SUKAINA PANJWANI

Service Delivery & Operational Leadership Team Leadership & Capability Building Stakeholder Management & Program Delivery People, Culture & Global Programs Operational Governance, Risk & Continuous Improvement Strategic Leadership & Execution

Over the past several years at Arcadis, I have led the Management & Admin Support function, driving transformation across service delivery, team capability, and global operations. My focus has been on expanding and strengthening shared support services, designing structured operating frameworks, and improving efficiency while maintaining flexibility across regions and functions.

Alongside operational leadership, I have contributed to people-focused programs and global initiatives, reflecting a strong commitment to capability building, employee engagement, and organisational effectiveness. I work closely with the Global people leadership function to support on ongoing people initiatives.

• Established and scaled a global support function across multiple regions, consistently receiving strong stakeholder feedback and high service satisfaction.
• Strengthened governance through SOPs, SLAs, KPIs, and structured feedback mechanisms, ensuring consistent and high-quality delivery.
• Designed and implemented operating models and service frameworks aligned to evolving business needs.
• Improved operational efficiency through standardisation, automation, and use of digital tools (M365 ecosystem).
• Delivered structured approaches to resource planning and workload distribution, improving utilisation and service coverage.
• Built and developed a high-performing team (40+ members) through structured hiring, onboarding, and capability development.
• Coached and mentored team leads, strengthening delivery ownership and leadership pipeline.
• Fostered a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement, contributing to an 85 eNPS score.
• Partnered closely with global senior stakeholders, People Business Partners, and Directors to align service delivery with business priorities.
• Managed complex, multi-stakeholder programs and leadership initiatives, ensuring alignment, clarity, and timely execution.
• Acted as a trusted partner to leadership, adapting support models to evolving organisational needs.
• Served as Global Deputy Chair for AGE, Program Managing SHINE (INDIA Gender Balance Program), driving global engagement initiatives, communications, and events.
• Supported People & Engagement initiatives across India and multiple GSSCs/GECs, contributing to employee experience and organisational culture programs.
• Coordinated cross-functional initiatives, ensuring consistent messaging, alignment, and execution.
• Established governance frameworks and performance tracking mechanisms to monitor and improve service delivery.
• Identified operational risks and implemented mitigation strategies to maintain service continuity and quality.
• Led continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging feedback, data insights, and process optimisation.
• Drove adoption of automation and digital tools to enhance productivity and reduce manual effort.
• Defined and executed the strategy for expanding shared support services globally, aligned with organisational priorities.
• Designed scalable frameworks balancing global consistency with regional adaptability.
• Positioned the function as a strategic enabler of operational efficiency and leadership effectiveness.

• Supported recruitment - onboarding, contributing to building the initial team structure
• Played a key role in establishing foundational HR and administrative processes and policies, introducing basic SOPs, workflows, and documentation to bring structure to a fast-growing startup
• Managed vendor relationships across facilities, procurement, and external services, ensuring smooth coordination and service delivery
• Provided dedicated support to founders/senior leadership, including calendar management, coordination, and prioritisation of key activities
• Handled day-to-day HR and administrative operations, ensuring business continuity in a dynamic and evolving environment
• Gained exposure across multiple business functions, developing a strong understanding of operational needs and supporting overall organisational efficiency