About Madhu
Madhu Karunakaran is a senior HR and Learning & Development (L&D) leader with 20+ years of experience spanning people strategy, organizational development (OD), talent management, leadership development, capability building, and employee engagement. Over the course of his career, he has held various senior-level HR and L&D leadership roles across organizations such as TVS Group, Polaris Group, and Financial Software and Systems (FSS), gaining diverse experience across technology, engineering, product, and business environments.
Madhu’s experience includes building L&D and OD frameworks, enabling workforce development, designing capability-development programs, strengthening leadership and managerial effectiveness, and using people analytics and insights to inform organizational decisions. He has partnered closely with CHROs, CEOs, COOs, and other senior business leaders on organization design, workforce planning, employee experience, performance management, and high-potential talent development. Madhu brings this broad practitioner and strategic HR perspective to reviewing thought-leadership content on L&D, workforce skilling, OD, talent and performance, leadership, skills-based organizations, and the future of work.
Experience & education
- Associate Vice President, People, Learning & CultureMovate
- Head of HRTemenos
- People & Culture ManagerPolaris Group
- NUS Business School
Articles reviewed by Madhu
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- People and Team Management Training
- Sales Team Training
- Soft Skills Training for Banking and Financial Services
- Soft Skills Training for Retail and Ecommerce
- Soft Skills Training for Energy and Mining
- Soft Skills Training for Hospitality and Food Services
- Soft Skills Training for Insurance
- Soft Skills Training for IT and ITeS
- Soft Skills Training for Telecom
- Remote and Hybrid Team Training
- Soft Skills Training for Healthcare
- Soft Skills Training for Manufacturing and Engineering
- Soft Skills Training for Pharmaceutical
- Resilience at Work: A Guide for L&D and People Leaders
- Taking Initiative at Work: A Guide to Building Proactivity
- Verbal Communication at Work: How to Build the Skill
- Active Listening at Work: Techniques, Examples, and How to Train It
- Emotional Intelligence at Work: A Guide to Training It Across Your Team
- Giving Feedback at Work: A Guide to Training Managers
- Influencing Skills at Work: How to Influence Without Authority
- Nonverbal Communication at Work: A Guide to Reading and Using It
- Persuasion Skills at Work: A Guide to Building Them Ethically
- Problem Solving Skills in the Workplace: A Guide to Building Them at Scale
- Relationship Building at Work: A Guide to the Skill
- Self-Motivation at Work: A Guide to Building It Across Teams
- Self-Regulation at Work: A Guide to Building the Skill
- Social Skills at Work: A Guide to Building Them Across Teams
- Stress Management at Work: A Guide for L&D and People Leaders
- Written Communication at Work: A Guide to Building the Skill
- Accountability in the Workplace: A Guide to Building It Across Teams
- Assertiveness at Work: A Guide to Building the Skill
- Business Storytelling at Work: A Guide to Building the Skill
- Collaboration Skills at Work: A Guide to Building Them at Scale
- Cross-Cultural Communication at Work: A Guide for Global Teams
- Empathy at Work: A Guide to Building It Across Teams
- Hard Skills vs Soft Skills: The Difference and Why Both Matter
- Interpersonal Skills: Examples and How to Develop Them Across a Team
- Leadership Skills for Managers: The Complete Guide to Building Them
- Leadership Styles: A Guide for Developing Managers
- Management Styles: A Guide for New and Developing Managers
- Negotiation Skills at Work: A Guide to Building Them at Scale
- Networking Skills at Work: A Guide to Building Professional Relationships
- Organisational Skills at Work: A Guide to Building Them
- Presentation Skills at Work: How to Build Them Across Teams
- Public Speaking at Work: A Guide to Training Confident Speakers
- Self-Awareness at Work: A Guide to Building It Across Teams
- Self-Confidence at Work: A Guide to Building It Across Teams
- Teamwork Skills at Work: How to Build Them Across Teams
- Time Management Skills at Work: Techniques and How to Train Them
- Work Ethic at Work: A Guide to Building It Across Teams
- Role-Based Training: How to Build It When Roles Keep Changing
- Mandatory training for employees: coverage is not evidence
- Quiet cracking is the drop-off you will not find in a completion report
- Internal talent marketplace: how to implement one and why most stall
- AI literacy training is a legal obligation now, not a nice to have
- What Is Peer Learning in the Workplace? Formats and How to Run Them
- Training Needs Analysis (TNA): A Practical 2026 Guide
- What is skills intelligence? A complete guide for L&D leaders
- What Is an AI Learning Assistant? Definition, Types, How It Works
- Skills-Based Hiring: How to Implement It and Why Programmes Stall
- Skills vs Knowledge: What Enterprise L&D Gets Wrong
- Soft Skills Training for Employees: Types, Methods & How to Measure It
- 9 Best Cloud-Based LMS Platforms in 2026: Comparison, Benefits & Buyer's Guide
- What is Behaviorism Learning Theory? Definition, Principles & Examples
- What is an LXP (Learning Experience Platform)? Ultimate Guide for 2026
- How to Identify and Close Skills and Knowledge Gaps in Your Organization
- E-Learning Content Creation: Process, Tools, and AI
- 10 Types of Employee Training Programs in 2026 (Benefits & Examples)
- Learning Agility in the Workplace: Meaning, Benefits & How to Build It
- Employee Training Program: How to Plan & Deliver One in 2026
- Synchronous vs asynchronous learning: the choice matters less than you think
- 7 Learner Engagement Strategies That Actually Drive Outcomes
- ADDIE Model: 5 Key Stages for Effective Employee Training
- Inclusive Training with GenAI: From English-Only to Multilingual
- What is Technical Training? Types, Benefits & Examples (2026 Guide)
- 7 Strategies for Creating a Culture of Compliance in 2026
- Job Shadowing Program: Benefits, Examples & How to Build One (2026)
- How to Build a Compliance Training Program: A Risk-Based Framework for 2026
- Overcoming Talent Management Challenges in 2026 - Strategies for Success
- Discover How an AI-Powered LXP Enhances On-the-job Learning
- Skills Gap Analysis: How to Conduct a Skill Gap Assessment (2026 Guide)
- Digital flashcards: why the method that feels worst works best
- 5 Types of On-the-Job Training (OJT) to Maximize Workforce Performance in 2026
- How to Implement Skills Based Training for Your Employees: 2026 Guide
- Creating Engaging Training Content for Food and Beverage Employees