“Expansion of an organisation happens through ‘People’ and not only ‘Processes.’”
Dr. Ankita Singh
(Chief People Officer & Board of Directors, CIGNEX & Relevance Lab
Founder, HR Association of India)
Like a gardener tends to a garden, Human Resources nurtures the seeds of talent, to cultivate a thriving ecosystem of professional growth. HR courses through the veins of Dr. Ankita Singh, shaping her professional DNA with twenty-four years of experience. As the Chief People Officer & Board of Director at CIGNEX, she breathes life into organisational dynamics and infuses innovation and excellence into every facet of the HR domain. Her excellence in introducing innovative and competitive initiatives and establishing a robust performance-driven culture led to the company’s certification as a “Great Place to Work” for the years 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21. Her expertise includes transformational change in management and M&A initiatives. Dr. Ankita has worked in all areas of HR with a special interest in leadership development, culture building, organisational behaviour, and employee engagement.
Dr. Ankita’s love for HR made her establish the HR Association of India in 2021. It is a non-profit organisation driven by a purpose to build a community of like-minded professionals, learners and mentors who can come together and contribute towards the enhancement of HR.
She holds a Ph.D. in Management and is a gold medalist in BBA and MBA. She enriched her skills in HR and Business Strategy through Executive Management Programs at respected institutions like IIM-A, ISB-Hyderabad, and XLRI. Certified as a PPA (Thomas Profiling) Practitioner, Dr. Ankita’s dedication to learning shines through. Beyond these accomplishments, she completed the “Sustainable Business Strategy” certification from Harvard Business School Online.
“I always stay ready to invest in learning and exploring more. I believe in giving back to society and living a meaningful life,” shares Dr. Ankita with a smile. Apart from making strides in the business world, she is involved in initiatives such as supporting child education and development through various NGOs. Furthermore, she indulges in travel and photography whenever she finds time from her busy schedule.
When ‘People Are Everything’ Became Dr. Ankita’s Motto
Growing up as a boarder since the age of five, Dr. Ankita had an early introduction to a self-supporting and self-governing life. Boarding school taught her the values of decision-making, sharing, caring and togetherness. “We learnt that we could survive if we were together and that perspective stayed with me. ‘People are everything’ became my motto,” shares Dr. Ankita while recollecting her days in boarding school.
Although a career in HR wasn’t intentional, it became her first job, eventually turning into a choice as she discovered the value she could add to a company. Dr. Ankita found joy in the journey, embracing various functions beyond HR due to her aversion to monotony. Admin, travel, IT, PMO, RMG, and other enabling departments naturally became part of her exploratory path.
That’s How She Conquered
Like a book with twists and turns, challenges write the chapters of our existence. As a single mother, being the only female executive member in the company and not following the path of engineering or medicine as her parents wished, Dr. Ankita’s journey was full of uncharted waters. She was inclined more towards management.
“Heading departments without professional degrees, managing expert teams, and more, I overcame these challenges with the support of people. I believed in both myself and those around me. My family, friends, team, colleagues, managers, and even househelps supported me. The right support at the right time helped me to stay true to the purpose of my life,” shares Dr. Ankita with gratitude. She further adds, “My mother is my inspiration who has taught me to co-exist in a system yet be strong enough to survive alone.” Dr. Ankita feels that a true mentor listens, understands, supports, and cares for you but never takes away your ability to think and act.
She is also a prominent advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment. She emphasises the role of conscious conversation in fostering gender equality through the power of mindful communication, collaboration, and empathy to address the multifaceted challenges they encounter in the business world and beyond.
Feathers In The Cap
Dr. Ankita has been recognised in different prestigious platforms for her contribution and Excellence in the field of HR and leadership. She has been awarded by Forbes India and Great Manager Institute as Top 100 People Manager in India for the last 4 consecutive years 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2023. She was also awarded “Power Women Leader of the Year 2023” by the Times of India, “Asia’s 100 Power Women Leaders in 2023”, “India Women Leader of the Year Gujarat Icons 2022 by the Times of India and “Asia’s 100 Power Leaders in HR 2022”. “Top 10 Most Influential Business Leader of the Year by Times of India 2022, “Rajeev Gandhi Award 2022”, “APJ Abdul Kalam National Award 2021”, “Woman HR Leadership Awards 2021, Awarded by Ms. Kiran Bedi”, “Global Women Award 2021”, “40 under 40 for the year 2021” “Woman HR Leadership Awards 2020” in presence of Maneka Gandhi.
Dr. Ankita’s approach to development centres around people. She continues it by following the principles of L.E.A.D. (Listen. Enable. Align and Develop). “I believe that there won’t be a single ‘Best time ever’. Strive to live and embrace the moment to the fullest.”
