Voices of TBAuctions: People, Strategy, and Impact
Welcome to Voices of TBAuctions, an interview series spotlighting the people behind Europe’s leading multi-brand B2B digital auction platform. Through candid conversations with our leaders and team members, we explore who they are, their experiences, insights, and the passion that drives our success.
We are excited to highlight Veera Raghavan, Senior HR Business Partner – Group Functions at TBAuctions (TBA). He translates business strategy into a people strategy at a global level, working closely with teams across functions and countries. You can watch the video above or, if you prefer, read the full interview below!
Could you describe your role and the key skills it requires?
Yeah, so my role at TBAuctions is a global people business partner. I ideally want to translate the business strategy into a people strategy. This means I try to understand what the business is doing, how progress is going, and the different upcoming strategies, and translate it back into the people strategy. To do that, I need skills in coaching, mentorship, and guiding people, as well as acumen. I definitely need to understand business well. So business acumen is one of the very important skills I need, or that similar HR professionals need.
What do you enjoy most about working at TBAuctions?
I enjoy a lot about working at TBAuctions: the global cultural mashup we have. One minute, I am sitting in Amsterdam working with colleagues here, making some policies. And then the next minute, I am speaking to somebody in Norway or Sweden with the marketing team or the data team spread across. The global connection we have is to achieve the same goal. That’s something that gives me a lot of energy when working as a DBA in some of my jobs.
If you had to sum up your job in three words, what would they be?
In three words, I would say people, strategy, and impact.
What’s a piece of advice you would give to someone new in your role?
One piece of advice for someone starting in this role is to identify your own strengths. Don’t try to replicate HR templates for everyone; everyone has their own strengths, so find out what they are. But commonly, I would say, try to understand business, what is impacting the business, external, internal factors, so that when you’re translating that into a people’s strategy, you are able to actually look at the favor for business and for people, both aspects.
Which part of working at TBAuctions makes you feel most proud?
Knowing that our auctions extend the life of millions of assets. We help reduce CO2 emissions. HR never gets to say this, but we are saving the planet one step at a time. So that’s something that makes me very proud working at TBAuctions.
What would you say to someone considering joining TBAuctions?
We are one of the biggest B2B auction companies across Europe. We are big enough to make a significant impact on society in this environment, but we are also a very energetic scale-up. We are also small enough that your idea on Monday can actually get into execution on Friday. So that’s something I really enjoy, and I would always advertise TBAuctions.
If you could switch roles with someone at TBA for a day, who would it be and why?
An interesting question: if I want to switch roles, which two teams would I choose? I know our data team is killing it with AI. There’s quite a lot of innovation they are doing. So that’s something I would like to learn and work on with them. Also, I know the marketing team, who are contributing a lot to how they bring buyers and sellers to our platform. And when I’m working with them for an hour, I hear a lot of cool jargon and learn about the campaigns they are working on. That’s something I would like to dip my nose into and get a feel for.
What’s a fun fact your colleagues might not know about you?
A fun fact colleagues might not know about me is that I’m a very passionate sneakerhead. I have a lot of sneakers at home. I try to resell them. I also have a rare collection which I will never sell. I started that love three or four years ago. I am proud to say I am a sneakerhead.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work to relax and stay inspired?
Outside of work, I am a new dad. Most of my time goes into baby care. If I get some time, I really like dancing. I do corporate dance workshops. I focus on that. I practice, and we provide those services as well. Other than that, a little bit of walking and running. That’s what keeps me going on the weekends.
