Vidhya R.

Founding Member | India Talent Acquisition | Gitlab

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

About

I lead talent acquisition across products and engineering for APAC & EMEA, alongside global corporate function hiring, operating at enterprise scale in highly competitive markets. At Red Hat, I manage a distributed team of 10 recruiters and am accountable for 1,200+ hires annually across regions and functions. My scope spans high-growth product and engineering teams, GenAI talent, and complex corporate portfolios, often running parallel ramp-ups during periods of scale and transformation. I partner closely with senior business leaders, HRBPs, and global people teams on workforce planning and hiring strategy, translating growth priorities into practical hiring outcomes. In addition to regional and global TA ownership, I bring deep experience in Leadership hiring and frequently operate as a trusted talent advisor during expansion, change, and org evolution. I am also a Red Hat–Certified Career Coach, with a strong focus on mentoring recruiters and enabling sustainable career growth—particularly for women and working parents navigating leadership paths.

Experience

  • Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition at GitLab
    May 2026 - Present · 2 mos

  • Red Hat (9 yrs 10 mos)
    • Manager, Talent Acquisition
      Jan 2025 - May 2026 · 1 yr 5 mos

      • Lead product and engineering hiring across APAC & EMEA, alongside global corporate function hiring, supporting multiple high-priority portfolios • Manage and coach a distributed team of 10 recruiters across regions, ensuring consistent delivery, quality, and capability at scale • Accountable for 1,200+ hires annually across engineering, product, GenAI, and corporate functions, including parallel ramp-ups for multiple teams • Partner closely with senior business leaders, HRBPs, and global people teams on hiring priorities, workforce planning inputs, and delivery governance • Leverage market intelligence and data-backed insights to improve pipeline health, hiring velocity, and candidate experience across regions

    • Manager, Talent Acquistion - India
      Oct 2022 - Jan 2025 · 2 yrs 4 mos

      • Owned India hiring across engineering, sales, services, support, and corporate functions during periods of sustained growth • Led and developed recruiting teams supporting diverse business portfolios and complex hiring needs • Partnered with functional leaders and HRBPs on demand planning, niche skill hiring, and market strategy • Strengthened stakeholder confidence through predictable delivery and pragmatic hiring solutions

    • Associate Manager - Talent Acqusition
      Sep 2021 - Oct 2022 · 1 yr 2 mos

      • Managed recruiters delivering end-to-end hiring for technology and business roles • Supported hiring managers with sourcing strategy, interview calibration, and market insights • Contributed to recruiter coaching, process improvement, and hiring best practices

  • IBM (Bengaluru Area, India)
    • Recruitment Partner - IBM Labs
      Aug 2014 - Aug 2016 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      • Supported mid to senior-level hiring across technical and leadership roles within IBM Labs • Built strong stakeholder relationships and advised hiring managers on sourcing and interviewing approaches • Shared market intelligence, talent trends, and hiring insights to support decision-making

    • Talent Search Team - Executive & Leadership Hiring - NA / Europe / Japan
      Jul 2012 - Aug 2014 · 2 yrs 2 mos

      • Part of the executive recruitment research team supporting leadership hiring across multiple geographies • Delivered talent mapping, market intelligence, and competitor analysis for senior roles • Supported diversity hiring initiatives across regions

  • Agency Experience – Executive & Technology Hiring at Fish People Consulting and Procartel Technologies
    Jun 2004 - Jun 2012 · 8 yrs 1 mo

    • Delivered end-to-end recruitment across IT, product, and leadership roles for Tier 1 and Tier 2 clients • Supported CXO, VP, Director, and senior leadership searches across India, APAC, Gulf, and Africa • Managed client relationships, search delivery, and early team leadership responsibilities • Built strong foundations in stakeholder management, market mapping, and search execution