Independent Consultant

Shaping the future
of global enterprise

Supply Chain · Digital Commerce · AI Transformation · Consumer Experience

20 years of global FMCG leadership. Senior Director at Unilever, operating across 190+ markets. Now partnering with organisations ready to transform boldly.

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20+
Years of leadership
190+
Markets influenced
€50Bn
Portfolio scope
€10M+
Value delivered via AI
About

Enterprise rigour.
Digital imagination.

I am a senior enterprise leader with 20 years of experience across global FMCG, having served as a Senior Director and Global Lead at Unilever — one of the world's largest consumer goods companies.

My work has spanned supply chain transformation, AI-enabled digital capabilities, omnichannel growth, and consumer experience — at a scale few have operated at. I was a member of Unilever's Global E-Commerce Supply Chain Leadership for an €11Bn business and shaped multi-year transformation roadmaps alongside global CXO stakeholders.

I now bring this depth of experience to ambitious organisations as an independent consultant — helping leadership teams cut through complexity, accelerate digital change, and build strategies that last.

MBA · IIM Mumbai (Top 2%)  |  B.E. Electronics & Comm

Recognition
Unilever Compass Award — Two-Time Recipient
Highest corporate recognition · Unilever / HUL
Global Supply Chain Blueprint Award
Best Customer Service · Unilever
Gartner Supply Chain Contributor
Recognised for AI-led consumer capability programs
MRSI Golden Key · i-Com Gala · MRS Awards
Innovation in data & consumer insights
Speaker & Panelist
FICCI · ET Retail · ET Brand Equity
What I offer

Areas of expertise

01
Enterprise Operating Model Transformation
Redesigning complex global operating models to drive agility, efficiency, and long-term competitive advantage across functions and geographies.
02
AI-Enabled Digital Transformation
Embedding AI and advanced analytics into supply chains, commercial operations, and consumer experience at enterprise scale — from strategy through deployment.
03
Omnichannel & E-Commerce Growth
Building scalable omnichannel strategies and supply chain capabilities that unlock e-commerce growth, margin improvement, and marketplace integration.
04
Innovation & Business Model Scaling
Accelerating speed-to-market through operating model redesign, risk frameworks, and structured innovation governance across R&D, marketing, and supply chain.
05
Consumer & Customer Experience
Creating consumer listening strategies using social listening, NLP, and sentiment analytics to embed real-time insight into commercial decisions and product quality.
06
Global Leadership & Org Development
Building high-performance, future-ready organisations. Partnering with CXO teams on capability building, talent strategy, and inclusive leadership culture.
Career

Where I've led

2023 – 2025
Unilever
Senior Director & Global Lead — Supply Chain D&A, New Business Models & Digital Transformation
Member of Global E-Commerce Supply Chain Leadership (€11Bn). Delivered 15% eCommerce growth and 100bps margin improvement. Built global analytics vertical and AI-enabled capabilities across markets. Partnered with Amazon, Lazada & Quick Commerce for €1.2M measurable impact.
2021 – 2023
Unilever
Senior Director — Quality Capabilities & Transformation (Consumers & Innovations)
Global Quality Leadership Team. Built AI-powered consumer listening using NLP and sentiment models across 70+ markets, impacting €1.1Bn T/O. Delivered €10M in incremental value. Won MRSI Golden Key, i-Com Gala, and MRS Awards.
2018 – 2021
Unilever
Director — SC Digital Transformation & Consumer Quality
Led end-to-end digital supply chain transformation across 192 markets. Accelerated innovation speed-to-market by 2.5x. Embedded consumer-centric quality into eCommerce, D2C, and collaborative manufacturing.
2015 – 2018
Unilever
Global Lead — Quality Business Networks
Established Route-to-Market Quality capabilities globally. Built Unilever's global consumer listening infrastructure. Partnered across Supply Chain, Sales, Merchandising, and Brand teams.
2013 – 2015
Hindustan Unilever
Regional Supply Chain Head — North India
Led 60+ member organisation across a €0.8Bn portfolio. Managed 1,000+ distributors. Delivered 5% gross margin uplift, 2% waste reduction, and 800bps improvement in forecast accuracy. Two-time Compass Award winner.
2008 – 2010
GSK Asia Pacific
Manager — Strategic Procurement (CH & Pharma), Dubai
Regional sourcing strategy across 10 MENA markets. Expanded e-auction adoption to ~£500M in spend. Led procurement transformation across Advertising & Marketing categories.
Get in touch

Ready to transform
your organisation?

Whether you're navigating a complex transformation, building digital capabilities, or rethinking your operating model — I'd welcome the conversation.

Email Shikhalal@gmail.com Phone (US) +1 640-230-4680 LinkedIn shikha-lal-mba-be