What does a GCC head do?
A GCC head runs your India centre for the global parent. They build the team, keep headquarters informed, and make sure the centre delivers what it was set up to deliver.
In the first year, the same person is often the lead recruiter, the link to your Indian entity's finance and legal advisers, and the one who explains how India works to headquarters. That is a lot for one role, which is why the choice matters.
When should you hire the GCC head?
As early as you can. A leader who joins before the team can shape the hiring plan, the office and the culture. If the team is hired first, it often has nobody close enough to make local decisions. Common moments to start:
- Opening a new India centre, before the first wave of hiring.
- Growing a first team into new functions such as finance, analytics or AI.
- Replacing a head who is moving back to headquarters or leaving.
Two kinds of GCC head
| Profile | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Parent insider, from headquarters or another region | Knows the parent's people, systems and priorities. | May need time to learn the Indian talent market, pay norms and notice periods. |
| India GCC leader, who has built or run a centre in India | Knows the local market, how to hire at pace and what keeps teams. | Needs time to earn trust with headquarters. |
Many companies choose the second profile and pair the new leader with a trusted contact at headquarters.
What to look for
- Has built a team from a small start, not only inherited one.
- Earns trust with the global parent, including senior people in other time zones.
- Knows the basics of setting up in India: the entity, compliance, payroll and hiring at pace.
- Hires well, and attracts people who could work anywhere.
- Keeps good judgment under pressure, when headquarters priorities and local reality do not match.
How a GCC head search usually runs
- Align the mandate. Agree what the centre must deliver, the reporting line and the budget.
- Map the market. List the GCCs, Indian companies and consultancies where good candidates work.
- Approach quietly. The best candidates are usually employed, so approaches are private.
- Assess and shortlist. Interviews with headquarters and India stakeholders, plus references.
- Offer and join. Plan for notice periods, which can be long for senior roles.
Because these searches are confidential and the pool is small, many companies run them as retained searches. Our GCC hiring service follows these same five stages.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until the entity is fully set up. The search can run alongside the set-up.
- Hiring for headquarters comfort. The best fit for headquarters is not always the best builder in India.
- An unclear reporting line. Decide who the head reports to, and who decides what.
- A budget that does not match the market. Check pay against the city before you start.
- A narrow shortlist. Include qualified women leaders; our diversity hiring approach does this by default.
A first-90-days plan
- Days 1 to 30: listen. Meet headquarters stakeholders, advisers and the first team members.
- Days 31 to 60: plan. Agree the hiring plan, the structure and the first priorities with headquarters.
- Days 61 to 90: start building. Make the first senior hires and share early progress.
GCC head hiring checklist
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire a GCC head?
It depends on how clear the mandate is, the seniority of the role and the candidate's notice period, which can run long for senior leaders. Agree a timeline with milestones at the start.
Who should the GCC head report to?
Usually a senior leader at headquarters, with clear day-to-day authority in India. Agree the reporting line and decision rights before the search starts.
Do we need an Indian entity before we hire the head?
Not always. Some companies use an employer-of-record arrangement or a partner while the entity is set up. Confirm legal and tax set-up with your own advisers.
Should we use retained or contingency search for a GCC head?
Most companies use retained search, because the role is confidential, the pool is small and the search needs dedicated time.
Setting up or growing a team in India? Tell us the first role you need to fill, and we will suggest the order to hire in.
Discuss a GCC mandateRelated reading