ARNAZ SAPNA ASHRAF

Senior Social Impact & Sustainability Executive

Hyderabad, IN.

About

Senior Social Impact & Sustainability Executive with over two decades of leadership experience driving measurable ESG and DEI outcomes across aviation, finance, technology, and consulting sectors in India, Arabia, and the CEMEA region. Proven expert in program governance, cross-sector partnerships, and stakeholder engagement, successfully advancing financial inclusion and empowering women-led SMBs. Adept at embedding ESG and DEI frameworks into enterprise strategy to enhance organizational reputation and achieve global sustainability goals.

Work

Building Balance Advisory

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Founder & Principal Consultant

India & UAE, ,

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Summary

Leading ESG and social impact consulting for diverse clients, specializing in strategic frameworks and impactful program delivery.

Highlights

Designed and implemented partnership frameworks empowering women-led SMBs by providing access to digital tools, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship networks.

Delivered targeted social impact programs, successfully integrating them into client strategies to advance SDG and ESG goals.

Conducted impactful workshops on ESG, POSH, DEI, and well-being, enhancing leadership capabilities and organizational impact for clients.

NTT DATA

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Global Head Learning & Development & Employee Success

N.America & India, ,

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Summary

Directed global learning, development, and employee success initiatives, integrating social sustainability and DEI principles across North America and India.

Highlights

Embedded social sustainability and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles into enterprise talent strategy, achieving 95% talent retention post-M&A cultural integration.

Orchestrated strategic partnerships with NGOs and technology firms to scale digital inclusion programs, benefiting over 20,000 employees globally.

Awarded 'Partner of the Year' three times (3x) for exceptional contributions to talent development and social impact alignment.

Ameex

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Manager Centurion Cards (Strategic Partnerships & Customer Experience)

India, ,

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Summary

Managed the Centurion Cards portfolio and service delivery across India, overseeing relationship management and customer experience teams.

Highlights

Spearheaded the Centurion portfolio and service delivery across India, effectively managing Relationship Managers, Call Centre, and Concierge teams.

Cultivated ultra-premium customer relationships, significantly enhancing experience, retention, and loyalty for high-value clients.

Optimized strategic partnerships and service excellence, ensuring alignment with American Express's global premium standards.

Brains at Work (Training & Events Consultancy)

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Managing Partner

Dubai & India, ,

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Summary

Co-founded and led a training and events consultancy, delivering specialized L&D and sustainability workshops for Fortune 500 clients.

Highlights

Delivered impactful Learning & Development (L&D) and sustainability workshops to Fortune 500 companies including Pfizer, Shell, BP, and Novartis.

Established a corporate training and events consultancy, successfully integrating leadership development, employee engagement, and social impact initiatives.

Designed and implemented programs that significantly enhanced workplace culture, fostered inclusion, and drove behavioral change, scaling ESG initiatives for clients.

Forged strategic partnerships with NGOs and corporations, embedding sustainability and community impact into leadership development and engagement programs.

Emirates Group

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Skywards Partnerships Manager / Business Development Manager

UAE, ,

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Summary

Managed global partnerships and business development for Emirates Group, driving significant revenue growth and loyalty across diverse sectors.

Highlights

Led global partnerships that generated over USD 250M+ in incremental revenue and loyalty growth across airline, financial, hospitality, and retail sectors.

Forged and managed strategic alliances with major airlines (JetBlue, Alaska, United, Continental, South African Airways), expanding Skywards' network to over 100 destinations.

Launched and oversaw key financial partnerships with Citibank and Standard Chartered, introducing Emirates Citi Co-branded Credit & Debit Cards.

Spearheaded the expansion of Emirates Holidays into multiple new markets, including launching TradeNet (B2B online booking platform) and training over 5,000 travel agents across CEMEA.

Negotiated complex multi-market commercial agreements, ensuring strong partner ROI and alignment with sustainability and customer engagement goals.

Education

Osmania University

Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Master's Degree Business Administration

JNU

, , India
Bachelor's Degree Arts & Humanities

Languages

English

Certificates

Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach

Gallup

Certified NLP Master Practitioner

ISO 9001:2015 QMS

ISO 27001:2013 ISMS

Generative AI 101 Certification

ESG for Board

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

ESG for Impact Leaders

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs & UNDP

Skills

ESG & Sustainability

ESG Strategy, Social Impact, ESG Governance, Corporate Citizenship, Sustainability Reporting, Stakeholder Engagement, Climate Action, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Leadership & Development

Purpose-Driven Leadership, Talent Development, DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), Well-being Programs, Change Management, Leadership Development, Employee Engagement.

Strategy & Partnerships

Cross-Sector Partnerships, Government Partnerships, Strategic Alliances, Business Development, Contract Management, Regional Strategy (CEMEA, India, Arabia), Financial Inclusion, SMB Growth.

Industry Domains

Aviation, Financial Services, Travel & Tourism, Hospitality, Technology.

Certifications

ISO 9001:2015 QMS, ISO 27001:2013 ISMS, NLP Master Practitioner, Gallup CliftonStrengths, Generative AI.