Pushp Kumar Joshi to be new chairman and managing director of HPCL

Pushp Kumar Joshi has been picked by government headhunter PESB to be the new chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), the nation's third largest oil refining and fuel marketing company.

Joshi, who is currently Director - Human Resources at HPCL - was picked after PESB interviewed 10 candidates on January 24, the headhunter said in a notice.

"PESB recommended the following name for the post of Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL: Pushp Kumar Joshi," it said.

The recommendation will now go to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ACC will decide on his selection after getting reports from anti-corruption agencies such as CVC and CBI.

Joshi, 58, has been on the board of HPCL for almost a decade now.

He will replace Mukesh Kumar Surana, who superannuates on April 30 this year.

Joshi had missed out on being the head of HPCL on previous two occasions - first in August 2013 when Nishi Vasudeva was picked by PESB and again in October 2015 when Surana was selected.

PESB said it interviewed M Venkatesh, Managing Director of Mangalore Refineries & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), Joshi and four executive directors of HPCL. It also interviewed U Sarvanan, Chairman and Managing Director of Madras Fertilizer Ltd and three other non-HPCL executives before selecting Joshi for the top job.

Joshi, who has been Director Human Resources of HPCL since August 1, 2012, is a Doctorate in Human Resource Management, Post Graduate in Human Resource Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur and Bachelor of Law from Andhra University.

"As Director HR, Mr. Joshi is presently responsible for overseeing the design and deployment of key Human Resource policies and strategies while leading Human Resources practices that are employee-oriented and aimed at building high performance culture. With over three decades of vast experience in Human Resource and Industrial Relations, Mr. Joshi has played a pivotal role in leading key transformational and strategic initiatives, across HPCL," the company says on its website.

He has spearheaded Human Resource practices at HPCL with strong business focus and contemporary approaches for leadership development, capability building and productivity enhancement by leveraging technology. "He helped in the development and shaping the Company's Culture and Values aligned to the Vision and provided support to the business and finance functions in the critical area of Human Resources."

If appointed, Joshi will have a tenure till August 31, 2024.

HPCL is a subsidiary of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).