Umashankar Krishnappa
Bedong
Summary
Dr. Umashankar K is an accomplished Learning and Development Director with extensive experience in corporate behavioral training, academia, and research. As the author of Behavioural Dynamics at Work, a globally prescribed textbook, he has impacted thousands through innovative training and development initiatives. With over 20,000 professionals trained across all management levels, he has also designed transformative student development programs, including boot camps. His expertise extends to crafting strategic L&D frameworks for universities, reflecting a career dedicated to fostering growth, performance, and behavioral excellence in diverse organizational settings.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
In-charge Director & Associate Professor
AIMST University
11.2024 - Current
.
Heading the Directorate of Learning and Development with three centers of excellence - English Language Training Center, Student Development Center, & Center for Sensitization, Awareness, Growth, and Empowerment
Spearheading international collaborations, faculty development programmes (FDPs), and placement training initiatives.
Researching workplace motivation, employee engagement, and behavioural interventions.
Strengthening academic-industry linkages through HR-focused partnerships.
Teaching Organisational Behaviour, Human Resource Management, and Leadership to undergraduate and Postgraduate students
Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology/HRM
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
11.2024 - Current
- Teaching organisational psychology, cognitive psychology, and business psychology to UG and PG students, supervising student research projects, optimising curriculum, and conducting pre-placement counselling or mentoring.
- Engaging in mindfulness practices, enabling student interface with industry, and moderating the functioning of the innovation management lab.
- Taught students from diversified nationalities, and placed them in various HR and L&D roles across the globe.
- Mentored and counselled the students during campus placements.
- Introduced applied learning methodologies, and enhanced students' learning experience.
- Optimised curriculum on business psychology based on contemporary industry trends.
- Organised many campus placement drives through active industry liaison.
- Secured funding for a national seminar held in March 2023.
- Established Mindfulness Lab and Psychometric Assessment Lab.
- Offered a practice-oriented programme (Mindfulness) for 400 banking professionals (Axis Bank) on Emotional Intelligence.
- Authored a book on Behavioural Dynamics at the Workplace, published by Routledge, London, in 2021.
- Established a faculty forum and generated many interdisciplinary research projects, such as Consumer Neuroscience, Behavioural Finance, Neurofinance, Gamification and Employee Engagement, and Boosting EI through AI.
Team Leader - Organizational Development
Manipal Global Education Services Pvt Ltd
03.2012 - 07.2017
- Leading a team of 40 behavioral trainers
- Conducting TNA in Human Resource Planning, building leadership capabilities, developing psychometric assessment tools, and conducting training programmes on Digital HR, Employee engagement, motivation, and leadership.
- Optimised innovation in HR practices through constant mentoring of senior HR professionals (IIFL, Axis Bank, AU Small Finance Bank).
- Trained and coached more than 10,000 executives, from middle management to senior management, from various industries.
- Developed psychometric assessment tools on innovation management, dimensions of organisational behaviour, and employee engagement.
- Initiated many CSR activities of ABF (Axis Bank Foundation) as an external member.
Assistant Professor of Business Communication
Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences
06.2006 - 03.2012
- Teaching business communication and organisational behaviour to students of BBA and MBA.
- Supervising the research projects of MBA students.
- Curriculum optimisation through industry liaison.
- Conducting pre-placement training for postgraduate students.
- Chief editor of the student journal.
- Taught more than 2,000 students, and empowered them to secure employment.
- Generated many innovative ideas, such as a thinkers' forum, students' clubs, and an assessment lab.
- Incepted innovative strategies in classroom engagement, and enhanced student learning experience.
Lecturer in Communication Skills
MS Ramaiah Institute Of Technology
11.2004 - 04.2006
- Teaching business communication to engineering students.
- Secured a student feedback score of 99 for many consecutive years.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy - Organizational Psychology
Jain University
01.2024
Master of Arts - Organizational Psychology
Indira Gandhi National Open University
08.2015
Master of Arts - Linguistics and Communication
Annamalai University
08.2012
Doctor of Philosophy - English
Golden State University
12.2010
Master of Arts - English
University of Mysore (KSOU)
07.2004
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology, Political Science, Journalism
Bangalore University
08.1999
Skills
- Student Development
- Relationship building
- Strategic planning
- Decision-making
- Operations management
- Staff development
- Team collaboration
- Team management
- Employee development
- Team building
Certification
- Leadership Skills, IIM, Ahmedabad, 2023
- Introduction to Abnormal Psychology, Wesleyan University, 2023
- Building Research Capabilities, Pondicherry University, 2020
- Model Building, RV University, 2020
- Introduction to Personal Branding, University of Virginia, 2019
- Positive Psychology: Martin E. P. Seligman's Visionary Science, University of Pennsylvania, 2018
- An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing, Copenhagen Business School, 2018
- Strategic Leadership and Management, University of Illinois, 2017
- Statistical Methods in Behavioural Research, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, 2016
- Feeling Good, Doing Well, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, 2015
- Cognitive Behavioural Intervention, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, 2015
- IMPACT Trainers Certification Course, Oscar Murphy Life Strategists Pvt Ltd, 2013
Accomplishments
- Published more than 18 research papers in various national/international journals (SAGE journals) and authored 5 book chapters (Springer and Routledge)
- Developed the Happiness Business Model, integrating mindfulness practices into HR development, positively impacting organizational culture
- Have been instrumental in enhancing the brand proposition of MBA and BBA academic programs
- Successfully mentored and placed students across various industries as HR professionals, demonstrating a commitment to student success and career advancement
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Kannada
Proficient
C2
Hindi
Upper Intermediate
B2
Tamil
Intermediate
B1
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
www.linkedin.com/in/prof-umashankar-k-10b76b23
https://www.deccanherald.com/author/umashankar-k
https://www.youtube.com/@shanku79/videos?app=desktop
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4164-7372
https://shorturl.at/ypSNo
Hobbies and Interests
- Reading and contributing to psychological literature
- Participating in academic conferences
Custom Section
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4164-7372
Projects
Innovation Management Lab (2021 onwards) The inception of lab hours in the academic calendar. Enabling students to generate innovative ideas and the processed solutions are offered to the industry. Regular interaction between change catalysts from the industry and the students. Emotional Intelligence at Work (May-Nov 2021) The objective was to boost emotional resilience in young bankers of Axis Bank. The program was based on an experimental study. Virtual sessions were conducted during non-working hours. There were 400 participants and they were divided into various batches. Gamification for Better Employee Engagement (Ongoing) Behaviour modeling of the employees through virtual games. The faculty from computer science and behavioural sciences are working on the project. Building Competency Framework (Feb 2015 - May 2016) Building competency framework for MAY Bank, Malaysia. Led the team of behavioural experts and built a framework on behavioural competencies.
Hobbies and interests
- Research & Writing
- Mentoring & Coaching
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Curriculum Innovation
Training and Consultation
Project
Details
Leadership Development Program – Bank of India
Trained 250 senior women managers in VUCA Leadership, Progressive Leadership Traits, Design Thinking, and Positive Intelligence.
Executive Development Program – IIFL India (Nov 2023)
Designed a one-week HR executive program on People Engagement, Work Culture, and Competency Frameworks.
Leadership Pipeline Training – AU Small Finance Bank (Apr–Nov 2023)
Developed leadership assessment tools and provided personalized coaching.
Strategic Leadership Workshops – HDFC Bank (June–July 2022)
Focused on Strategic Leadership and Workplace Culture Transformation.
Leadership Training – UCO Bank (March 2022)
Enhanced Deputy General Managers' competencies with case studies.
Emotional Resilience Training – Young Bankers (May–Dec 2020)
Virtual training for 700+ Assistant Managers.
Competency Framework Development – Maybank Malaysia
Designed a functional competency framework for regional implementation.
Timeline
In-charge Director & Associate Professor
AIMST University
11.2024 - Current
Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology/HRM
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
11.2024 - Current
Team Leader - Organizational Development
Manipal Global Education Services Pvt Ltd
03.2012 - 07.2017
Assistant Professor of Business Communication
Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences
06.2006 - 03.2012
Lecturer in Communication Skills
MS Ramaiah Institute Of Technology
11.2004 - 04.2006
Master of Arts - Organizational Psychology
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Master of Arts - Linguistics and Communication
Annamalai University
Doctor of Philosophy - English
Golden State University
Master of Arts - English
University of Mysore (KSOU)
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology, Political Science, Journalism
Bangalore University
Doctor of Philosophy - Organizational Psychology
Jain University
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