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Rapti Khurana

Chief Talent & HR Transformation Leader

About Me

Rapti Khurana is a Strategic Human Resources and Talent Transformation Leader with more than 20 years of experience driving enterprise-wide people strategy across global organizations ranging from $3B to $25B+ in revenue. Known for aligning talent strategy with business growth, cultural evolution, and measurable performance outcomes, she has successfully led large-scale leadership development, succession planning, and workforce transformation initiatives that have improved employee retention by up to 40%, increased engagement by 12–15%, and accelerated internal mobility by 30%. Most recently, Rapti served as Vice President of Talent Engagement & Development at the National Football League, where she established and led a Talent Center of Excellence overseeing leadership development, executive coaching, employee experience, and diversity strategy. Partnering directly with executive leadership and board-level compensation committees, she modernized performance management systems, spearheaded HR digital transformation initiatives, and embedded data-driven talent practices that strengthened leadership pipelines and advanced organizational readiness for future-facing roles. Previously, Rapti held senior leadership roles at Nielsen, where she pioneered the development of AI-enabled talent marketplaces, led post-merger integrations involving more than 16,000 employees, and expanded diverse leadership pipelines by 50% globally. Earlier in her career, she served as Managing Consultant at IBM Global Business Services, advising Fortune 100 clients on enterprise strategy, change management, and leadership alignment across complex, multi-market environments. Rapti's leadership approach integrates organizational psychology, workforce analytics, and disciplined execution to build inclusive, high-performing cultures that drive sustainable business impact. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College - Columbia University and a Master's degree in Human Resources Management from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. A certified executive coach, she is also a recognized speaker on the future of work, digital HR transformation, and inclusive leadership development.

Jurisdiction

United States | India

Notable Employer

  • Vice President- Talent Engagement & Development at National Football League
  • DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TALENT & WORKPLACE INNOVATION at Nielsen
  • DIRECTOR, HR & GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT at Nielsen
  • SENIOR HR BUSINESS PARTNER at Nielsen
  • MANAGING CONSULTANT, STRATEGY AND CHANGE at IBM
  • SENIOR CONSULTANT, STRATEGY AND CHANGE at IBM
  • Consultant, Global Executive & Organizational Capability at IBM

Experience

Seniority LevelExecutive
Years of Experience20+ years
Current StatusActive
Vice President- Talent Engagement & DevelopmentNotableNational Football League
2018 - 2025

Tapped to launch and lead the Engagement & Talent Development Center of Excellence (COE) and transform the performance management system to deliver life-cycle development programs. Led a $2.8M operating budget and an eight-member team across the US and internationally that worked directly with the Executive Operating Committee and senior leadership to shape the organization’s culture. • Reported directly to the Chief Administrative Officer and CEO Council, advising on enterprise talent and governance strategy while chairing the NFL Diversity Council to advance organisation-wide DEI transformation. • Partnered closely with the NFL Ownership Board and executive leadership to modernize enterprise HR infrastructure, championing AI-enabled talent platforms, advanced workforce analytics, and digital performance systems that enhanced decision-making transparency, reduced process friction, and elevated organisational effectiveness league-wide. • Led enterprise Talent Engagement & Development transformation, building a high-performing Center of Excellence integrating performance management, succession, leadership development, and executive coaching, driving 30% internal mobility and 12–15% gains in engagement and retention. • Engineered and scaled league-wide leadership acceleration framework across 32 business entities, increasing promotion velocity and enhancing enterprise capability. • Redesigned the performance management architecture, converting a compliance-based model into a data-driven, growth-focused system that strengthened leadership pipelines and accelerated readiness for critical roles. • Institutionalised forward-looking succession and workforce planning strategies, reducing reliance on external hires while fortifying pipelines for mission-critical roles. • Spearheaded enterprise-wide HR digital transformation, deploying next-generation HRIS and AI-powered talent intelligence platforms, digitising performance and succession processes, and embedding advanced people analytics, driving 30% YoY adoption growth and 65% YoY increase in learning engagement • Embedded inclusive talent systems into hiring, development, and sponsorship processes, achieving 25% improvement in attraction and retention outcomes.

DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TALENT & WORKPLACE INNOVATIONNotableNielsen
2016 - 2018

Promoted to design and execute the global talent process and bring innovative products to push HR constructs. Led teams of up to eight through project delivery and implementation to execute integrated talent strategy and D&I initiatives • Pioneered a Global HR Analytics Center of Excellence, leveraging predictive analytics to mitigate attrition, uncover talent gaps, and accelerate advancement of women into leadership roles, establishing data-driven decision-making across the enterprise. • Engineered and scaled an AI-driven Talent Marketplace leveraging predictive modelling and skills adjacency mapping to forecast future capabilities, optimize internal mobility, and drive a 20-point increase in top talent retention intent. • Redefined the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and employer brand, strengthening global talent attraction and retention by 40% and positioning the organization as a destination employer. • Transformed Executive Development for the Top 100 leaders, expanding the diverse leadership pipeline by 50% globally and accelerating readiness for critical enterprise roles. • Instituted a scalable internal coaching practice, standardizing 360-feedback and leadership development across 20 departments within three months, elevating leader effectiveness scores by 70%.

DIRECTOR, HR & GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT NotableNielsen
2014 - 2016

Promoted to lead end-to-end HR activities for the US Media business of 8,000 employees and $3.5B in revenue; led enterprise-level projects in organizational effectiveness and innovation in talent and belonging. Served as part of the executive leadership team. • Architected enterprise-wide Talent & DEI strategies for a $3.5B U.S. Media business and 8,000 employees, embedding governance, quarterly scorecards, and data-driven metrics to boost internal mobility by 30%, elevate engagement by 12–15%, and strengthen diverse leadership pipelines globally. • Deployed HR Analytics and AI-powered Talent Marketplaces, leveraging predictive insights and workforce intelligence to reduce attrition, map future skills, and drive a 20-point increase in top talent retention intent. • Designed and scaled leadership development and executive coaching frameworks, enhancing readiness of the Top 100 leaders, expanding high-potential pipelines by 50%, and increasing leader effectiveness scores by 70%. • Led large-scale organizational change and post-merger integrations, assimilating 16,000+ employees across acquisitions and joint ventures while restructuring operations to drive innovation and agility. • Modernized Talent Acquisition and HR digital platforms, implementing HRIS systems, streamlining recruitment workflows, and cutting time-to-fill by 50%, while enhancing candidate experience and quality of hire. • Transformed employee engagement and EVP, implementing engagement playbooks, internal coaching programs, and microlearning initiatives that increased learning participation by 65% YoY and improved talent attraction and retention by 25–40%.

SENIOR HR BUSINESS PARTNER NotableNielsen
2012 - 2014

Hired to lead the people function for the high-growth Nielsen Entertainment practice with 800 global employees and $850M in revenue. Led end-to-end HR, including talent acquisition, employee relations and investigations, compensation, and benefits management. • Advised executive leadership on enterprise talent strategy, shaping HR initiatives that enabled rapid business growth and successfully scaled the organization from startup to mature operations. • Redesigned total rewards and compensation programs, leveraging market intelligence and benchmarking to attract and retain top talent while strengthening competitive positioning. • Coached and developed leadership teams, embedding best-in-class people management practices, enhancing succession planning, and elevating organizational performance. • Led post-acquisition integration and divestiture efforts, integrating 150 employees and separating 100 employees while retaining 90% of top talent and preserving critical institutional knowledge. • Streamlined HR operations and processes, implementing scalable frameworks that supported business growth, enhanced employee experience, and established a foundation for enterprise talent strategy.

CONSULTANT, ORG. STRATEGY AND CHANGE The Lime Group
2011 - 2011

• Partnered with high-growth startups, non-profits, and billion-dollar enterprises to drive organizational transformation and scalable HR solutions. • Architected strategic vision and organizational blueprints for a media and marketing startup, aligning leadership, talent, and operational priorities. • Designed and facilitated executive leadership offsites for a billion-dollar retail internet business, achieving 85% adoption of actionable leadership practices. • Engineered leadership development and assessment frameworks for UN Women executives, resulting in a 13-point increase in role mobility.

MANAGING CONSULTANT, STRATEGY AND CHANGE NotableIBM
2007 - 2009

• Delivered enterprise strategy and organizational transformation programs for Fortune 100 clients, advising executives on change management, talent strategy, and leadership alignment across multiple industries and geographies. • Led global digital transformation for a $44B multinational engineering company, aligning operations across four continents, implementing governance frameworks, and increasing leadership accountability by 40%. • Engineered a high-impact talent and leadership model, embedding a robust diversity strategy that expanded leadership pipeline diversity by 50 points, strengthened succession planning, and enhanced executive readiness. • Redesigned team effectiveness and change readiness frameworks for a $7B media and information services company, increasing productivity and cohesion, aligning culture to business priorities, and embedding diversity-focused practices.

SENIOR CONSULTANT, STRATEGY AND CHANGE NotableIBM
2006 - 2007

• Directed enterprise-wide organizational transformation for a $13B CPG company, implementing a tailored change strategy and coaching senior leaders to institutionalize sustainable leadership practices • Co-designed a strategic talent and leadership development framework, strengthening the leadership pipeline, accelerating succession readiness, and ensuring continuity for critical executive roles.

Consultant, Global Executive & Organizational Capability NotableIBM
2004 - 2005

o Served as the internal organization and leadership development consultant to business leaders in IBM who were direct reports to Chairman &CEO. Developed and executed organization development interventions and coached senior and mid-level managers on the succession management plan.

Senior Manager, Human Resources Wipro Technologies
2001 - 2003

Led workforce planning, performance management, and leadership development initiatives, aligning talent strategy with rapid business growth objectives

Assistant Manager, Talent Development Euro RSCG
1996 - 1999

Scaled Enterprise-level HR processes as the organization started operations in India and designed and delivered talent development programs, supporting leadership capability and performance management across the agency.

Education

Masters of Organizational PsychologyTeachers College, Columbia University
2004 - 2006
Masters of Human Resources & Labor ManagementTata Institute of Social Sciences
1999 - 2001

Certification

Total Certifications5

Strength Finder Coach

Gallup

Executive Coaching

Teleos Leadership Institute

Coaching in Action

Center for Creative Leadership

MBTI

American Management Association

Human Laboratory Processes

NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences

Skills

Core skills0
Languages3

Languages

English
Bengali
Hindi