Titto Varkey

Background

About Titto Varkey

I've believed throughout my career that HR is more than policies and procedures - it's about people. Being an HR professional is a privilege: it allows me to shape careers, open doors to new opportunities, and build thriving workplace cultures. Few things are more rewarding than seeing people grow, succeed, and feel valued. With over 20 years of HR leadership across global organisations including HSBC, Fujitsu, Sears Holdings, GBG, Blueberry Markets, Lazarus Capital Partners and Zetaris, I've helped businesses scale, transform, and build people-first cultures from the ground up. My focus areas span HR function build and entity establishment, strategic workforce planning, talent management, employee engagement, M&A integration, and regulatory compliance (AFSL/ASIC, ISO 27001). At Zetaris, I'm building and scaling the HR function from inception for a globally distributed data analytics/software business, growing headcount by 50% across multiple locations in seven months while supporting ISO 27001 recertification. At Lazarus Capital Partners, I led an ASIC-aligned organisational restructure and established payroll for a regulated financial services firm. At Blueberry Markets, I led workforce planning that delivered 72% headcount growth in 15 months, set up new entities in Manila and Vanuatu, and helped secure Great Place to Work® Australia 2024 certification. At GBG, I led the integration of two acquired businesses worth USD100m and lifted the Employee Engagement Index from 3.78 to 4.42 (Gallup Q12) during the pandemic. I hold a Postgraduate Degree in Human Resource Management and undergraduate degrees in English Literature and Philosophy, along with certifications in Change Management (Change First, London) and HR Business Partnering (CIPD, London). My work has been recognised with the GBG HR Influencer Award (2021), Fujitsu's APEX Award (2018), and HSBC's HOPE Award (2014). I believe in going the extra mile to support others, while standing firm in decisions that shape an organisation's success. My approach to leadership is simple: listen, learn, and lead with impact. Let's connect to talk HR leadership, workplace culture, and the future of work.