Aster DM Healthcare, a leading healthcare company, has officially announced the appointment of Jacob Jacob as the Group Chief Human Resources Officer on December 16, 2024.

Jacob joined the healthcare services firm in September 2024 and announced his new role on LinkedIn, posting, "I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Group CHRO at Aster DM Healthcare!" He brings over 27 years of global HR leadership experience across diverse global markets. Prior to that, he served Malabar Group as the Group and Global Chief Human Resources Officer, overseeing HR functions across India and the UAE. Previously, he held leadership roles at Columbia Asia Healthcare as Group CHRO for Malaysia, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises as Group Chief People Officer, and Oberoi Realty as Executive Vice President of HR. Earlier in his career, he worked with Emirates Airlines in the UAE as an HR Specialist and with Feedback Ventures in India as a Senior Consultant.

In his new role, Jacob will lead Aster DM Healthcare's people strategy for teams in the GCC, covering more than 800 medical establishments, including hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and diagnostic centers across seven countries.

Welcoming Jacob on the leadership team, Alisha Moopen, Managing Director & Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare said, "With his extensive expertise and strategic vision in human resources, he is poised to lead our HR transformation programme for our team of 15,000+ employees in GCC and propel us into the next phase of our growth journey. At Aster, our people are at the core of everything that we do and I am confident that Jacob’s leadership will further elevate our commitment to cultivating a collaborative, high-performing work environment that empowers every employee to thrive."

Jacob added, "I am thrilled to be part of Aster DM Healthcare at such a transformative time for the organisation and the healthcare industry. I look forward to working with the talented teams across Aster to drive HR strategies that will empower our people, enhance leadership development, and support the organisation’s mission of providing world-class healthcare."

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Jacob’s academic credentials include a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Development from the Academy of HRD, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from T.A. Pai Management Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from SDM College, Mangalore. Among the recognitions, he received special mention for his HR leadership by Gallup during his tenure at Apollo Hospitals. and received several prestigious awards, including the Asia HRD Award and the HR Leadership Award at APAC Summit HR Professional of the Year 2012. He was also a member of Emerging HR Leaders Jury 2021 for People Matters' Are You in the List Awards.

With core competencies in strategic HR and design, organisational transformation, culture building, senior leadership coaching, cross-functional leadership, HR innovation, productivity improvement, business-aligned HR solutions, and digital transformation, Jacob is set to play a key role in aligning Aster’s HR strategy with its group-wide vision. He aims to foster a culture of innovation and performance excellence while leading the full spectrum of HR functions for the group. This aligns with the company’s commitment to enhancing its people excellence strategy, fostering a high-performance culture, and creating a rewarding employee experience.

Jacob succeeds Fara Siddiqi, who stepped down from the role to join Dulsco Group as the Group CHRO in October 2024.