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Shradha A.H. Ahuja

Chief Shared Services Officer at Gulf Marine Services

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Shradha A.H. Ahuja is a transformation executive who solves complex problems at the intersection of people, systems, and business strategy. With over two decades of experience across banking, professional services, and marine offshore, she brings clarity to chaos in environments where strategy, execution, and human dynamics often collide.

Her work has delivered award-winning impact, from workforce transformations recognized by ATD and Brandon Hall, to large-scale operational shifts under high-pressure conditions. In 2024, she was named a Global Power Leader in HR by White Page International.

Currently serving as Chief Shared Services Officer at a UAE-based marine company, Shradha leads HR, IT, and Procurement with a sharp focus on alignment and execution. She recently stepped into public thought leadership via the Streamly Change Management Series, where she shares grounded insights drawn from real-world transformation work.

Her leadership philosophy? No templates. No theatrics. Just strategic alignment that works - especially when change is urgent, messy, or overdue.

Available For: Advising, Authoring, Consulting, Speaking
Travels From: Abu Dhabi
Speaking Topics: 1. Leading Change When It’s Messy 2. Strategic Presence for Quiet Performers 3. People × Systems × Strategy: The Real Reason Change Fails

Speaking Fee $3,000 (In-Person), $1,500 (Virtual)

Shradha A.H. Ahuja Points
Academic 0
Author 13
Influencer 15
Speaker 5
Entrepreneur 0
Total 33

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Featured Videos

Basics of Change Management
April 23, 2025
Change Management Models
April 23, 2025

Featured Topics

Why Change Really Fails: The Hidden Gaps Between Strategy, Systems & People

A sharp, grounded talk unpacking why transformation efforts fall apart; not because of resistance, but because of structural misalignment. Includes real-world insights and frameworks like Prosci and 7S.

Leading Through Messy Change: Making Strategy Stick in the Real World

Focused on how leaders can move from ambition to execution in high-stakes, high-pressure environments. Ideal for leadership summits or transformation panels.

Beyond the Buzzwords: Operationalizing Change Without Losing People in the Process

Practical insights on what it takes to lead change from inside the system, where clarity, design, and execution need to sync. Talks through models, mindsets, and common missteps.

Company Information

Company Type: Company
Business Unit: Shared Services
Minimum Project Size: $100,000+
Average Hourly Rate: $300+
Number of Employees: 501-1,000
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed
Media Experience: 1–2 Years (includes panels, moderation, awards , a
Last Media Interview: 10/24/2023

Areas of Expertise

Agile 30.20
Business Strategy 30.07
Change Management 30.39
Future of Work 30.10
HR 30.32
Leadership 30.15
Management
Transformation 34.77

Industry Experience

Financial Services & Banking
Oil & Gas
Professional Services

Publications

3 Article/Blogs
Decisiveness Isn’t a Leadership Trait. It’s a Survival Strategy.
Import from medium.com
May 27, 2025
Most teams don’t struggle because people don’t care.
They struggle because they try to move everything at once.Continue reading on Medium »

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Transformation

When You Stop Seeing What’s No Longer Working
Import from medium.com
May 21, 2025
Why Organizational Progress Begins with IngenuityContinue reading on Medium »

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Transformation

Comfort Isn’t a Strategy. It’s a Slow Death.
Import from medium.com
May 14, 2025
Let me tell you how it really happens.Most companies don’t get taken down by their competition.They get taken down by comfort — the kind that sneaks in quietly while everyone is busy performing business as usual.Disruption doesn’t kick the door down.It slips in — through roles nobo

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Leadership, Transformation

1 Influencer Award
Chosen among Global 200 Power Leaders in HR 2024
LinkedIn
October 16, 2024
We are delighted to announce that Shradha A.H. Ahuja- Chief Shared Services Officer at Gulf Marine Services PLC has been chosen among Global 200 Power Leaders in HR 2024

See publication

Tags: Agile, HR, Leadership

2 Panels
Agile HR
Linked in
March 11, 2025
Agile HR: It’s Not About Speed – It’s About Direction.
And if there’s one thing that stood out, it’s this:
Agility isn’t about moving faster, it’s about moving with purpose.

See publication

Tags: Agile, HR

Personalised HR - The secret to Employee Engagement & Retention
HRSE
September 12, 2024
Shared insights on transforming employee experience through data-driven HR initiatives at the region's premier HR conference. Presented a successful case study on implementing flexible work models using employee data analytics, achieving 100% satisfaction and improved business outcomes.

See publication

Tags: Future of Work, HR, Leadership

1 Video
Change Models are like GPS.
Streamly
April 24, 2025
Change Models are like GPS.

They help you get from where you are… to where you need to be.
But one route doesn’t work for every journey.

In my second Streamly video, I break down two frameworks I keep going back to - not because they’re trendy, but because they work:

Prosci’s 3 Phase Process
→ Leading the people side of change

McKinsey 7S Framework

→ Aligning structure, strategy, and systems

But here’s the thing:

Frameworks don’t drive change. Context does.

- Diagnose before you prescribe
- One size never fits all
- Mixing models can be a game-changer

Prosci + 7S? That’s People × Systems × Strategy in motion.

️ Watch the video: https://lnkd.in/dAtevy6g

Ever blended change models in your work?
What worked - or didn’t?

See publication

Tags: Change Management, Future of Work, Transformation

1 Video
How to engage employees in change management and reduce resistance
Streamly
April 09, 2025
Successful change management requires employee engagement, strong leadership, and clear communication. Without these elements, resistance to change can slow progress.

See publication

Tags: Agile, HR

Thinkers360 Credentials

1 Badge

Radar

Blog

7 Article/Blogs
Decisiveness Isn’t a Leadership Trait. It’s a Survival Strategy.
Thinkers360
May 28, 2025

In the Chaos of Change, Most Teams Freeze

Transformation doesn’t fail because people don’t care.
It fails because they don’t know where to start.

I’ve worked across banking, marine offshore, and complex shared services. And in every transformation effort, one pattern repeats:

  • Urgent goals.

  • Overstretched teams.

  • Endless meetings trying to fix everything at once.

The result?

Inertia.

Because the more we try to move everything, the less we move at all.


You Don’t Need to Move Everything. Just What Matters.

I first learned this during my Six Sigma Green Belt training at GE Capital. We were taught the Pareto Principle: the 80/20 rule.

Back then, it felt like a project management tool.

Today, I see it as a leadership mindset.

  • Focus on the 20% of problems causing 80% of the friction.

  • Don’t solve everything.

  • Solve what matters most—and solve it well.

That single discipline has made the difference in every high-stakes transformation I’ve led since.


The Illusion of Clarity

The biggest myth in transformation is this:
"Once we’re clear, we’ll act."

But real-world transformation rarely gives you perfect clarity. The stakes are too high. The pressure is too constant. The variables shift too fast.

So leaders wait. Teams stall. Projects drag.

The irony?


Clarity often comes after the first move, not before.


What Decisiveness Actually Looks Like

Let’s be clear: decisiveness isn’t about gut calls or bravado.

It’s about choosing impact over noise, even when you don’t have all the data.

Decisiveness means:

  • Acting when you’re only 60% clear

  • Prioritizing what unlocks momentum

  • Letting some fires burn, so the right one gets extinguished

I’ve been in boardrooms where everyone could sense the urgency… but no one wanted to name it.

I’ve seen projects with perfect rollout plans collapse under the weight of indecision.

And I’ve also seen what happens when one person makes a clear, imperfect move that shifts everything.


A Simple Practice to Try

If you’re in the middle of change right now, pause and ask:

  • What’s the one decision that would unblock progress?

  • What’s the one thing you’ve been waiting to get 100% clear on… that could be actioned at 60%?

  • And what’s one thing you’re solving that could wait?

That’s where real movement begins. Not with perfection. With a deliberate, timely act.


Final Thought

We love stories of sweeping transformation. But in real life?

The turning point is often a single, sharp choice that breaks the cycle of waiting.

In high-stakes work, decisiveness isn’t a trait reserved for confident personalities.

It’s a strategic skill.
A survival mechanism.
A professional responsibility.

And it’s what separates transformation that stays stuck… from transformation that actually happens.

See blog

Tags: Leadership, Change Management, Transformation

Why Transformation Fails When We Ignore the Human Lens
Thinkers360
May 21, 2025

In every transformation initiative, there’s a hidden inflection point.

It’s not found in the strategy deck.
It doesn’t emerge in the implementation timeline.
It starts when someone pauses long enough to ask the question most teams avoid:
“Why are we still doing it this way?”

Too often, transformation efforts bypass this pause entirely, jumping straight to execution, often powered by tools and systems meant to streamline what was never properly examined.


The Real Reason Tech Fails

I’ve seen organizations roll out enterprise systems - HRMS, ERP, collaboration tools—with bold promises. Six months later, many of those same teams quietly revert to spreadsheets. Spreadsheets, they trust. Workarounds they built. Because the system didn’t solve what they were actually struggling with.

The problem wasn’t the tech.
The problem was what no one stopped to question:

  • The workflow that no longer made sense.

  • The invisible handoffs.

  • The friction teams had normalized.

Transformation doesn’t fail because we didn’t automate fast enough.
It fails when we skip the human pause that precedes clarity.


The Missing Skill: Ingenuity

That pause to decide to see what’s no longer working isn’t just common sense. It’s a behavioral skill. One we rarely teach, reward, or name.

It’s called Ingenuity.

Not innovation.
Not talent.
Not intelligence.

Ingenuity is the ability to move when things are unclear - to find clarity inside complexity and take the first step without a perfect plan.

It begins with a shift in behavior. And over the years, I’ve seen four patterns that make that shift possible: what I now refer to as the Ingenuity C.O.D.E. framework.


C.O.D.E. – A Behavior-Based Trigger for Real Change

  • Curiosity
    Asking the questions others have stopped asking.

  • Open-Mindedness
    Pausing long enough to notice what’s become invisible.

  • Decisiveness
    Making a call before every scenario is mapped out.

  • Experimentation
    Moving forward through small tests before big changes.

In one recent project, the breakthrough didn’t come from the system launch, it came in a small room with a whiteboard, where we mapped out the actual process. No assumptions. No solutions. Just clarity.

That session exposed more value than the system itself ever would have, because we could finally see what wasn’t working.


Reframing the Start of Transformation

Transformation is often pitched as forward-looking. Strategic. Tech-enabled. But most of what holds organizations back is behind them in the routines, workflows, and assumptions no one is questioning.

You don’t fix that with better tools.
You fix it by restoring visibility.

And visibility comes from the human discipline to pause, observe, and name what others have accepted for too long.

That’s where transformation really begins.
And that’s where Ingenuity is no longer optional.


Call to Action

If you're leading change, at any level, ask yourself:
What’s one process, system, or behavior that’s still running today… Simply because no one has stopped to question it?

That’s the moment where Ingenuity begins.
And progress follows.

See blog

Tags: Leadership, Change Management, Transformation

Curiosity Isn’t Soft - It’s How Real Change Happens
Thinkers360
May 14, 2025

Curiosity Isn’t Soft—It’s How Real Change Happens

Disruption is everywhere.
Yet most teams stay stuck in processes designed for a world that no longer exists.

Why?

Because questioning the status quo often feels like a risk, not a leadership move.
But here’s the thing no one tells you:

Curiosity isn’t soft. It’s how real change happens.


The Moment That Changed Everything for Me

Years ago, I found myself running a nine-week training program in a large organization—heavy slides, heavy compliance, zero flexibility. We were following “the process,” but it felt disconnected from what the business really needed.

One day, I asked out loud:
“Why does this need to take nine weeks?”

My manager didn’t like it.
“Stay in your lane. Just follow the process,” he snapped.

But that question wouldn’t leave me alone.

So I went back, mapped a six-week alternative, and nervously pitched it again. This time, surprisingly, he listened.

We got permission to run a pilot.
Same outcomes.
Three weeks saved.
Tangible business impact.

That single moment of curiosity cracked open my career in transformation.


Curiosity Is Step One - But Not the Whole Game

True transformation doesn’t happen by accident. It follows a pattern - one I now call the Ingenuity C.O.D.E.:

  • Curiosity – Ask bold questions that challenge “how we’ve always done it.”

  • Open-Mindedness – Consider unexpected ideas when obvious solutions stall.

  • Decisiveness – Move forward when you see a better way, even if it’s imperfect.

  • Experimentation – Test small before scaling big.

Whether you’re redesigning a workflow or rethinking a business model, it starts by challenging what feels "untouchable."


Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

In a world of AI, automation, and accelerated disruption, organizations don’t fail because of external forces.

They fail because of internal inertia - the refusal to question outdated processes, hierarchies, and systems.

The good news?
You don’t need permission to start asking better questions.

The real risk isn’t challenging the system.
The real risk is staying silent while the world moves on.


Your Move

What outdated process is slowing your team down right now?
What question do you need to ask - even if it feels uncomfortable?

Start there.

Because that single act of curiosity might just spark your next transformation.

See blog

Tags: Leadership, Change Management, Transformation

Ingenuity Isn’t Creativity - It’s the Survival Code
Thinkers360
May 07, 2025

Ingenuity isn’t creativity.
It’s strategic survival.

We often celebrate resilience and problem-solving, and rightly so.

But they maintain systems.
Ingenuity reimagines them.

It shows up when:

– A critical process collapses, and someone builds a smarter workaround
– Budget cuts force a team to rethink from scratch, and they find hidden value
– Standard methods fall short - and a new model quietly reshapes how things are done

These aren’t “initiatives.”
They’re survival moments - and they happen more often than we admit.

But here’s the catch:
Most organizations still treat ingenuity as accidental.
Something lucky.
Something extra.

That mindset won’t last much longer.

If disruption is constant, then ingenuity must be built in.
Protected, activated, and rewarded like the essential advantage it is.

I call it:

The survival code of adaptive organizations.

➤ Where are you seeing ingenuity emerge under pressure, and how is it being protected (or not)?

#ThoughtLeadership #BusinessStrategy #OrganizationalIngenuity #IngenuityCODE #FutureOfWork #SAAVoice

See blog

Tags: Future of Work, Business Strategy, Transformation

Comfort Isn’t a Strategy. It’s a Slow Death.
Thinkers360
April 30, 2025

Most companies don’t get disrupted by bold new entrants.

They get dismantled - quietly - by their own comfort zones.

Transformation doesn’t fail because people resist change.

It fails because comfort convinces them there’s no need to.

The signs are easy to miss:

  • Legacy roles that no one challenges.

  • Outdated processes that run on inertia.

  • KPIs that are tracked but not respected.

And the most dangerous sentence of all:

“We’ve always done it this way.”

I’ve led transformation through chaos, resistance, and urgent pivots.

And what I’ve learned is this:

True change begins when you confront comfort, not just complexity.

So ask yourself:

If your company had to rebuild today, what would you retire first?

And what are you still protecting… just because it feels familiar?

See blog

Tags: Future of Work, Change Management, Transformation

Title: Why Change Fails - and What to Do About It?
Thinkers360
April 23, 2025

Title: Why Change Fails — and What to Do About It

Change doesn’t fail because people resist it. It fails because leaders don’t align people, systems, and strategy.

Resistance is rarely emotional. It’s usually a signal—a symptom of confusion, exclusion, or poor follow-through. When strategy is defined in isolation, when systems aren't adapted to support execution, and when people are expected to figure things out on their own, the result is predictable: stalled momentum, wasted effort, and transformation theatre.

In two recent short videos, I broke down what really derails change and what leaders can do to fix it. Here's the integrated view.


1. Resistance Isn't the Problem

We often label pushback as "resistance to change," when in reality, it's a response to:

  • Unclear decision rights

  • Lack of communication follow-through

  • Misaligned structures and outdated KPIs

People don’t resist change because they’re lazy or negative. They resist when they can’t see how the change makes sense, when they weren’t part of shaping it, or when the support structure is missing.

It’s not emotional resistance. It’s operational misalignment.


2. What Actually Helps Change Land

There are plenty of change models out there, but two continue to stand out in my work:

  • Prosci’s 3-Phase Process

    • A clear approach to managing the people side of change

    • Focuses on awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement

  • McKinsey’s 7S Framework

    • Aligns strategy, structure, systems, skills, style, staff, and shared values

    • Particularly useful for understanding how change ripples across an organization

I think of models like GPS. They’re helpful for navigating from point A to B - but only if you know where you’re starting and what the terrain looks like. And just like with travel, no single route fits every journey.

In practice, I often blend models. Prosci helps clarify the people dimension, while 7S brings structure to the organizational side. Used together, they bring the kind of clarity and context most change efforts lack.


3. Strategy is Not a Slide. It's a System.

In many transformations, the ambition is real. The decks are impressive. The town halls are inspiring.

But execution crawls. Not because people didn’t care. But because the foundation wasn’t aligned.

If your incentives reward the old behavior, if your systems are still optimized for yesterday’s risks, and if your org design creates confusion instead of clarity - change doesn’t land.

Execution without alignment is just expensive theatre.


Final Thought:

If you're leading change, don't just roll out a new process. Pause and ask:

  • Are people, systems, and strategy pointing in the same direction?

  • Are we designing change, or just delivering it?

Frameworks can help. But only when the fundamentals are clear.

Because at the end of the day, people don’t resist change. They resist confusion. And real transformation only sticks when everything around it supports it.


This article integrates themes from my Streamly video series on Change Leadership. If you're a business leader navigating transformation, I invite you to follow the series or reach out to discuss what execution looks like when clarity comes first.

Watch Part 1 

Watch Part 2

See blog

Tags: Change Management, Business Strategy, Transformation

Why Change Really Fails: A Strategic View on People × Systems × Execution Gaps
Thinkers360
April 16, 2025

Why Change Really Fails: A Strategic View on People × Systems × Execution Gaps

Everyone blames people for resisting change
But that’s not the real reason change fails.

In my work across banking, marine offshore, and professional services, I’ve seen one consistent pattern: misalignment between people, systems, and strategy derails transformation.

This is the breakdown I see most often - and what I shared recently in a visual format on LinkedIn. Here’s the deeper view:


1. Change doesn’t fail because people resist.

It fails because leadership skips the hard work of alignment. If strategy, systems, and people aren’t moving together, change stalls, or worse, backfires.


2. People don’t fear change. They fear 'chaos'.

What they resist is being thrown into uncertainty without clarity, support, or context. Change feels threatening when it’s badly led.


3. Here’s what people really resist:

Confusion – No clarity on the purpose or path
Exclusion – Change is done to them, not with them
Poor Sponsorship – Leaders disappear after kickoff


4. Intent vs. Reality: The Leadership Gap

“We’ve communicated everything.” → “No one told us why.”
“The plan is clear.” → “Execution is chaos.”
“We gave support.” → “We’re doing this alone.”

Sound familiar? It’s not a comms issue. It’s a system gap.


5. Ask this before your next transformation:

Are we leading people through change… or just leaving them to survive it?

Change doesn’t land unless you guide people through it.


6. The takeaway?

In urgent, messy transformations, there’s one pattern that holds:

Change succeeds when People × Systems × Strategy move together.


This article is adapted from my original LinkedIn post

Follow me for grounded takes on what drives transformation, beyond buzzwords.

See blog

Tags: Leadership, HR, Change Management

Opportunities

1 Business Advisory
Chief Shared Services Officer | Transformation Strategist | Board-Level Advisor

Location: Virtual, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE    Fees: Fees based on engagement scope. Ava

Service Type: Service Offered

Advisory availability for transformation, strategy alignment, and organizational change.

With over two decades of executive experience across banking, professional services, and marine offshore sectors, I bring practical, grounded insights to help leadership teams navigate complex change. My expertise spans:

Organizational transformation & change management

Strategy execution under pressure

People × Systems × Strategy alignment

Capability-building & operating model design

Shared services optimization across HR, IT, and Procurement

If you're navigating scale, restructuring, or stuck between vision and execution—I’m open to strategic advisory engagements, board-level consulting, or executive roundtables.

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