How a Global Human Capital Visionary Is Reimagining Leadership, Culture, and Impact at Greif, Inc.

 

The Architecture of Purpose

In an age when technology disrupts faster than trust can rebuild, Bala Sathyanarayanan stands apart as a leader who leads with both head and heart. As Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Greif, Inc., Bala has become a global voice for a new kind of leadership, one where empathy fuels strategy, and performance and purpose move in unison.

Founded in 1877, Greif evolved from a humble barrel maker into a $5.4 billion industrial packaging powerhouse spanning 4o plus countries and more than 14,000 colleagues. Yet its true transformation lies not in its scale, but in its soul.

“At Greif, we measure success not only by financial results, but by the lives we touch,” Bala says. “We build packaging that protects products, but we also build possibility, dignity, and hope.”

Under his stewardship, Greif has emerged as a human-centered organization, where culture is strategy, innovation is inclusive, and progress is sustainable. His leadership has turned Greif’s purpose Packaging Success Together into a living system of values, decisions, and human connection.

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Turning Points: Growth with Conviction

Every enduring institution experiences defining moments. For Greif, those moments were not accidents of circumstance but expressions of intent guided by leaders who understood that scale means little without soul.

The acquisition of Huhtamäki Van Leer in 2002 doubled Greif’s global reach. Nearly two decades later, the 2019 Caraustar Industries acquisition extended its leadership into circular and sustainable packaging, anchoring Greif in the future of fiber innovation and closed-loop systems.

“Each acquisition wasn’t about getting bigger,” Bala reflects. “It was about getting better, about reimagining who we wanted to be for the planet and for people.”

Through such deliberate transformation, Greif shifted from a product-driven manufacturer to a purpose-driven ecosystem, where sustainability and social responsibility are not departments, they are the DNA of decision-making.

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The Human Equation of Leadership

For Bala, leadership begins where ego ends. He sees it not as a privilege of rank, but as a responsibility of care.

“True leadership,” he says, “isn’t about being followed, it’s about creating conditions where others can rise.”

He often speaks of five timeless disciplines that define modern leadership:

1. Reflection before reaction

2. Empathy across cultures

3. Integrating technology with humanity

4. Balancing short-term wins with long-term purpose

5. Aligning global vision with local authenticity

Each tenet reveals his belief that leaders must serve before they steer. In Bala’s world, leadership is not command and control, it is connect and cultivate.

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From Culture to Competitive Advantage

Under Bala’s leadership, Greif’s culture has evolved from a set of values into a strategic engine of differentiation. Integrity, service, and teamwork, the company’s timeless core now pulse through modern principles of innovation, inclusion, and empathy.

“Culture is not a slide on a deck,” Bala often reminds his teams. “It’s what people do when no one is watching.”

He sees culture as a strategic multiplier, where every colleague, from a plant floor in Poland to a design studio in Ohio, acts as a steward of Greif’s purpose—to create packaging that protects products, people, and the planet. The result is a workplace where belonging breeds innovation, and where inclusion becomes a performance advantage.

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Empowerment Through Learning

At the center of Greif’s transformation lies an idea both simple and radical: when people learn, organizations lead. Bala’s initiatives—such as Greif University, Lead to Last, and the One Greif global cultural platform—are not training programs. They are ecosystems for growth.

“Learning is how we future-proof the human spirit,” Bala says. “When you unleash curiosity, you unleash courage.”

He has reframed HR as Human Possibility—a function that doesn’t just manage talent but magnifies it, turning employees into intrapreneurs and colleagues into creators of value.

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Equity and Inclusion: The Moral Compass

Bala views diversity not as an initiative, but as the heartbeat of humanity. Under his leadership, Greif achieved global gender pay parity in 2023, and continues advancing toward 30% women in leadership by 2025.

“Inclusion isn’t a metric,” Bala emphasizes. “It’s a mindset—a promise that everyone, everywhere, can belong and become.”

He speaks often about inclusion by design, where systems, policies, and language enable fairness rather than demand it. For him, equity is the bridge between innovation and integrity—the mark of leadership that endures.

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Technology in Service of Humanity

In an era where algorithms often overshadow empathy, Bala’s perspective is clear: technology should elevate humanity, not eclipse it.

Through the Greif+ portal, ERP modernization, and automation initiatives, he has led digital transformation not as a cost exercise, but as a trust exercise—enhancing transparency, collaboration, and customer responsiveness.

“Digital transformation isn’t about replacing people,” Bala says. “It’s about amplifying their capacity for creativity, service, and impact.”

This philosophy ensures Greif’s evolution remains human-centered, balancing efficiency with empathy—proof that progress need not come at the expense of people.

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Innovation with Integrity

Bala champions innovation that serves purpose, not vanity. Programs like In-House Entrepreneur, the Global Innovation Team, and Build to Last foster experimentation grounded in responsibility.

Breakthroughs such as ModCan™ and EnviroRAP™—which combine safety, sustainability, and customer insight—embody Greif’s belief that innovation must not only solve problems but elevate possibility.

“The most innovative companies aren’t the fastest,” Bala notes. “They’re the ones that evolve with conscience.”

Through this lens, innovation becomes a moral act—a promise to leave the world better than we found it.

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Leadership as Legacy

Across continents and boardrooms, Bala Sathyanarayanan’s influence transcends industry. At Greif and as Chairman of Balmer Lawrie – Van Leer, he exemplifies what it means to be a global leader of consequence—one who shapes organizations that outlast markets, and cultures that outlive trends.

“Leadership is service,” Bala concludes. “And service, when done with integrity, becomes legacy.”

Bala’s journey is a reminder that greatness in business is not achieved by scale or speed, but by substance and soul. He leads not for applause, but for impact. Not for recognition, but for renewal. And in doing so, he has shown that the world’s most valuable companies are those led by leaders who never forget the most valuable resource of all, the human heart.

 

In Bala Sathyanarayanan, leadership finds its higher purpose, where excellence meets empathy, and success serves something greater than itself.