HRadiO: Cytiva's Shivani Nadarajah on building the future of APAC's biopharma workforce

As APAC's life sciences industry expands, recruitment alone is no longer enough. Shivani Nadarajah, Senior Director, Human Resources, APAC at Cytiva, shares why internal mobility, AI readiness, and continuous learning will be critical to building the workforce of the future.

It took Shivani Nadarajah a decade to discover where she truly belonged.

Long before she became Senior Director, Human Resources, APAC, Cytiva, she was working in supply chain, sourcing steel to make wind turbines. HR was never part of the original plan, but when the opportunity arose to make the switch, she took it. Looking back, she describes it as finding a place that finally felt like home.

Yet it was her decade outside HR that continues to shape how she leads today.

Rather than approaching people management through policies and processes alone, Shivani believes effective HR leaders first need to understand the business they are supporting.

"You need to understand the context before you can really manage and support HR strategies, and that even goes for here at Cytiva.”

That business-first mindset has become increasingly valuable in her current role, where she oversees HR across APAC for Cytiva, a global life sciences company with more than 15,000 associates operating in over 40 countries

Leading people across one of the world's most diverse regions means balancing global consistency with local realities, something Shivani believes cannot be achieved through a one-size-fits-all approach.

Instead, one philosophy has become the foundation of how she leads.

"Think global, act local."

Borrowed from a phrase often used by her general manager, it has become more than a leadership mantra. It influences how she approaches everything from talent strategies to business partnerships across the region.

Speaking to Umairah Nasir, Shivani reflects on her unconventional career journey, leading HR across APAC, and why meaningful experiences, rather than hiring alone, are key to building the workforce of the future.

Read the interview highlights here below and scroll to the end to listen to the podcast!

A bridge between global and local

For Shivani, leading HR across APAC means being more than a regional leader. It means acting as a bridge.

On one hand, she works closely with Cytiva's global HR leadership team to translate company-wide priorities into actionable strategies for the region. On the other, she relies heavily on her local HR teams, whose understanding of individual markets helps ensure those strategies remain relevant.

"I have a fantastic team that really understands the nuances of the countries and regions that they support," she says.

"What we want to execute at a global level sometimes doesn't align with the market dynamics of the region.”

Rather than viewing this as a challenge, Shivani sees it as one of the most important parts of her role.She frequently travels across APAC, meeting employees, business leaders and customers to understand the realities on the ground before bringing those perspectives back to global headquarters. Where travel isn't possible, she recreates those conversations virtually, ensuring regional voices remain part of broader strategic discussions.

Equally important is building the next generation of leaders within her own team.

"My goal is to [ensure they do] not need me in the future and really build that expertise and that capability here," she says with a smile.

For Shivani, leadership is measured not by how indispensable someone becomes, but by how successfully they prepare others to take on greater responsibilities – a belief that has become especially important since relocating from the US to APAC.

She sees immense technical expertise and deep market knowledge among professionals across the region. The opportunity, however, lies in helping more people build the confidence to communicate those strengths effectively.

"How do you find your voice? How do you tell your story? How do you elevate yourself and advocate for yourself?" she asks.

Those skills, she believes, are becoming increasingly important as organisations expand across borders and employees collaborate with a wider range of stakeholders than ever before.

APAC's role in biopharma is changing and so are its talent needs

That need for stronger leadership comes at a time when the biopharma industry itself is undergoing significant transformation.

According to Shivani, APAC has become one of the industry's fastest-growing regions, driven by rising investment, expansion and increasing demand for healthcare innovation.

Countries such as Singapore, India, and South Korea are playing increasingly prominent roles, fuelled by efforts to improve access to therapies and accelerate drug development.

"It's a great time to be in biotech," she says.

Rather than simply supporting innovation developed elsewhere, many Asian markets are now driving growth in their own right, with the East being deemed a big player.

India's growing biosimilars industry is one example.

By expanding access to more affordable and accessible therapies, the country is helping bring treatments to patients who may previously have struggled to access them.

For organisations operating in the region, this momentum creates exciting opportunities, Shivani notes.

But it also raises an important question: Can the workforce keep pace?

[Listen to the podcast on Spotify]

Hiring alone is no longer enough

For many organisations, talent shortages immediately trigger conversations around recruitment.

Shivani believes that mindset needs to change.

"It's not so much, 'Can I hire this talent?' It's, 'Can I hire them fast enough to navigate how much the industry is changing?'"

In her view, the industry's biggest challenge is no longer attracting talent. It is developing people quickly enough to keep pace with rapid scientific advances, changing customer expectations, and evolving business needs.

That is why she believes internal capability building should sit at the centre of every talent strategy – and at Cytiva, one way this comes to life is through internal mobility. More than 60% of positions are filled internally, creating opportunities for employees to gain new experiences across different parts of the business.

For Shivani, those experiences matter far more than simply earning the next promotion. She believes career success should not be measured by how quickly someone climbs the corporate ladder, but by how broadly they develop throughout their journey.

"It's not, 'How fast can I climb the ladder? It's, 'How many different experiences can I get as I move through my career?'"

Exposure to different functions, projects, and challenges helps create leaders who are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, something she believes every organisation will increasingly need.

That mindset also changes how employees think about the future of work: instead of viewing careers as a series of promotions, they become continuous learning journeys shaped by new experiences, different perspectives and constant adaptation.

And few forces are accelerating that need for adaptation more than artificial intelligence.

AI is one of those forces.

While conversations about AI often centre on whether technology will replace jobs, Shivani believes organisations should instead be asking how work itself is changing.

"The work I do today and how I work is not going to be the same way I do it in the future. How do I accelerate that journey to the future state? That's going to be key for our talent."

She believes professionals across APAC already possess strong technical expertise. The next challenge would then be helping them develop skills that technology cannot easily replace. Among them is stakeholder management.

"The bones are all there," she says. "It's just [about] putting it in a nice package with the bow."

In other words, employees need to be able to communicate their ideas, influence others, and advocate for themselves just as confidently as they execute their technical responsibilities.

Those capabilities are becoming increasingly important as organisations become more collaborative and employees work across functions, countries, and cultures.

At the same time, the pace of change means employers are also rethinking what they look for when hiring new talent.

Technical knowledge remains essential, particularly as demand grows for graduates in biotechnology, biomedical science, and bioengineering. However, as Shivani points out, the qualities that often distinguish strong candidates extend beyond technical expertise.

She looks for individuals who remain resilient when circumstances change, who are comfortable navigating ambiguity, and who are willing to adapt as industries continue evolving.

Historically, many jobs followed predictable routines. Today, she says, that predictability has largely disappeared.

"There is a lot of need to pivot and fail fast," she says.

Those same qualities are also shaping how organisations develop talent internally.

Every market needs a different approach

Although talent shortages are a common concern across APAC, Shivani is quick to point out that every market presents a different challenge.

Japan, for example, continues to grapple with an ageing workforce and limited talent supply, making it increasingly important to attract younger employees while creating opportunities for experienced workers to mentor the next generation.

India, meanwhile, presents a very different picture. Its workforce is young, ambitious, and eager to progress quickly.

Rather than encouraging rapid promotions, Shivani believes organisations should help employees focus on gaining broader experiences that prepare them for long-term leadership.

Ultimately, she says, HR leaders must understand the distinct realities of each market while remaining focused on a shared overarching goal: building internal capability.

That philosophy becomes even more relevant when considering the expectations of the next generation entering the workforce. Shivani believes Gen Z employees are redefining how organisations approach feedback, recognition, and career development.

Unlike previous generations, who were generally comfortable waiting for mid-year or annual performance reviews, younger employees increasingly expect regular conversations about their progress. In response, Cytiva has been using technology and data to give employees more continuous insights into their performance and development.

Shivani also sees a shift in what motivates younger professionals. While earlier generations may have placed greater value on material rewards or traditional forms of recognition, many Gen Z employees place more importance on meaningful experiences.

Rather than receiving a commemorative award, employees may be more inspired by opportunities to visit customers, understand how their work contributes to life-saving therapies and see first-hand the impact they are making. Those experiences, she says, create a stronger connection to purpose than a trophy ever could.

[Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast]

Learning doesn't stop in the classroom

That emphasis on purpose and experience extends to how employees develop throughout their careers. For Shivani, preparing employees for the future is not about sending them to more training courses.

Instead, it is about giving them opportunities to learn by doing.

She describes learning and development as following the 70:20:10 principle: formal classroom learning plays an important role, but only accounts for around 10% of development. Another 20% comes from building relationships with mentors, coaches, and professional networks. And finally, the remaining 70% happens through experiences.

"It's not going to be found in the classroom," she says.

"You have to be exposed to different experiences, and you have to be willing and accepting that you may not get it right on the first try; and us being okay with that.”

That also means accepting that growth often comes with mistakes. Rather than expecting employees to get everything right the first time, organisations should create space for experimentation, reflection and continuous improvement. For Shivani, every new challenge is an opportunity to become a better leader.

The same philosophy extends to employee engagement. At Cytiva, engagement is measured through regular surveys and listening sessions, but Shivani believes gathering feedback is only the starting point. What matters most is how leaders respond.

One clear insight from employee surveys was that associates across APAC wanted to feel more connected to senior leadership. In response, the organisation encouraged senior leaders to spend more time in the region – meeting employees, visiting customers and developing a deeper understanding of local market realities. These visits, she says, have helped build trust and ensured regional perspectives are better represented in global discussions.

Yet while senior leaders help shape the broader environment, Shivani believes culture is built much closer to employees.

"Our real tie to leaders is our direct manager," she says.

Managers are the people who create psychological safety, encourage honest conversations, and help employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. They are also the people who turn engagement from a survey score into an everyday experience.

Keeping that in mind, as organisations continue investing in technology and workforce transformation, Shivani says leaders cannot lose sight of the human side of HR.

Beyond the office

That belief extends beyond her day job.

For the past 14 years, she has also been performing stand-up comedy. Although the worlds of comedy and HR may seem unrelated, she sees a clear connection between the two. Both are built on storytelling. Both require understanding people. And both offer opportunities to create genuine human connection.

Since relocating to APAC, she has even introduced a quarterly newsletter, East to East Threads, encouraging colleagues across the region to share personal stories and interests beyond work, from learning traditional crafts to making kombucha. The aim is simple: to help colleagues see one another as people first.

One lesson from early in her HR career has stayed with her. Eager to build a relationship, she confidently greeted a colleague as “Nancy”, only to discover that her name was Kristen. The moment was embarrassing, but it taught her something more important.

"Our identities are far more than the jobs that we do. We do a job to pay our bills and take care of our families, but we're multifaceted people."

Rather than simply remembering someone's name, Shivani says leaders should take time to understand what motivates them, what they enjoy outside work, and what matters to them as individuals. Why? Because often, it is often these conversations – not formal meetings or performance reviews – that build lasting trust.

Building people, not just hiring them

Of the many learnings picked up in the conversation, one notable point stood out above the rest: hiring may bring people through the door, but it is continuous learning, meaningful experiences, and genuine human connection that keep people growing. As APAC's biopharma industry accelerates, organisations will continue investing in technology, expanding into new markets, and competing fiercely for talent. But for Shivani, the organisations that thrive will be those that invest just as intentionally in developing their people.

That belief is reflected in the way Shivani leads. Warm, approachable, and full of positive energy, she believes the best leaders build trust, create opportunities, and take the time to understand the person behind the job title.

Want to hear the full conversation? Tune in to this episode of HRadiO, where Shivani shares insights on leadership, learning, AI, and the future of talent in APAC's biopharma industry.

[Listen to the podcast on Buzzsprout]

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