Overcoming the Odds: Shazia Hassan’s Remarkable Journey to Excellence

Shazia Hassan, a charismatic leader, skilled communicator, mentor, and Lifesciences Healthcare Industry Expert in the SCNO domain with over 18 years of experience. She was born and brought up in Uttar Pradesh, and growing up she went against all the odds and broke the societal norms that women cannot excel in engineering and technology in the Lifesciences and Healthcare sector, hence becoming an inspiration to many. This article tells the inspiring journey of Shazia’s life which comes along with lots of ups and downs.

Introduction:

Shazia Hassan is a Specialist Leader in Supply Chain and Network Operations, who has worked with Fortune 50 clients and led various Global Digital transformation projects under the flag of prestigious organizations like TCS, HCL Ltd, and Deloitte Consulting India. Currently, she works as a Specialist Leader for Deloitte Consulting USA, where she is involved in leading major multi-million Digital Transformation projects, driving innovation, Artificial Intelligence Adoption and efficiency in drug development, and medical devices compliance which is a highly regulated sector and recognized as an Industry expert.

Growing up Shazia had full support from her mother Raisa Begum, who holds an MA in Sanskrit, her father Mr. Ziaul Hassan, a retired Chief Engineer, and her two sisters,  who helped her in breaking the societies rules, which educate daughters often seems unnecessary, she said “My parents served as my pillars of strength, fighting against the prevailing mindset and giving me the wings to chase my dreams”.

Shazia comes from a middle-class family and faces many problems like financial hurdles and society rules that women shouldn’t study. Instead of these challenges, she completed her bachelor's in electrical engineering from Bareilly Rohilkhand University in 2005, earning the honor of being the first student from the university to receive an offer from Tata Consultancy Services, a leading IT company. This marked her professional journey and she moved to Chennai. When she moved to Chennai, she was surrounded by a new culture, but thanks to her colleagues her problems were resolved, and she started adapting to the changing environment. After a year and a half, Shazia relocated to Delhi/NCR due to marriage. This shift was monumental, the struggle became real as she navigated through a difficult job market and the recession was at its peak.

Throughout her journey, Shazia committed herself to lifelong learning by collaborating with esteemed institutions in India and the U.S., ensuring her expertise remained unparalleled in the industry. Today, she stands proud as a Specialist Leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP, a global leader among the Big Four consulting firms. Nowadays, there are challenges in front of Global organizations to join the race of adopting Artificial Intelligence in all industries, she is helping her client to be part of that journey by providing strategies, crafting bespoke Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions that are meticulously tailored to meet the distinct needs and goals of clients in the Lifesciences and Healthcare industry. Her deep understanding of the industry, combined with her technical acumen, enables her to deliver solutions that drive innovation and efficiency.

Challenges and Achievements:

After moving to Delhi for her marriage Shazia faced many challenges in her professional and personal life. In 2007, she got divorced just after 11 months of marriage. Divorce and a harsh recession shattered Shazia's confidence both financially and emotionally. The challenge was immense, not only did Shazia need to re-enter the professional arena, but also had to regain financial independence. 

She goes through these challenges and keeps honing her skills, by doing different courses like: Executive MBA – Information Technology Management- IIM – Kozhikode- 2012, Supply Chain Certification program: Deloitte – Nov 2015, Global LHSC Curriculum Certification; Deloitte – Dec 2015, Sustainable Business Strategy; Harvard Business School Online – Nov 2019, Diploma in Education; Strategy Execution: Harvard Business School – May 2021, Diploma in Education; Drug Development and Product Management: UC San Diego – 2021, Certified Medical Device Quality Management System Professional; Biopharma Institute– Nov 2021, Drug and Medical Device Development: A Strategic Approach; MIT xPro - Nov 2022, AI in Healthcare Specialization; Stanford University School of Medicine – July 2024 and AI Product Management: Duke University Pratt School of Engineering – Aug 2024

Shazia received multiple awards and nominations throughout her career nationally and internationally. Some of the key ones are below:

1. Multiple Outstanding Performance, Applause, and Shoutout Awards within Firms for outstanding contributions to projects she led.
2. Winner of Global Thought Leadership in Supply Chain and Network Operations by GLOBEE Awards 2024
3. Awarded by Global Women Inspiration & Conclave Award 2024 within the Top 100 inspirational women in her field
4. Nominated for WomenTech Global Awards 2024 for "Product Management Leader of the Year Award", and “Digital Transformation Leader” Award
5. Serving as Judge for GLOBEE Awards as an Industry Expert

Personal Insights:

Shazia Hassan gets motivated in her life and doesn’t allow any setbacks to hold her back and accomplishing her goals. Her ability to face and overcome significant personal and professional challenges has instilled a deep sense of resilience and determination. Each obstacle she has conquered motivates her to continue pushing forward. She is also continuing to improve in her field, she said “My commitment to lifelong learning and professional development drives me to continuously seek new knowledge and skills, ensuring me remains at the forefront of my field.” Shazia Hassan also has a passion for creating meaningful change in the Life Sciences and Healthcare sectors, which continuously motivates her to continue striving for excellence and innovation.

Shazia keeps her work-life balance in check by following a few simple rules: setting clear boundaries, prioritizing tasks, managing her time well, taking breaks, and learning to say no. She also makes sure to carve out time for her hobbies. She believes practicing self-care is a must, and she never hesitates to seek support from friends, colleagues, and family.

Impact and Vision:

Shazia Hassan is leading various initiatives like:

1. Mentoring Women (Women in PE&D), where Women Practitioners share their  challenges within the workplace, support needed by practitioners for work-life balance or rejoining the firm after major life milestones either New Moms who are trying to gear up on their professional journey or going through some personal challenges.
2. “SAP PLM Center of Excellence” to create more awareness about the Industry and Technology and bring professionals up-to-speed in both areas with client readiness, so that they can be deployed in various projects with minimal effort. So, far she has mentored more than 100+ practitioners in various projects she led in this area.
3. Shazia is an active member of IEEE & IEEE Women in Engineering and RAPS- Regulatory Affairs Professional Society, where she also serves as a mentor, contributing to the development of future leaders in the field.

Shazia has recently successfully delivered a digital transformation project for one of the top 10 global pharmaceutical clients in the USA. Currently, she is leading a multi-million project for a Global Consumer Product client and helping them in their Digital Transformation project where they are redefining their Supply Chain Network processes digitally. This will help them to reduce their overall cost to market by 30% and quality & compliance issues by 55%, which eventually leads to launching their product faster by reducing overall time to market. Her expertise helps them to stay as close to the industry standards and makes them ready for next-gen Artificial intelligence initiatives for their future projects.

Shazia sees immense opportunity in the field of Lifesciences and the Healthcare industry, where she can use her expertise and make a difference. Her focuses are:

• Technology Advancement by Leading initiatives that leverage emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, and blockchain to drive innovation in the Lifesciences industry. 
• Diversity Programs by developing and implementing programs that promote diversity and inclusion within her organization and the broader industry
• Expand Speaking Engagements by participating in and speaking at global conferences, seminars, and panels to influence industry trends and inspire future leaders.

Conclusion:

Shazia advises young women to believe in themselves, pursue education and continue lifelong learning, embrace challenges, seek support, strive for excellence, and create meaningful change in society even if it is on a small scale. These principles have guided her own journey and can empower other young women to achieve their dreams.

One quote that encapsulates Shazia's journey of resilience, determination, and breaking societal norms is by R.S.Grey: “She believed she could, so she did.”