PeopleStrong Taps Aashay Manake as Chief People Officer 

PeopleStrong, the human capital management (HCM) SaaS platform, has named Aashay Manake as its Chief People Officer (CPO), effective immediately. The announcement confirms that Manake will lead the company’s people and culture strategy, focusing on leadership development, workforce effectiveness, and organisational capability. He will report directly to the CEO and collaborate closely with the senior leadership team to implement HR frameworks that support PeopleStrong’s growth and operational objectives.

Manake joins PeopleStrong from Jubilant FoodWorks, where he served as Vice President – HR. He brings over 16 years of experience across high-growth and complex organisations in FMCG, industrial conglomerates, hospitality, consumer technology, and QSR sectors. His career has encompassed senior HR roles at ITC Ltd., GE, OYO, and Jubilant FoodWorks, where he managed large, distributed, multi-brand workforces and drove enterprise-wide HR initiatives.

An alumnus of the Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD), Manake has led programs covering performance management, rewards, leadership development, employee relations, and organisational design. His experience spans environments undergoing rapid transformation, providing him with expertise in aligning people strategies with business objectives and operational scale.

Driving People Strategy for Growth

In his capacity as CPO, Aashay Manake will oversee PeopleStrong’s internal HR operations and people systems, ensuring that leadership capability, employee engagement, and organisational readiness are effectively managed. The role includes designing scalable talent strategies, implementing frameworks for workforce effectiveness, and strengthening leadership pipelines across the company.

PeopleStrong’s CPO position carries significant influence as the company continues to expand across markets. The company currently serves over 500 enterprises and supports more than two million users, processing over 1.75 million payroll transactions every month. Its HR mobile platform maintains a global rating of 4.8/5 across iOS and Android devices, demonstrating widespread adoption and engagement. Manake’s appointment is intended to make PeopleStrong’s focus on structured HR practices and scalable people management as the business grows.

Welcoming Manake, Sandeep Chaudhary, CEO of PeopleStrong, said,  “At PeopleStrong, we believe that people care is good business. As we scale across markets and support organisations navigating increasingly complex workforce realities, having a leader who combines strong HR expertise, process thinking, and genuine human understanding is critical. Aashay embodies this balance exceptionally well. We are delighted to welcome him to the leadership team and look forward to strengthening our people and culture agenda as the company enters its next phase of growth.”

Manake stated, “PeopleStrong has consistently been at the forefront of progressive people practices, setting benchmarks for how culture, leadership, and employee experience can drive long-term value. I am excited to build on this foundation and work with the leadership team to strengthen capabilities, create scalable people systems, and foster a culture that brings joy, energy, and meaning to work.”

Elevating HR Leadership in the Tech Sector

The appointment of Aashay Manake shows that HR technology companies are placing more focus on senior leadership roles responsible for managing people and company culture. Organisations increasingly recognise the importance of dedicated leadership in talent strategy, workforce effectiveness, and organisational readiness.

Within HR technology and enterprise management, formalising the Chief People Officer role supports structured leadership development, ensures efficient human capital management, and enables companies to respond to complex workforce needs. PeopleStrong’s decision aligns with industry practices that emphasise professionalising HR leadership to maintain high standards of people management and organisational performance.

Manake’s leadership is expected to contribute to PeopleStrong’s efforts to build stronger leadership capabilities, enhance employee engagement, and create scalable HR processes. The appointment highlights the company’s commitment to people-first strategies and supports enterprise clients in managing their workforce effectively. PeopleStrong has consistently featured in Gartner’s Voice of the Customer reports and has been named a Customer’s Choice for Cloud HCM Suites for enterprises with more than 1,000 employees from 2022 to 2025, reinforcing the significance of leadership in maintaining its market position.

With this appointment, PeopleStrong aims to keep its HR operations running smoothly, build up its leadership team, and keep providing value to enterprise clients through its HR platforms and services.