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

Allianz Technology

Spreading mindfulness within the company on global scale.

Mindfulness Ambassador

IT Risk & Security Expert Pro 2

IT Risk & Security Expert

Contributed to anomaly detection through the application of an Unsupervised Machine Learning model for Role Model Analysis, successfully concluding the Proof of Concept. Independently sourced data from various Identity Access Management (IAM) systems, including Active Directory, MS Azure, and the global IAM system GIAM, with a focus on certificate management.

Managed the preparation of data and generated comprehensive reports for access management, internal controls, audits, and customer insights. Implemented automated reporting tasks using Jenkins to streamline processes.

Provided support in the implementation and management of overarching controls for access rights management in the central IAM tool GIAM. Collaborated on the implementation of the access management process across Allianz Technology globally.

Contributed to the transformation process and played a key role in change management initiatives within the access management domain.

Working Student

Jagriti Yatra

Embarking on an enlightening journey across the vibrant landscapes of India, I had the incredible privilege of traveling by train to connect with extraordinary "role models" — pioneers in both social and business entrepreneurship. This transformative experience offered a unique opportunity to join forces with like-minded peers, engaging in a profound exchange of knowledge where learning and unlearning became the cornerstone of our collective growth.

Among a staggering 22,000+ candidates, I am humbled to have been selected to participate in the Jagriti Yatra, a 15-day odyssey covering 8,000 kilometers with 500 fellow journeyers. Our path traced the heartbeat of India, connecting with 15 exceptional "Role models" who have left an indelible mark on their respective fields.

The journey unfolded, weaving through the inspiring tapestry of Mumbai to Kanyakumari, Madurai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Brahmapur, Rajgir, Deoria, Delhi, Tilonia, and Ahmedabad, encompassing iconic locations such as Vivekanand Sankalp, Zoho's founder, Aravinda Eye Care, Sri City, Akshaya Patra Foundation, Gram Vikas, Nalanda University, Goonj Foundation, Barefoot College, Sabarmati Ashram, and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India.

In my role as a facilitator, I had the honor of guiding a group of young Indian entrepreneurs, both in the social and business realms, as we seized the inspiration from these encounters. Together, we laid the foundations of transformative projects, aligning our collective vision to "build India through enterprise." This journey not only fueled our passion for positive change but also reinforced the belief that, through collaboration and shared aspirations, we have the power to shape a brighter future for our nation.

Facilitator/Mentor

Swiss Life Deutschland

Werkstudent in Quality Management, Business Testing and Support. (100% German)

Die Aufgaben in meiner Rolle bei Swiss Life umfassten:

Unterstützung bei der Durchführung von Analysen, unter anderem unter Einsatz von SQL.
Mitarbeit bei der Konzeption und Umsetzung von Prozessoptimierungen.
Erstellung von Präsentationen und Berichten zur effektiven Kommunikation von Ergebnissen und Empfehlungen.
Eigenverantwortliche Durchführung ausgewählter Geschäftsvorfälle.

My responsibilities at Swiss Life included:

Assisting in the execution of analyses, utilizing tools such as SQL.
Contributing to the conceptualization and implementation of process optimizations.
Crafting presentations and reports to communicate findings and recommendations effectively.
Independently conducting selected business transactions in a responsible manner.

Reverse Logistics Group

Thesis: Exploring potential of Blockchain technology for improving the sustainability in Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Reverse Logistics

Master Thesis Student

Technical University of Munich

Students gain heightened technical and job-related German language proficiency through this certificate program.

Es bescheinigt, dass der Zertifikatsinhaber fortgeschrittene Sprachkenntnisse erworben hat, eine sehr fortgeschrittene Kenntnis der deutschen Sprache für berufliche Zwecke nachweist und dem fünften Level (C1) auf der sechsstufigen Kompetenzskala des Gemeinsamen Europäischen Referenzrahmens für Sprachen (GER) entspricht.

German for Engineers – Presenting and Discussing Next-Generation Technologies C1
Communication at Work: German for Internships and on the Job C1 
Intercultural Communication: Working in Germany as an Engineer C1

German for Engineers C1 (Advanced level language)

EIT - European Institute of Innovation and Technology

The fellowship is a full-time residential program, focused on climate action, innovation, systems transformation, and community building.
EIT Climate-KIC is the EU’s largest public-private partnership addressing climate change through innovation to build a zero-carbon economy. We address climate change across four priority themes: urban areas, land use, production systems, climate metrics, and finance. Education is at the heart of these themes to inspire and empower the next generation of climate leaders. EIT Climate-KIC is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

Climate KIC Fellow

Giesecke+Devrient Mobile Security

G&D Professional Services is a global develop­ment and service organization leading the way in developing and operating solutions for securing your mobile future in areas like Mobile Banking, Near Field Communication (NFC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M), Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) in addition to continual innovations to its market leading SIM and Mobile Device Management solution.

As the Member of PMO support internal stakeholders within their improvement projects as well as prepare material and information for reports and meetings. 

Work profile include:

Support project controlling and project planning
Management of forecast tools for professional services and interface to sales
Preparation of material and reports for Forecast and planning meetings
Internal communication for professional services
Project coordination and project management support for EMEA(Europe, Middle East and Africa) region

Technical University Munich

Development of Business plan for Decentralised energy system based of Waste-Water and Food in Rural Zimbabwe.
Cost Benefit analysis of Implementation of Business Plan.

Interdisciplinary Project Internship in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems

Reliance Industries Limited

Reliance Industries Ltd. is India's largest private-sector company,listed on Fortune 500 list.
Worked in Reliance's refinery business at Jamnagar Manufacturing Division which is world's largest refinery and most complex petrochemical plant with 1.2 million barrels per day capacity of crude oil refining.
 Undergone exhaustive and well planned GET training curriculum:
• Familiarisation of process plant and equipment of steam & power, polymers, polyester, polyester, petrochemicals, refining, and tank farm.
• Six sigma yellow belt training.
• Placement in plant (Coal based Captive power plant), discipline specific, on-the-job training, classroom and web based training on topics related to petrochemical industry, cross discipline in other E&M discipline.
• Involved in shutdown related activities of petchem plants.

Was attached to rotary and reliability department in Central Engineering Services (CES). 

Following engineering activities were done and learnt while at the job:

• Working as rotary and reliability engineer in erection and commissioning of Coal based Captive power plant of 500 TPH capacity.
• Reverse dial and laser alignment
• Vibration and condition monitoring
• Overhauling, inspection, & testing of valves, mechanical, seal, bearings, centrifugal pumps, compressors, gearboxes, turbines.
• Working and application of measuring instruments like calipers, micrometer and bore gauge.

Manager

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Sandeep was given the opportunity to work as an Intern at one the most advanced research institution in the field of Atomic Energy and Research. He was mentored by Dr. Sunil Kumar Sinha,
Head of Innovative technology development section, Reactor Engineering Division(RED). 

During his internship period, Sandeep was able to gain insight of the Indian Nuclear program and Technological insight of a nuclear power plant working under the guidance of scientists of BARC. 

He was given responsibility for design of End shield of a Pressurised heavy water reactor using finite element analysis software and carry out stress analysis and prepared a report suggesting design optimisation for sustained functioning of the reactor avoiding any safety concerns. 

He also worked in the manufacturing workshop of Reactor Engineering Division on Pressure Piping equipments gaining hands on experience of various manufacturing techniques and processes involved in the nuclear industry.

His overall experience can be summarised as below.

1.	Introduction and tour of the Nuclear Facility.
2.	Guided sessions of Finite Element Analysis(FEA) and hands on training on commercial softwares like ANSYS and COMSOL.
3.	Designs and Blueprint study of End Shield and Calandria of a Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) using various Nuclear codes and Safety standards of IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency)
4.	Optimisation and Modelling of final design on the commercial FEA software.
5.	Manufacturing and testing of components in the Manufacturing workshop of Reactor Engineering Division.
6.	Completion of Project, report submission and presentation of results to the Reactor Engineering(RED) committee comprising of Head and other scientists of the Department.

Research Intern

As an IT Risk and Security Expert at Allianz Technology, based at its Global Headquarters in Munich, Germany, I specialise in fortifying IT infrastructure and security with a focus on cutting-edge technologies. My portfolio includes hands-on experience with AI, Machine Learning, cloud solutions, and enterprise-level data privacy measures.

In my academic pursuits, I delved into the potential of Blockchain technology for enhancing sustainability in Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Reverse Logistics, showcasing my commitment to innovative solutions. During my time as a Werkstudent at Allianz Technology, SwissLife, G&D and with the Reverse Logistics Group, I contributed significantly, aligning academic insights with real-world challenges.

Drawing from diverse experiences, including a stint at Reliance Industries Limited in the mechanical discipline, I bring a unique perspective to problem-solving. Colleagues recognize me as a highly creative thinker and manager, characterized by a meticulous approach to understanding business dynamics before proposing innovative ideas. While I am adept at working independently, my collaborative spirit shines when working with others. Let's connect and explore how my skills can contribute to your team's success.

taplio

The Battle

Shubham S.

Sandeep Sinha

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The Battle

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Sandeep Sinha

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Engagements

Likes

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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