Singapore
23 July 2010

I.R. Nagaraj, Human Resources Director of AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, has been honored with the HR Leadership Award by the Employer Branding Institute, World HRD Congress, and CMO Asia. Nagaraj received the award for his outstanding contributions to organizational development throughout his 30-year career. The award was presented on 23 July 2010 at Singapore’s Suntec City Convention Centre.

The Employer Branding Institute, founded in 2004, links human resource professionals in more than 36 countries to share best practices and foster talent management, talent development, and talent innovation. Candidates are nominated by colleagues and a jury selects awardees based on professional standing, publications, affiliations, and active participation in developing intellectual capital as a corporate asset.

Nagaraj began his human resources career at the Indian Oil Corporation in 1981, a national oil company with more than 33,000 employees. His career path includes HR leadership positions at multinational and international organizations, including Chevron and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

He joined AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center in 2009. The Center is an international nonprofit agricultural research and development institution headquartered in Taiwan whose mission is to alleviate poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of nutritious, health-promoting vegetables.

“I am honored to earn this prestigious award,” Nagaraj said. “AVRDC recognizes and values the importance of leadership development and the Center is committed to creating an environment where all of our staff can thrive." In his time at the Center, Nagaraj has focused on skills development for nationally hired staff and has sought to put policies and benefit packages on a more equitable footing for all Center employees to enable an inclusive work environment.

Nagaraj holds a Ph.D in organization strategy from the Indian Institute of Technology- Madras in India.

“Nagaraj has significantly raised the quality of human resources services at our Center, and his commitment to talent development will stand us in good stead for the future,” said Dyno Keatinge, Director General, AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center. “We thank the institute members for their recognition of excellence in selecting Nagaraj for this award.”

AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center is the principal international nonprofit institute for vegetable research and development. Founded in 1971, the Center develops vegetable lines and sustainable technologies to increase the production and consumption of nutritious, health-promoting vegetables in developing countries, leading to more income opportunities and healthier diets for the poor. Primary target groups are small, disadvantaged landholders in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Headquartered in Taiwan, AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center has regional centers in Thailand, Tanzania, India, and Dubai UAE, and offices or staff located in many developing countries.

Website: https://avrdc.org/

Published: July 22, 2010