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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 7
Influencer 15
Speaker 5
Entrepreneur 0
Total 27

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 30.20
Future of Work 30.10
HR 30.32
Leadership 30.06
Management
Transformation 33.50

Industry Experience

Financial Services & Banking
Oil & Gas
Professional Services

Publications

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

4 Article/Blogs
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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