Empowering Transformation with Data-Driven Leadership
With more than 25 years of global experience across Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), MedTech, Pharmaceuticals, and Oil & Gas, Bhavesh Shah has built a career defined by transformation and leadership.
Currently serving as Vice President, Finance – Ostomy Care at Convatec in London, Bhavesh leads finance for the Global Ostomy Business Unit and also manages the Global Strategic Pricing Centre of Excellence for Convatec. His current role interacts with various stakeholders including commercial, supply chain, Technology and Finance.
His journey, however, is not simply about managing numbers — it is about using data to unlock value, drive strategic change, and nurture future leaders.
Harnessing Analytics to Drive Strategic Growth
The pivot point in Bhavesh’s career came during his tenure at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where he led a global Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) transformation spanning 400 team members across four continents. By building Centres of Excellence in Singapore and beyond, he shifted the organisation from reactive reporting to proactive, insight-led decision-making.
At Convatec’s Global Emerging Markets Business Unit based in Singapore, he applied similar principles in his role as VP Finance and New Business Development. By deploying market segmentation models, pricing elasticity studies, and predictive analytics, his team achieved market leading business growth in five years across Latin America, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific.
One defining story from Singapore involved improving after-tax profit across Asia Pacific in J&J. With cross-functional collaboration, the team developed a real-time dashboard integrating tax efficiency, pricing, and supply chain data. The result was agile decision-making and exceeding financial targets, proof that analytics can transform not just outcomes, but entire ways of working.
Beyond Finance: Data as a Bridge to Customer-Centric Leadership
Transitioning from finance into commercial and marketing leadership, Bhavesh experienced first-hand how analytics serves as the bridge between financial discipline and customer-centric growth. Whether forecasting demand, refining go-to-market strategies, or unlocking customer insights, data became his compass for building competitive advantage.
Equally important has been his passion for talent development. In J&J Singapore, he mentored finance professionals stepping into analytics-driven roles, many of whom now lead global teams. “Seeing their growth has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career,” he reflects.
Partnering with NUS MSBA: Bridging Academia and Industry
As a board member on the NUS Business Analytics Centre (BAC) Advisory Board, Bhavesh has collaborated closely with the NUS MSBA team on curriculum design, industry events, and mentorship programmes. These experiences, he shares, have been deeply rewarding: “The enthusiasm and innovative spirit of the NUS MSBA community stand out. The students’ ability to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges is remarkable.”
Bhavesh’s involvement goes beyond the boardroom, helping to shape the next generation of analytics and AI leaders through practical guidance and industry insights. He has taken part in fireside chats with students, where he shared lessons from his global career journey, and conducted storytelling workshops that demonstrated how data can be used not only to inform but also to inspire strategic thinking and leadership.
For Bhavesh, industry partnerships like these are essential in bridging academia and business, blending academic rigour with real-world relevance.
Distinctive Strengths of NUS MSBA and Its Students
When asked what makes the NUS MSBA programme unique, Bhavesh highlights its blend of academic excellence, practical application, and strong industry links. Graduates, he notes, are distinguished by their analytical acumen, adaptability, and collaborative mindset.
Many leading companies, including his former employer Johnson & Johnson, have benefited from hiring NUS MSBA graduates who have since gone on to global leadership roles. “The programme produces professionals who are not just technically strong, but also future-ready,” he affirms.
For Bhavesh, engaging with NUS MSBA students is both a professional commitment and a personal passion. He sees the students as exceptional in calibre: curious, driven, and equipped to tackle complex business challenges. Looking ahead, he hopes to continue regular engagements with the community whenever he is in Singapore.
Advice to Aspiring Students: Be Bold, Be Hungry
To those considering the NUS MSBA programme, Bhavesh offers clear advice: “Be prepared for a rigorous, transformative journey. Embrace the diversity of peers, learn continuously, and take risks. Be hungry, be bold, and keep growing.”
For Bhavesh, data has not only shaped business outcomes; it has shaped his entire leadership philosophy. And in the NUS MSBA, he sees the same philosophy at work: preparing leaders who will transform industries through the power of analytics and AI.
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