Ambar Chipalkatty

Transformation Lead

Industry Focus

  • FMCG: Suntory, Britvic, Reckitt Benckiser, Avon

  • Building Materials: CRH, Tarmac, Hope Construction Materials

  • Pharma/ Healthcare: GlaxoSmithKline

Ambar’s Core Attributes

  • Technology leadership, strategy & governance

  • Senior stakeholder engagement

  • Business Transformation – IT, HR & Supply Chain

  • Programme and Project Management

  • Vendor Management & Outsourcing

  • IT due diligence, planning & TSA for M&A

  • IT Operations & Service Delivery

Meet Ambar Chipalkatty

Ambar is a driven and experienced leader passionate about understanding business & employee needs and leveraging technology to deliver value to the organisation.

An influential communicator who builds rapport and collaborative relationships with stakeholders. Has deep cross-functional and sector experience gained from roles in global and diverse organisations. Has successfully led and delivered complex transformational initiatives.

Ambar’s Key Skills

  • IT Strategy and Leadership – well versed in understanding customer needs to align IT strategy to business goals & objectives, and realise value from investments; building and leading high performance teams; business partnering with BUs/functions to align needs and priorities.

  • HR & IT Transformation – executive engagement for identifying levers and opportunities to align with vision and purpose; business case definition; budget & resource planning; organisation, people and skills assessments; mobilisation and execution; stabilise TOM and embed new WoW.

  • Programme Management – established programme/project management skills and experience across all functions; coupled with ability to drive and embed technology led change.

  • Vendor Management & Outsourcing – stakeholder engagement through various stages of RfP/Tender process; establish contracts with multiple vendors to create an effective partner eco-system.

Ambar’s Assignments

  • Suntory Beverage & Food – Technology & Data Lead for the global People & Culture transformation to establish P&C as the first global function with a new operating model; implement core HR technology as the first global SaaS application within a highly decentralised and complex business.

  • Britvic – Programme Lead for global HR initiative to transform operating model, establish shared services, and standardise processes; enabled through implementation of SAP Success Factors. Key role in embedding ownership and new SaaS operating model within HR.

  • Hope Construction Materials – As the CIO, established the technology function ‘ground-up’ for a newly created business from Anglo American & Lafarge within an unstructured & demanding ‘start-up’ business environment. Application & Infrastructure transformation to achieve an independent & improved IT landscape.