Shuba Bhaskaran

The Guiding Compass in an Organisation’s Journey

Shuba Bhaskaran

Sr. Director - Growth, Customer Success & Onboarding,

ITILITE

I n today’s fast-paced business landscape, adaptability and innovation are the keys to success, making the role of a growth and revenue officer indispensable. These strategic visionaries are the architects of a company’s expansion, champions of sustainable profitability, and the driving forces behind its rise to industry prominence. They carry a mandate that extends far beyond the conventional responsibilities of a C-suite executive. They are entrusted with orchestrating the symphony of growth, balancing on the tightrope of revenue generation, and nurturing the very lifeblood of a company’s success.
In this context, allow us to introduce you to a luminary in this field: Shuba Bhaskaran, the Senior Director responsible for Growth, Customer Success, and Onboarding at ITILITE. She is credited with crafting unparalleled success stories, and her career reads like an epic tale of transformation and achievement. Shuba personifies the essence of a growth and revenue officer. What sets Shuba apart is her profound dedication to the art and science of sales. Her journey in this realm began with a deep-rooted desire to illuminate the path for others.
Shuba’s career is not merely about profit margins and quotas; it’s about solving complex problems and empowering individuals to soar to new heights. With a strong foundation in technology sales, Shuba doesn’t just understand the nuts and bolts of her industry; she shapes its future. Her account management transcends the ordinary; it’s about nurturing relationships that bear fruit not just today but for years to come. Shuba’s exceptional global outlook, honed through traversing multinational landscapes, enables her to see opportunities beyond borders. Her ability to forecast, plan territories, and lead sales teams is nothing short of masterful. It’s not just about making the right moves; it’s about crafting strategies that resonate with the rhythm of the market. Yet, Shuba’s leadership goes beyond her remarkable skill set; it’s a beacon of inspiration. She doesn’t lead from the front; she leads from within, cultivating leadership in others.
As we delve deeper into Shuba’s journey, we find a career path that defies convention. She started in a world where startups were a rarity, opting for the uncharted waters of Zoho over more established giants. This audacious decision laid the foundation for a career marked by diversity and a relentless pursuit of challenges. From Zoho to Hewlett Packard (HP), each move was a strategic leap, an intentional exploration of uncharted territories that uncovered latent skills and capacities she never knew she possessed.

Could you highlight your time at LinkedIn and the challenges of establishing the LinkedIn Learning division, considering the Microsoft acquisition?

My journey at LinkedIn was a remarkable chapter in my career. I joined LinkedIn as its 11th employee in India, entrusted with the mission of propelling the platform’s growth in the country. This role marked a departure from my previous experiences as it involved quota-carrying sales, a new challenge I embraced wholeheartedly.
Over the course of four years, I thrived in this dynamic environment, drawing upon my startup background to excel. I created playbooks, embraced a customer-centric approach, and led a team that specialised in startups and SMBs. This experience deepened my passion for sales and revenue growth.
However, the acquisition of LinkedIn by Microsoft added a new layer of complexity. We needed to navigate co-selling and partnerships while preserving LinkedIn’s unique identity. This phase broadened my perspective on go-to-market strategies and the power of collaboration.
Subsequently, I received a unique opportunity to relocate to the US and lead the creation and expansion of the LinkedIn Learning organisation from scratch. Over seven transformative years, we built a small team into a formidable force of hundreds of sales representatives, catering to Fortune 500 companies. This period was especially dynamic, given LinkedIn’s acquisition by Microsoft during that time.

What are your future career goals, and how do you see your role evolving in the industry?

My future career aspirations centre around leading larger, multinational organisations and spearheading go-to-market strategies on a global scale. I see myself harnessing AI extensively to achieve significant revenue growth, aiming for 3x to 4x results through advanced go-to-market approaches. The ever-evolving role of AI across industries offers exciting prospects, and I plan to be a pioneering force in utilising these technologies to drive growth and profitability.

In the context of ITILITE, how do you personalise growth strategies to cater to different customer segments?

ITILITE offers unique benefits to a wide range of customers. For small and microenterprises, our fully automated platform with instant ticket booking saves valuable time and maximises cost savings through personalised yet cost-effective travel options. In contrast, large enterprises require strong compliance and adaptability to changing business conditions. ITILITE meets these needs with comprehensive policy and budget management capabilities and an intuitive interface and has become the platform of choice for large companies across industries in India. Our growth strategy in this segment focuses on delivering intelligent insights and a personalised client management approach, which has led to significant expansion in the APAC market over the past year.
In my current role, I face two primary challenges: talent management and data quality. Finding and retaining customerfocused, motivated individuals is an ongoing requirement. Ensuring high-quality data for informed decision-making is equally crucial and necessitates the use of advanced tools like CRM systems and data enrichment platforms.

Could you provide an example of a tough decision you've made as a revenue leader?

One of my most challenging decisions as a revenue leader is determining when to disengage from a customer or prospect. This decision requires a delicate balance between emotion and rationality. Sometimes, it results in an amicable parting with the potential for future reconnection. However, prematurely cutting ties can leave a negative impression. Conversely, investing too much in unfruitful endeavours is equally difficult to manage. Deciding the right time to disengage is a complex decision in the world of revenue leadership.