Shubham S.

Brand Manager at Dole Singapore-Malaysia | Consumer Goods Marketing | Helping new marketers grow in their careers

A believer in the power of brands to influence sustainable lifestyle choices, I love scaling brands from 1 to 10 rapidly. 

-------- Current Role:----------

At Grab, to grow key QSR brands’ reach and revenue in SEA. I am handling end to end enterprise services on Grab for them. 

-------- Past Roles:----------


I was building Kind Kones, a plant based ice cream brand with no palm oil or negative additives. 

Whether it's door to door selling to presenting in board rooms, I donned every hat with humility. 

I helped a team of 40+ people to expand the business in SG/MY/Middle East. 

Before that,  I expanded Dole's business through in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia and Brunei. 

I also led Dole juices launch in Jollibee, Fairprice and 2600 7-Eleven stores, apart from regular retail listings and marketing.

Previously, I was leading marketing and BD for India business where I helped Dole reach $1M + revenue in Year 1, including co-branded partnership with McDonald’s in 150 stores.
 
I also love to distill interesting marketing and startup concepts to help young folks grow.  

Hence, I write on LinkedIn. 

-------- Japan experience:----------

Previously, I was the youngest Project Lead in Japan in Energy sector but soon realised my heart was in marketing. 

To confirm that my heart's voice isn't a quarter life crisis, I conducted food tours in Tokyo, dabbled in own sandwich business and consulted in food industry. 

The love for marketing was confirmed!  

The issue of sustainability is also close to my heart. 

-------- Student life:----------

So, prior to FMCG life, I published research papers in the field of Sustainable resources and technologies like Bio-fuels, Bio-Lubricants, Gas Emission control and also filed a patent related to Fuel Oil Storage. 

I have also developed a sub-$100 Solar Dryer for rural community which can work beyond sunset.

My outdoor interests range from Copy Writing, Geo-politics, Snowboarding, Mountain Trekking.  Food-trotting in groups and other times I can be found writing and creating food recipes.

Chief Operating Officer

2016. Japan. Age 23.

Got a call from my manager:  

“Fly to Malaysia. The boiler we shipped to a power plant site is leaking.”

🍍A leaking boiler is a potential blast hazard.

I had zero experience fixing one.  

Never been to Malaysia.  

Never seen a construction site.

Yet I packed my bags and flew out — no plan, no backup.

Day 1 — 9 AM.  

🍍The site manager looks at me, goes hysterical, and throws a pen in frustration.  

Not because I was late or rude but because my manager had sent a rookie.

Stunned but focused, I rushed to inspect the damage.  

By end of the day, I had a 15-day plan to fix the mess — weekends and nights included.

We worked quietly, keeping it off the client’s radar.  

Formed a team, found local fabricators, poached workers, and used Google Translate to communicate.  

It was messy, scrappy, and relentless.

16–17 hours a day.  

40°C heat.  

Rain, mud, and welding sparks.

🍍We finished the job in 13 days. 

I stayed another 18 months.  

The “rookie” who showed up clueless earned respect through hustle, despite abuse. 


Get your hands dirty when you’re young.  

Future corporate struggles will aww cute! 


#shubhamspeaks

Shubham Sharma 🍍

Grab | ex-COO Kind Kones | Bain Advisory | P&L Management | QSR

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Boomerang! 

A few years ago I was working on scaling Dole banana plantations in Vietnam, 

Away from the Philippines as climate change was bringing plant diseases rampaging miles and miles of plantations. 

Today, the alternative Dole Vietnam farms are up and running and supplying my current office at Grab. 

That’s what I love about tangible consumer businesses, 

you can see sustained visible impact. 

Banana Boomerang! 


#shubhamspeaks

I was the only judge with no banking-lending background 

in a shark-tank like pitch sessions by Grab’s fin-tech folks. 

I felt a little out of place initially but soon caught up. Thanks to my struggles being an SME operator previously. 

And boy! the passion to serve the underserved individual businesses such as a food stall owner was palpable. 

🍍The aggregators with who the small operators interact daily do have a better chance of serving the short term cash or even cheaper ingredient needs. 

Using the whole Grab ecosystem of mart, mobility, payments gives us a better chance to help than traditional ways. 

Kudos to the winners for creating a win-win product for food stall guys and us. 

Thanks for organizing Yesh Gunewardena. 


#shubhamspeaks

Hilarious consumer insight from my Vietnam trip,

'We don't want to smell like fried chicken in the day', 

So, we order delivery. 

Certain fried chicken brands have really old stores with limited seating and bad ventilation. 

It has repulsed the consumers, especially women, from dining in and opting for delivery instead. 

Hence, the lunch segment is very strong in Vietnam.

The future is delivery-focused, sleeker & cleaner stores in VN. 

HVAC guys? that's your cue. 

#shubhamspeaks

As I wrap up my trip to Jakarta, I’m leaving with 2 powerful takeaways that speak volumes about Indonesia’s dynamic trajectory.


🇮🇩 The Rise of Homegrown Champions

I couldn't help but notice the palpable sense of national pride in domestic food and beverage brands.

From the iconic flavors of Pagi Sore and Sari Ratu to the modern coffee culture of Fore Coffee and Kopi Kenangan, my Indonesian friends vehemently insisted I try them all.

This push signifies more than just great taste; it reflects a nation's growing economic self-esteem and the success of local entrepreneurs. 



🍍Leading with Heart

The team, particularly under the leadership of Roy Nugroho, is one of the best I have encountered in the region. 

Their true north star is fostering genuine relationships and authentic care for our clients. 


Especially amid the intense platform and merchants competition, it is hard for brands to tread solo and this team becomes their partner towards growth. 


A huge thank you to the team for the valuable insights and partnership this week. 


Sampai jumpa lagi, Jakarta!

Everyone's raging over fried chicken. 

Yet the QSR industry is ignoring a monumental, profitable opportunity: 

🍍 Sauce forward-Healthier Chicken (rotisserie/grilled).

This is a massive strategic error because it misses the fastest-growing consumer segments:

The Health-Conscious Mover (40% are looking to cut fried)

The Gen-Z protein person (75% are looking for natural proteins)

People who are purchasing from non-QSR local brands. 

These are customers willing to pay a premium for quality.

🍍Here's something I would love to see: 

🍍 Introduce a high-margin Rotisserie/Grilled Protein Bowl or "Guilt-Free Wrap." 

This uses the new protein as a premium add-on to existing menus, appealing to the customization trend.

🍍 Operations: Zero cooking oil, Batch cooking , combi-oven and high humidity heaters to keep the chicken moist. 

🍍 Flavor & Transparency: Use bold, global sauces (Soy Garlic, Chili-Lime) to make the roasted chicken exciting. Market it based on wellness attributes like "Lean Protein" and "Clean Prep."

The first major QSR brand to successfully scale a premium, non-fried chicken menu will win future consumers. 

What do you think? 


#shubhamspeaks

Unpopular opinion: 

Brands who let Marketing lead the relationship with food aggregators win long term, 

Brands that let operation/delivery folks run the show find it hard to grow the user base and overindulge in promos. 

This is very true for franchisees who see food aggregators as solely a delivery channel 

and not as a marketing channel. 

I have seen QSR/Coffee/dessert brands triple their business in 18-21 months once they switch to marketing happens. 

If you are a franchisor or franchisee, time to audit this relationship. 



#shubhamspeaks

The narrative that QSRs thrive just because consumers are broke is fundamentally flawed. 

In 2025, flat pricing guarantees margin compression.

The winning strategy is the Barbell Playbook:

🍍 The Barbell Menu: Drive essential traffic with low-margin value items, but secure profitability with high-margin LTOs (the 'heavy' end). This is crucial for boosting the average check size.

🍍Margin Amplification: Integrate cultural merchandise or character collaborations (like Labubu) with premium LTOs. This delivers vastly superior margins beyond food cost alone.

🍍Digital Segmentation: Use food aggregators (30-50% of sales) strategically. Push high-margin LTOs through these channels to reach the ready-to-spend customer, while handling low-margin volume in-store.

This strategy executed by leaders optimizes for both traffic and profit across the polarized income spectrum.

What's your observation on this? 

#shubhamspeaks

TAG|R

TAGR is an independent scaled down full-service market research agency focused on Customer Experience research across key verticals, delivered through mixed-mode approaches.

As the CEO, I formulate Customer Strategies solutions to increase customer loyalty, including the development of value propositions, brand narratives, and messaging. 

I develop methodologies including but not limited to customer journeys, touchpoint performance evaluation, closed-loop real-time reporting, immersions, and ethnography.

Co-Founder/CEO

The Marketing Society

I am a proud member of this global leading marketing community

Being a member of The Marketing Society can offer valuable networking opportunities with industry peers, allowing professionals to expand their professional connections and build relationships within the marketing field.
Furthermore, The Marketing Society may provide access to exclusive resources, events, and educational
opportunities that can enhance professional development and help individuals stay up-to-date with the latest trends and strategies in marketing.
By joining The Marketing Society, professionals may also have the chance to engage in thought leadership and knowledge-sharing within the marketing community, positioning themselves as experts in their field and potentially boosting their visibility and reputation.
Join Us >> https://www.marketingsociety.com/join

Member

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Community-powered learning for high-growth leaders

Ipsos

Ipsos is a multinational market research and consulting firm. The company delivers reliable information and a true understanding of Society, Markets, and People.

I was a Regional Account Service Lead for several global key client accounts: full end-to-end project management for clients, including questionnaire design, tab-spec design, and reporting. I provided clients with usage and attitude insights that enabled targeted brand-building campaigns to influence emotional connection and highlight product and service attributes.

I led multi-country projects for a broad range of clients: HP, IHG, Credit Suisse, Ferrari, Cigna, BEA, HSBC, and Expedia.

Loyalty and Behaviour

ORC International

Opinion Research Corporation is a demographic, health, and market research company. 

As a Senior Director, I implemented my leadership skills in change management and business transformation based on consumer insights. I developed a specialist unit for Customer and Employee Research and demonstrated the linkages between the two.
I was responsible for business development and key account management for quantitative projects, development and implementation of the first ORC Online community.

My key accounts/achievements in banking/insurance: JJVC, HP, Credit Suisse, Standard & Poor’s, Franklin Templeton, Nomura Group, Visa.

Senior Director

Cimigo

Cimigo is an independent research and consulting firm operating across the Asia Pacific region. 

As a Director of the company, I was responsible for regional Account Management, including RIM and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. Business development for Casinos in Macau, including pre-opening of The Venetian Macau and naming research for The House of Dancing Water attraction at City of Dreams.

I developed real-time reporting mechanisms for online customer satisfaction.
My key clients in banking/insurance: Cigna International Expatriate Benefits, HSBC, Standard Chartered.

Director

Associate Director

GFK NOP

Associate director

Vandelay Industries LLC

Importing and exporting of: latex products; long matches. Reported to Kel Varnsen

Latex Salesman

Customer experience specialist/evangelist.
Trouble-shooter
Pattern-spotter
Enthusiast/realist/cynic/optimistic
TCB 24/7
Penske material
MBIT/WGAF

Have literally been around the world, talking to thousands of people about customer experience, what makes moments memorable, what makes them purr, and what makes them hulk-smash. 

I've interviewed on CATI, I've worked retail, I get amongst it.

Years of experience means I have great anticipation, but I always keep an open mind

Anyway, I'm not writing a book, so if you got this far, reach out and I'll tell you the rest.

taplio

The Battle

Shubham S.

Carl Geraghty

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Shubham S.'s LinkedIn Performance

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