Career Code

I work with leaders to unlock their potential, build high-performing teams, and drive real business growth. As a Workplace Experience Expert and Leadership Coach, I help leaders at every level break through barriers, reach their goals, and grow their people.

For AI leaders, the focus is clear: increase revenue, maximize time, eliminate roadblocks, and capitalize on new opportunities.

I’ve helped AI leaders sharpen their skills, strengthen their teams, and scale their businesses. 

✅ Accelerate career growth – guiding mid-to-senior leaders toward executive roles
✅ Enhance leadership presence – improving executive communication, influence, and strategic thinking
✅ Navigate career transitions – moving into AI leadership, product roles, or scaling their impact
✅ Build high-performing teams – optimizing decision-making, delegation, and stakeholder management
✅ Overcome burnout & imposter syndrome – developing resilience and confidence

The leaders who invest in their own growth expand their capacity, elevate their teams, and make a lasting impact. 

Who I Work With:
🔹 Tech professionals stepping into leadership roles
🔹 Engineering & Data Science leaders transitioning to executive positions
🔹 AI & Product leaders looking to scale their impact
🔹 Founders & executives aiming to optimize their leadership performance

Leadership & Executive Coach

Kenvue

- Manage a cross functional team to build data & AI products for a 5 billion commercial business.
- Drove an end-to-end data program of technology, people and platforms platforms, to derive business value.

Senior Manager, Data & Analytics

H2O.ai

- Drive a cross functional team of data scientist, engineers to execute for 40+ customers across APAC
- Manage c-suite and executive customer relationship to help generate insights from data.

Customer Success Lead

Pfizer

• Manage a cross-functional team to build data product expertise that generates 2 million in revenue/yr.
• Design organization data roadmap, analytics strategy, data product development across 100+ markets, 200+ applications and many data sources. 
• Collaborate and influence technology trends, commercial strategy through data for 2 billion commercial business operations and reporting to Head of Commercial IT, EM.

Senior Manager, Upjohn Emerging Markets Technology Business Partner

Teradata

- Enable the organization to drive efficiencies and improvements through data driven decisions
-Support the creation of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence and strategy
-Identify inefficiencies, optimize processes and data flows and make recommendations for improvements
-Subject matter expert for several analytic engagement internationally
-Analyze data to identify trends and opportunities, surface actionable insights, and help teams set    goals, forecasts and prioritization of initiativesscientist in key engagements in a variety of domains banking, automobile, oil and natural gas, transportation, telco. Built state of art machine learning models at scale to solve interesting problems.
- Helping the C-suite to build their AI roadmap and helping them through their journey.
- Share analytic knowledge to a wider community through speaking engagements at
leading analytic conferences.

Senior Data Scientist - International

Highlights:

- Enabled and drove the research of Smart Transportation systems
- Utilized knowledge to design software for large complex multi-processor systems
- Mentored junior and external (contractor) software development team members-
- Worked with customers to do joint research and deliver business value
- Managed a  highly technical project that developed a traffic decongestion system which predicted occurrence of incidents on the road network and the impact on the road network

Staff Software Engineer

Tata Consultancy Services

Banking – Data Warehouse application 
- Led a team of 5 engineers who built and developed the recovery system for the Data Warehousing platform of Bank of America
- Worked with team members to ensure zero downtime involved in designing systems to protect 5B worth of data.
- Wrote technical specifications definition based on conceptual design and stated business requirements
- Supported, maintained, documented, and wrote unit tests for software
- Analyzed code to find causes of errors and revised programs as needed

Assistant System Engineer

I have been in the trenches, building high performance tech teams for the last 15 years. 

I have been working with AI way before it became mainstream and realize first hand its true potential and where it’s going. 

As a side hustle, I’m an Executive Coach who helps teck leaders gain career clarity, build confidence, leverage executive presence to accelerate their careers.

And that often looks like getting that exciting promotions faster and successfully navigating your role. 

But that also means, overcoming self-doubt, imposter syndrome and and anything getting in the way that you might not see. 

Many of my clients are ambitious technology leaders who:

➤ Feel stuck or uncertain about their next career move.
➤ Are dealing with conflict, high-pressure decisions, or team challenges
➤ Struggling to navigate organization politics.
➤ Lack clarity and a roadmap for the next chapter of their career.
➤ I have an inner critic that is using up too much time
➤ Want to strengthen their confidence, communication, and leadership presence


That’s where I come it. 

I help you through a 3 month intensive 4P Leadership Compass program, which enables you to expand your leadership in dimensions of Purpose, People, Presence & Progress

✔ Purpose: Gain clarity in complex situations and make confident decisions.
✔ Presence: Develop the leadership presence, influence, and communication skills to thrive.
✔ People: Family, Navigating influence, organization politics, work-life balance.
✔ Progress: Understand and plan how to make this next step.

This means less second-guessing, stronger leadership, and more control over your career.

What My Clients Achieve:

✅ Faster, clearer decision-making in high-pressure situations
✅ Stronger leadership presence & influence in critical conversations
✅ Sustainable career success without stress, controlling the pace

If you’re a tech executive or ambitious professional preparing for the next phase of your career, let’s connect.

📩 DM me “4P” to learn more!

"How do you identify your ideal client?"

A Data Leader asked me this at #SFF yesterday.

My answer wasn't what he expected.

Because it's not about titles.
Not about proving I know more.
Not about their ambition.

It's about ownership.

Ownership of:

Their vision
Their voice
Their growth.

I work with leaders who:

Often feel lonely at the top.
Struggle with clarity.
Want to grow their presence.

So that they can build trust, lead from within,
and create impact that lasts.

And here's what I've learned:
When Data and AI leaders take ownership, something shifts.

They stop waiting to lead.
They stop asking for permission to speak.
They stop looking for the "right time."

They just start.

That's when executives start listening.
That's when their teams start following.
That's when opportunities start coming to them.

What's one area of your leadership you're ready to take full ownership of?

Karthik Bharadwaj

The AI Tech Leader Coach - I make it easy for tech leaders to get career clarity, develop executive presence and fastrack their careers in months not years

A few weeks ago, a client walked into a session with a clear goal:

"I want to build trust and deeper relationship with my next level"

He had mastered execution.

Hit every target.

Led with precision.

But something was missing.

"I'm a rational leader," he said.

"I struggle to go beyond work talk.

And resistance to go beyond and explore genuine relationships"

We dug deeper.

Turns out, this leader had two versions of himself:

The authentic one who wanted real connection.

And the "get it done" one who needed control.

The second version was winning.

He wanted to let out the authentic self.

But the "get it done" constantly holds him back.

Micromanaging everything,

Worrying daily,

Burning out quietly.

Then came the shift.

He paused and said.

Wait "No one cares, it is actually in my head"

That landed.

He built a new approach to work.

He vouched to let go of the narrative.

Focus on small wins.

Let go of the narrative.

Trust doesn't come from control, it comes from presence.

By the end, his energy had changed.

"If I stop controlling the small stuff, my authentic self shows up. 

And that's what builds trust."

He committed to becoming bold and empowered version of himself

Not by doing more.

By letting go.

What will happen for you if there is more freedom and less fear?

Your manager knows you're ready for the next level.

You're doing the work. 
Delivering results. 
Leading your teams well.

But when promotion decisions happen, 
your name doesn't come up.

The system rewards visible leadership,
Not quiet excellence.

You can be the best on your team and still get passed over.

Because the right people don't know what you're capable of.

Someone gets stuck at a senior level for years.

They finally leave.

Six months later.
They promote someone half your exp as a director.

Lower skills.
Less experience.
Different outcome.

What changed? Visibility.

This pattern has cost people I know 3-5 years of their careers

Visibility isn't about self-promotion.
It's about strategic presence.

It means:
Building relationships before you need them
Sharing your impact beyond your immediate team
Developing a reputation that extends past your role
Making your leadership visible to decision makers

You don't need to leave to do this.
But you need to be strategic about your visibility.
Opportunity doesn't find quiet excellence. 
It finds visible leadership.

You’ll wish you started this a month from now. 
Or you’ll be glad you did. Either way, time is moving.

👍 If you found this helpful.

Tech folks are harming themselves.

And nobody gives a damn.

Your work calendar looks like:

Ship products in 2 months.
Make 10x business impact.
Keep the team motivated.
Justify every tech decision.
Manage up, down, and sideways.

The constant juggle of plates.
The multiple tabs.
The un-ending slew of pings.

Look, I've been that exhausted leader in your shoes.

→ Tight budgets
→ Unrealistic deadlines
→ Constant context switching
→ The pressure to "do more with less"
→ Being bullied by business.

I have said yes to too many impossible timelines myself.

And learnt things the hard way.

Until I shifted my approach.

I stopped pretending I have figured it out.
I admitted when I'm stretched thin.
I said "no" to impossible deadlines.
I protected my team's time like it's sacred.

And something clicked.

I felt energized to go to work.
My team started shipping better work.
Stakeholders respected my timelines.


Here's the unpopular truth:

If you're burnt out as a tech leader, it's partly your fault.

Not the company's. Not the stakeholders'.

Yours.

You taught them it was okay.

You set the standard for how they treat you.
Stop blaming the system.

You're not a victim. You're a leader.

Leaders set boundaries or they get trampled.

Your burnout is a symptom of your choices.
Change the choices. Change the outcome.

What's one boundary you're setting this week to protect your energy?

Drop it in the comments.

Let's hold each other accountable.

If you're tired of doing it alone, but too proud to ask, just know I see you. The door’s open.

My client came in feeling terrible.

His mind voice "I do not belong to the room"

We tried an exercise the old school way.

Paper and pen.

Write every reason you belong here.
He wrote 10.

Then write every reason you don't.
He wrote 3.

And he eliminated them in 2 weeks.
He texted "I am feeling ready now"

Here's the truth most people miss:

That feeling isn't a flaw.
It's a signal you're playing at the right level.

The best tech folks I work with all share the same secret fear:

"What if they find out I don't know everything?"

They're leading AI transformations.
Hiring engineers smarter than them.
Making decisions that can make or break the company's future.

And every single day, they're terrified someone will notice.

Here's what that internal voice sounds like:

→ In the boardroom: "What if the CEO realizes I'm faking it?"
→ Leading transformation: "Am I betting wrong?"
→ Speaking to investors: "Everyone else sounds so confident"
→ Managing VPs: "Do they wonder why I don't have all the answers?"

Sound familiar?

This isn't a weakness to fix.

It's a compass pointing you toward growth.

The discomfort isn't evidence you're a fraud.

It's evidence you're operating at your edge.

And that's exactly where leaders are built.

So next time that voice shows up asking "Do I really belong here?"

Try this simple exercise:

"Pull out paper and pen.
Write every reason you belong here.
Then write every reason you don't.
Watch that second list get shorter as you prove yourself wrong.

Your imposter syndrome isn't holding you back. 
Your fear of having it is.

👍🏻 If you fought your mind voice recently.

♻️ If you feel this exercise could help other leaders.

If this resonates and you want to work through your own list. 
send me a DM. Let's talk

A lot of leaders don't get this.

But they still continue to repeat the same pattern

Waiting for the perfect moment to invest in yourself isn't strategy.

It's avoidance dressed up as planning.

A senior leader DM me a few months back.

Brilliant track record. Consistently delivering results.

But stuck at the same level for three years.

She knew exactly what she needed to work on.
She had the self-awareness.
She had the capability.

What she didn't have was the commitment to act.

So she sent me this: "I will keep this in purview"

Translation: I'm going to think about it some more.

Not because she wasn't good enough.
Because she kept waiting for the perfect moment to step up.

And here's what happens very often.

January: "After this project wraps"
November: "Maybe next year"

Here's what that delay actually cost her:

12 months of salary she'll never get back
Watching someone less experienced take the role she was built for

The hard part?

You fall further behind leaders who are investing in themselves now
You miss opportunities that won't come around again

Not just in salary.
In impact.
In the leader you're capable of becoming.

2025 starts in 10 days.
You can enter it the same way you entered 2024.

Or you can decide right now that this is the year you accelerate.

If you're tired of waiting and ready to move faster, send me a DM.

I work with tech leaders who are done delaying their growth and ready to collapse the timeline to their next level.

An interesting conversation with David R. Hardoon last week.

Simple and deep conversations on accountability, balance 
and fulfilment.

He said "Look, we can't control outcomes, 
but we can control our intentions and actions."

Simple, right?

But it's harder than it sounds.

It's about being deliberate. 

Looking at what's in front of you 
and  making a choice with complete awareness.

The key? Self-awareness.

Asking yourself:

How am I showing up right now?
What do I actually want here?
How does this connect to the bigger picture?

Most leaders I work with struggle with this.

They're reacting, not choosing.
Responding to every request.
Jumping into every fire.
Always busy, never strategic.

The result?
They're seen as doers, not leaders.
They burn out. 
They miss out on what is valuable.

The shift? Intentional leadership.

It's about doing the right things deliberately.

Balance isn't binary.

It is more subtle.

It is about being intentional.

And being present for the more important things.

So the real question is: Are you being deliberate enough about how you're showing up?

I've watched 15+ years of tech "disruptions" come and go.

AI isn't the first time we've panicked about our careers.

But here's what's different this time.

The pace is faster. The changes are deeper.
And staying curious matters more than ever.

Career resilience in the AI age isn't about fighting change.
It's about building skills that make you resilient.

Here's what actually works:

1. Anchor in reality and not rumour.
I stopped following AI news.
Started talking to people who do the work.
Reality is usually less dramatic than Linkedin posts.

2. Bias for Action
Waiting for perfect clarity is a trap.
Every Friday, I spend 30 minutes testing one AI tool. 
Not to master it. Just to understand what it can actually do.

3. Build a portfolio of skills.
  Don't bet everything on one path.
  For me:  Executive coaching, technical leadership, product strategy. 
  I kept all three warm while I figured out which path felt right.

4. Manage Energy
Career transitions drain you.
Protect your sleep, movement, and downtime.
You can't think clearly when you're running on empty.

5. Keep Relationships Strong
Your network is your safety net.
I stay in touch with my former colleagues.
Connect without an agenda.
And watched relationships compound

I've reinvented my career three times already.
Data Engineer -> Data Scientist -> Executive Coach

Each time felt scary. Each time made me stronger.

The people who thrive aren't the ones with perfect plans.

They're the ones who keep moving forward despite uncertainty.

When you're in the middle of change,

It is hard to see your own blind spots.
It feels scary to take the leap.
And take action that builds momentum.

Your career resilience can start with one small step today.
What feels right for you?

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