Food and facilities services company Sodexo has appointed Harish Kumar as Regional Head of Human Resources for Karnataka, effective October 2026. Kumar has more than two decades of experience across HR operations, talent acquisition, employee relations and workforce planning. His career spans food services, hospitality, quick-service restaurants (QSR) and staffing.
In his new role, Kumar will be responsible for aligning HR strategy with business priorities, strengthening workforce capability and building an engaged, productive workforce across the region.
Career background
Kumar joins Sodexo from Compass Group India, where he was Branch Lead from June 2025 to August 2026. His remit there covered talent acquisition, HR operations, payroll, rewards and recognition, employee engagement, statutory compliance, administration and facilities management.
| Period | Organisation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| June 2010 to June 2017 | Domino’s Pizza and Dunkin’ Donuts | Regional Head, Human Resources (South) |
| June 2017 to October 2022 | Compass Group India | Assistant General Manager |
| October 2023 to April 2024 | Curefoods | Lead Project Manager |
| April 2024 to September 2024 | GOPIZZA India | Head of Human Resources |
| September 2024 to May 2025 | VRO Hospitality | Human Resources Director |
| June 2025 to August 2026 | Compass Group India | Branch Lead |
| October 2026 onwards | Sodexo | Regional Head, Human Resources (Karnataka) |
Sources: HRKatha, HR Today
At Domino’s Pizza and Dunkin’ Donuts, Kumar managed talent acquisition, HR operations, manpower planning, budgeting, internal audits, contract labour and employee relations across restaurant operations in South India. At VRO Hospitality, he led a team of eight and worked on workforce planning and an employee handbook covering company policies.
Kumar began his career in recruitment and staffing. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Bangalore University.
