Title: Global Commercial Leader
Company: Cognizant
Location: Deerfield, Illinois, United States
Iram Shah, global commercial leader at Cognizant, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in business development and transformation.
Ms. Shah is lauded for her work as a transformative leader in global business, recognized for her expertise in profit-and-loss management, strategic development and account management. With a career spanning more than 30 years across five countries and various industries, she currently serves as a global commercial leader at Cognizant in Chicago. In this role, Ms. Shah is responsible for understanding clients’ needs, building strong relationships, acquiring new business, developing strategic plans, and collaborating with delivery and service lines to design effective solutions. Additionally, she is tasked with overseeing execution and ensuring successful delivery. Since joining the organization in 2021, Ms. Shah’s leadership has been instrumental in driving business growth.
Leveraging more than 30 years of continued success, Ms. Shah was the senior vice president of customer and digital transformation at Schneider Electric from 2013 to 2019. During her tenure, she led sales and digital transformation initiatives for the $60 billion French multinational specializing in energy management and automation. She managed a team of more than 850 employees across five countries and pioneered Schneider Electric’s digital customer experience strategy. Notably, Ms. Shah spearheaded the company’s transition from traditional analog engagement to a fully digital approach, developing interactive applications and helping create the glass factory, an advanced robotics-based manufacturing model. These innovations marked a significant shift in the organization’s mindset and capabilities.
Earlier, Ms. Shah served as the group head of marketing and planning at Zurich Financial in Zurich, Switzerland. Between 2008 and 2013, she led marketing strategies for the $65 billion insurance and investment company, focusing on customer experience and innovation.
Ms. Shah also excelled as the vice president of marketing and general manager at BP International in London, U.K., from 2001 to 2008. Tasked with building new businesses outside the oil and gas sector, one of her signature accomplishments was launching a franchise model for motorcycle repair shops in India, an unprecedented move for a major energy company that remains operational today.
Among other influential roles, Ms. Shah was the director of marketing and new business development at The Coca-Cola Company in Bangkok, Thailand, between 1997 and 2001. She led marketing efforts across six Asian countries and played a pivotal role in expanding Coca-Cola’s product portfolio beyond traditional beverages. Ms. Shah’s first role in the oil and gas sector took place at Amoco Petroleum as a senior business development manager for retail strategy in 1994, after initially working for PepsiCo/Quaker Oats in consumer marketing management in the Gatorade division in Chicago from 1992 to 1994.
Ms. Shah earned a bachelor’s degree from Commecs College in Pakistan in 1989 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago in 1992. She further enhanced her leadership skills through executive education at Harvard Business School, completing the advanced management program in 2015 and earning certification in Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director in 2016.
Active professionally, Ms. Shah is a member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago and WomenExecs on Boards. She is also deeply committed to civic engagement and philanthropy. Since 2013, she has chaired the Sonia Shah Organization, a nonprofit organization founded by her daughter, Sonia, which provides free education for girls in remote areas lacking basic infrastructure. Under Ms. Shah’s leadership, the organization has grown significantly. Its school now serves more than 300 students, 80% of whom are girls, from primary through high school levels, while offering uniforms and medical care at no cost. The nonprofit also operates a microloan program and vocational center for women and supports young women in the U.S. through college scholarships and interest-free loans.
Apart from her work with the Sonia Shah Organization, Ms. Shah has become recognized as an accomplished public speaker with engagements focused on marketing, innovation, gender equality, social responsibility and sustainability.
Ms. Shah’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including inclusion among the 100 Most Influential Business Leaders in the U.K. in 2005, recognition among the Top 11 International Business Women Leaders in Chicago by Chicago Women Magazine in 2017, and being named one of the 30 Most Inspiring Business Women by Insight Success Magazine in 2017.
Throughout her career, Ms. Shah has excelled at driving transformation, growing businesses, expanding brands and reimagining customer engagement by leveraging technology to meet modern expectations. Her ability to adapt across American, British, Swiss, French and Indian corporate cultures has been central to her achievements. Ms. Shah is known for leading with courage and focus. She credits her resilience to early influences from her family, particularly her father’s belief in gender equality, and support from mentors who guided her professional growth.
Looking ahead, Ms. Shah remains dedicated to driving business transformation through digital innovation and artificial intelligence while empowering others, especially women, to lead with purpose. Her legacy is one of actionable leadership by delivering results that leave organizations stronger while uplifting those around her through mentorship and service.
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