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Meet Girish Ganesan, CPO at S&P Global, and now a member of the newly launched HR Grapevine Editorial Advisory Board!
In this capacity, he leads the global people and corporate responsibility function, driving impact and innovation across a workforce of 42,000 employees in 41 countries. He also serves on the board of CRISIL (an S&P Global company), S&P Global Foundation, and All Stars Project Inc.
Prior to joining S&P Global, Girish held various HR roles at TD Bank Group, Manulife, and Accenture. He has won multiple awards and is a sought-after speaker on workforce transformation, AI-powered talent innovation, and the evolving role of leadership in shaping organizational culture.
Read on for our full interview with Girish, including his ultimate career advice for HR professionals, his sources of inspiration as a people leader, and a music recommendation to soundtrack your weekend!
Can you share a quick overview of your current role and why HR is so important to S&P Global?
As Chief People Officer at S&P Global, I lead our People team for over 40,000 colleagues across more than 41 countries. At the heart of this is our People Forward philosophy – our commitment to creating an environment where colleagues feel supported, connected, and inspired to grow. It’s what defines our value proposition to both current and prospective talent: a workplace that invests in learning, encourages mobility, and builds a true sense of connectivity and wellbeing.
For S&P Global, HR is not just about enabling performance and engagement today; it’s about shaping the future of work in a way that helps people thrive and ensures our business continues to lead with impact.
What’s one lesson from your career that you’d pass on to a younger HR professional?
Stay curious, stay human. Early in my career, I thought expertise was everything. Over time, I’ve learned that listening - really listening - matters more. Every role, every conversation, is an opportunity to understand people better. For HR professionals, it’s not enough to solve problems; you must help people feel seen and supported. That balance of business impact and human connection is where the real magic happens.
AI aside… is there any key work-related trend, issue, or impact you’re preparing for ahead of 2026 and beyond?
I see human connectivity and trust becoming even more critical. Geopolitical uncertainty, generational shifts, and new work models all test how connected people feel to their organizations. In the years ahead, leaders will need to focus not only on flexibility and skills but also on ensuring that employees feel they truly belong. When people believe they matter and their contributions have impact, they’re more resilient in the face of change.
Who or what is your biggest inspiration from outside of the HR world?
My inspiration comes from my parents. They both modeled resilience, humility, and an unwavering belief in the power of education. Watching them build a life from scratch after moving countries taught me that adaptability and perseverance are universal skills. Those lessons guide me every day, especially when navigating change at scale in my professional life.
Girish Ganesan shares his music recommendation
Can you recommend a music album for our readers to unwind to?
For me, it’s Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. It’s timeless, soulful, and has a way of slowing you down – something we all need more of in our “always-on” world.
What is the HR Grapevine Editorial Advisory Board?
In case you’ve missed our updates, we’ve recently launched the HR Grapevine Editorial Advisory Board!
The Editorial Advisory Board will be a vital part of HR Grapevine's ongoing commitment to provide its audience of over 290,000 HR professionals with outstanding, industry-recognised content, packed with practical guidance and insights.
From rigorous, high-quality journalism to in-depth articles, interviews, case studies, podcasts, and events, the voices of HR practitioners are at the heart of HR Grapevine's editorial output - and we're thrilled to be taking this step to ensure our content continues to be as timely, relevant, and useful as possible to the industry.
Our Editorial Advisory Board is formed of a deeply experienced group of HR and people professionals who come from a range of different disciplines and backgrounds, but with one thing in common: a dedication to helping the wider HR community learn, grow, and celebrate together.
About Girish Ganesan
Girish Ganesan is Chief People Officer at S&P Global and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. In this capacity, he leads the global people and corporate responsibility function, driving impact and innovation across a workforce of 42,000 employees in 41 countries. He also serves on the board of CRISIL (an S&P Global company), S&P Global Foundation, and All Stars Project Inc.
Prior to joining S&P Global, Girish held various HR roles at TD Bank Group, Manulife, and Accenture. He has won multiple awards and is a sought-after speaker on workforce transformation, AI-powered talent innovation, and the evolving role of leadership in shaping organizational culture.
