malik as HR Head for its corporate and enabling functions, adding an experienced HR professional with a background in talent management, business partnering and organisational people strategy.

Malik moves to the automotive industry after spending more than five years with Kohler, where she took on progressively senior responsibilities across human resources.

Her new mandate at Hero MotoCorp will involve leading the people agenda for the company’s corporate and enabling functions and aligning HR priorities with wider organisational requirements.

A five-year journey at Kohler

Malik’s most recent corporate experience comes from Kohler, where she spent over five years building her HR leadership portfolio.

She joined the company in April 2023 as Deputy General Manager – HR. In October 2025, she moved into the role of General Manager – HR, K&B South Asia, a position she held until August 2026.

Before taking on the South Asia HR leadership mandate, Malik also worked as Lead – Talent Management & HR Business Partner, giving her exposure to both talent-focused programmes and business-facing HR responsibilities.

Her progression at Kohler reflects an expanding remit across strategic HR, talent development and business partnership.

Bringing talent and business partnering experience

Malik’s career has been shaped by a combination of people strategy and close engagement with business teams.

Her experience includes areas such as talent management, employee development, HR business partnering and HR leadership. This blend is increasingly important for organisations where HR is expected to contribute directly to business performance rather than operate purely as a support function.

Her transition from Kohler to Hero MotoCorp also brings experience from the building products sector into one of India’s largest automotive businesses.

New mandate at Hero MotoCorp

At Hero MotoCorp, Malik will take responsibility for HR across the company’s corporate and enabling functions.

These functions play an important role in supporting the wider organisation, making the HR mandate relevant to areas that enable business operations, governance and long-term organisational effectiveness.

Her role will involve supporting workforce priorities, strengthening people practices and ensuring that HR initiatives remain closely connected to business needs.

The appointment also comes at a time when large organisations are placing greater emphasis on building agile talent structures and strengthening leadership pipelines across corporate functions.

Expanding HR leadership across industries

Malik’s career move highlights the increasingly cross-industry nature of HR leadership.

Professionals with experience across talent, business partnering and organisational development are increasingly moving between sectors, bringing transferable capabilities in workforce planning, leadership development and employee engagement.

For Hero MotoCorp, Malik’s experience adds another layer of talent and business HR expertise to its people leadership landscape.

Focus on people and organisational priorities

With her new role, Malik will be responsible for helping shape HR priorities across Hero MotoCorp’s corporate and enabling functions.

Her experience at Kohler, particularly across talent management and business-facing HR, provides a foundation for working closely with leadership teams and addressing evolving workforce requirements.

As organisations continue to link people strategy more closely with business performance, HR leaders overseeing corporate functions are increasingly expected to balance talent development, organisational effectiveness and employee priorities.

Malik’s move to Hero MotoCorp marks the next step in that journey, as she takes on a broader people leadership mandate within India’s automotive sector.