Akshay Adhau
Princeton,NJ
Summary
Program management leader with 8+ years of experience with proven track record in leading cross-functional teams and driving project success. Skilled in strategic planning, risk management, and resource allocation. Strong background in industrial, chemical, and regulated industries, with hands-on experience managing multi-geography programs, budgets, KPIs, risk, and executive governance. Adept at translating strategy into execution and steering projects from concept through industrialization and launch. Known for adaptability, problem-solving, and fostering collaboration to achieve results.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Program Manager, Strategic Alliance & NPD Management
Dr. Reddy's Labs Inc.
Princeton
04.2024 - Current
- Lead complex product development and launch programs across R&D, manufacturing, quality, & commercial teams, managing portfolios valued at $60M+
- Manage end-to-end partner lifecycle which includes driving synergies, contract compliance, negotiation and issue resolution
- Steer teams through dynamic scope, technical & regulatory changes, ensuring change control, risk tracking, & mitigation plans
- Developed comprehensive project plans, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance standards.
- Drive end-to-end program governance: project plans, timelines, financial forecasts, KPIs, and executive reporting
- Led wind-down of a complex development program coordinating asset, R&D, partner disengagement, & legal/financial closure
- Developed processes for contract management & launches, manage MIS for the US business to improve tracking & accountability
- Led program and site closure key R&D program, managing execution complexity & legal ambiguity related to external partner agreements
- Conducted comprehensive program evaluations, identifying areas for improvement and recommending actionable solutions.
- Streamlined and defined supply chain & operations process for sourcing of raw materials from ranchers to finished product shipment.
- Influenced stakeholders without authority, driving consensus & removing structural barriers across SCM, R&D, Finance & MFG.
- Received 2 awards in FY26 for going above & beyond to deliver new product launches from contract to launch within 60 days
Senior Manager, USA Demand Planning & Customer Service- SCM
Cipla
India
06.2021 - 04.2022
- Led a 3-member team, for demand planning & customer service of B2B & B2C products for North American Market ($200Mn).
- Owned Sales & Operations Planning (SIOP) for all US BUs between finance, business, and operations leadership teams.
- Shared accountability on On-Time in Full as part of the Global Supply network for more than 300 SKUs and managed 14 partners.
- Built dashboards for reporting & decision making using Power BI and Excel as PMO for Global SCM team.
- Led cross-functional teams to optimize supply chain processes and enhance operational efficiency.
- Developed and implemented inventory management strategies to reduce costs and improve service levels.
- Identified process gaps & implemented continuous improvement initiatives to improve OTIF & logistics cost-Savings $2M
Program Manager, Office of President Quality
Cipla
India
06.2018 - 05.2021
- Joined as a part of rotational leadership program, spent 6 months across verticals to build execution & cross‑functional depth.
- Spearheaded 130+ cross-functional improvement and innovation initiatives across 40 manufacturing and R&D sites.
- Managed program budgets, enterprise scorecards, and KPIs; regularly presented progress risks to the Global Management Council.
- Led cross-functional teams to develop and implement strategic initiatives, enhancing project delivery timelines.
- Coordinated and managed multiple pharmaceutical programs, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and company objectives.
- Developed data analytics platform Insights with Tableau & Power BI, to facilitate real time KPI & operations review.
- Led turnaround time reduction project for top 10 products to de-bottleneck supply lines & reduce cost creating an impact of $25M.
- Delivered savings of 3 MN and Manpower optimization (10%) with process optimization & digital transformation program.
- Accolades: Received 2 Medals of Excellence in Financial Years 2020 & 2021 for driving cost improvement & digital programs.
System Engineer
Emerson Process Management
India
05.2014 - 06.2016
- Developed and delivered plant automation architecture for sterile manufacturing operations and packaging systems.
- Built strong technical foundations in manufacturing processes, engineering change management, and process automation.
- Supported plant commissioning, systems integration, & process optimization for global clients Pfizer, Biogen, Samsung & Solvay
- Established strong working relationships with clients through exceptional communication skills, fostering trust and collaboration.
- Received Project performance award for leading site commissioning consulting for injectables lines at Hospira Vizag Site.
Education
Master of Science - Business Analytics
Oakland University
Rochester, MI01-2024
MBA - Business Administration And Management
IIM Indore
India03-2018
Bachelor of Science - Instrumentation And Control Engineering
College of Engineering Pune (CoEP)
Pune05-2014
Skills
- Complex Project & Program Management
- Executive Stakeholder Engagement
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- International Negotiation
- SIOP
- Risk Identification & Mitigation
- Process Optimization
- Partner & Customer Collaboration
- Data Analysis & Visualization
- SAP
- Excel
- Tableau
- Power BI
- MS Projects
- Smartsheet
Certification
- IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).
- Product School: Product Analytics Certification,
Timeline
Program Manager, Strategic Alliance & NPD Management
Dr. Reddy's Labs Inc.
04.2024 - Current
Senior Manager, USA Demand Planning & Customer Service- SCM
Cipla
06.2021 - 04.2022
Program Manager, Office of President Quality
Cipla
06.2018 - 05.2021
System Engineer
Emerson Process Management
05.2014 - 06.2016
Master of Science - Business Analytics
Oakland University
MBA - Business Administration And Management
IIM Indore
Bachelor of Science - Instrumentation And Control Engineering
College of Engineering Pune (CoEP)