Fintech unicorn BharatPe names former Reckitt exec Smriti Handa HR boss

Apart from Reckitt, Smriti Handa has also worked with firms like Philips and Airtel in global and local roles

Fintech unicorn BharatPe has appointed former Reckitt executive Smriti Handa as its new Chief Human Resources Officer.

“In her new role, Smriti will be working closely with the senior leadership team at BharatPe and will focus on strengthening the organisational culture and HR practices in the company with the objective of building BharatPe as an employer of choice,” BharatPe said.

An alumnus of SRCC, Delhi University and MDI, Gurgaon, Handa comes with the experience of working across organisations like Reckitt, Philips and Airtel, in global and local roles.

Suhail Sameer, CEO, BharatPe said, “At BharatPe, team is our biggest asset and hence, culture is key for us as we build BharatPe 2.0. With Smriti on board with us to lead the People function, we are looking forward to preparing ourselves for the next level of growth for the brand.”

Earlier this year, several reports emerged about a toxic work culture at BharatPe under the leadership of co-founder Ashneer Grover, who has since resigned as the company’s managing director. An audit report also alleged instances of financial misappropriation by the Grover family who were also linked to related party transactions involving hiring in the company.

With $400 million parked in the bank and a monthly cash burn rate of $4 million, the fintech unicorn BharatPe said recently that it does not have any immediate plans of raising capital. The company said that it recorded revenue growth of 4x in FY22 to $100 million and has set itself the goal of crossing $300 million in revenue by FY23 end.