Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Personal Information
Timeline
Generic
Disha Sharan

Disha Sharan

Mumbai

Summary

A former retail professional-turned-researcher with over a decade of cross-functional experience across beauty, jewelry, watches, confectionery, and B2B segments. I've had the opportunity to work with some of the leading brands in the Indian landscape, like Titan (Tanishq), L'Oréal, and Unilever. In 2018, I founded a social enterprise focused on upcycling textile waste and enabling livelihood opportunities for women from urban slums. The pandemic in 2020 and my journey into motherhood in 2021 inspired a purposeful shift into academics and research. Currently, I am working as a visiting faculty member at several management institutes in Mumbai. My research interests lie in retail, sales and service marketing.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience

Work History

Visiting Faculty

NA
Mumbai
06.2023 - Current
  • Associated with ICFAI Business School, Sinhgad Institute of Business Management, and Garware Institute as a Visiting Faculty.
  • Conducted courses on Retail Management, Customer Relationship Management, Service Marketing, and Consumer Behavior.

Sole Proprietor

Gypsy Patchworkx
Powai
04.2018 - 01.2020
  • Launched Gypsy Patchworkx to create unique home and lifestyle products from upcycled fabric scraps.
  • Established a network of over 10 large garment manufacturers for raw material supply.
  • Recruited and trained women from urban slums in Powai for manufacturing roles.
  • Developed sales channels through Etsy, exhibitions, and Instagram, achieving 50% sellout of first collection within six months.

National Manager Marketing- Activation and Alliances

Unilever
04.2017 - 03.2018
  • Conceptualized and executed marketing plans for over 50 salon openings nationwide.
  • Standardized launch plan to cut lead time significantly.
  • Forged strategic alliances, tripling average monthly revenue.
  • Launched brand's inaugural Campus Ambassador initiative, boosting student acquisition fivefold.

Sr. Manager- Retail Operations (Kiehl's and Lancôme)

L'Oréal India Pvt. Ltd.
10.2016 - 03.2017
  • Achieving budgeted Sell In and Sell Out for Kiehl's and Lancôme through Free Standing Stores/ Exclusive Outlets, e-commerce and Sephora through customer analytics, stakeholder relationship management, staff skill development and inter-department coordination.

Manager- Retail Partnerships

Loylty Rewardz
01.2016 - 09.2016
  • Increased revenues for flagship product 'MaxGetMore' through strategic partnerships with retail outlets.
  • Established nationwide association with Monginis, India's leading bakery chain, across 600+ stores.

Brand Manager

ROYCE' Chocolates (Burgundy Hospitality)
04.2015 - 11.2015
  • Drove topline growth for ROYCE' Chocolates in India through strategic initiatives.
  • Conducted detailed customer and business analytics to establish a Loyalty Program framework.
  • Forecasted category-specific inventory requirements and developed liquidation plans for near-expiry products.
  • Executed planning and setup of pop-up stores in new locations, training staff on products and operations.

Area Business Manager

Tanishq, Titan Industries Ltd.
Mumbai
06.2010 - 09.2014
  • Managed overall operations for five key stores, achieving over 250 crore turnover.
  • Led a team of five Store Managers and over 100 retail staff to enhance performance.
  • Supervised brand entry into competitive Jewelry market on Turner Road, Mumbai.
  • Executed brand initiatives in marketing, merchandise management, and customer retention strategies.
  • Developed Store Newsletter to engage top customers and attract new clientele.

Education

Ph.D. - Management

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
Mumbai, India

MBA - International Business, Marketing, Finance and Trade

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
New Delhi
03-2010

Bachelor of Science - Life Sciences & Biochemistry

Sophia College For Women
Mumbai
06-2008

GMAT -

GMAT exam
01.2008

Skills

  • Retail management
  • Customer analytics
  • Market research
  • Consumer behavior analysis
  • Training and development
  • Relationship building
  • Brand development
  • Staff training and development
  • Research methodology knowledge
  • Social research

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

  • Co-authored and presented a paper titled "Personal Selling in Retail 4.0: Re-envisioning the role of the Salesperson in an Omnichannel Environment" at GSSI (Global Sales Science Institute) International Conference in IIM Shillong, June 2025
  • Co-authored and presented a paper titled "Character versus Actor: The Role of Product Fit and Emotional Connection in Endorsement Effectiveness" at INDAM (Indian Academy of Management) conference in K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai.
  • Guest Author on Mediawire, successfully published an article titled "The Return of the Salesperson" https://www.mediawire.in/blog/trending-content/the-return-of-the-salesperson-85416410.html

Personal Information

Age: 37

Timeline

Visiting Faculty

NA
06.2023 - Current

Sole Proprietor

Gypsy Patchworkx
04.2018 - 01.2020

National Manager Marketing- Activation and Alliances

Unilever
04.2017 - 03.2018

Sr. Manager- Retail Operations (Kiehl's and Lancôme)

L'Oréal India Pvt. Ltd.
10.2016 - 03.2017

Manager- Retail Partnerships

Loylty Rewardz
01.2016 - 09.2016

Brand Manager

ROYCE' Chocolates (Burgundy Hospitality)
04.2015 - 11.2015

Area Business Manager

Tanishq, Titan Industries Ltd.
06.2010 - 09.2014

Ph.D. - Management

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies

MBA - International Business, Marketing, Finance and Trade

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

Bachelor of Science - Life Sciences & Biochemistry

Sophia College For Women

GMAT -

GMAT exam

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