Amby – Making THAT Difference

MY STORY

The name Amby is a short version for Ambuja and is a name that my friends and peers fondly call me by.

Ambuja, in Sanskrit, means the Lotus flower. In many eastern cultures, the Lotus signifies rebirth, purity, and enlightenment. Its characteristics are a perfect analogy for the human condition: even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the Lotus produces the most beautiful flower.

Over two decades of a Corporate HR career in leadership roles for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region in multinational organizations gave me the opportunity to work closely with people from over forty different cultures and their transformations.

Right through my journey, what I found most rewarding, at work and on a personal level, was being a part of peoples’ stories and making a meaningful impact on them.

Trust, respect, humility, and hard work form an integral part of my value system, which is fundamental in everything I do, including in the way we have raised our two beautiful daughters.

As a Coach, Consultant and Career Guide, I combine the robust work experience with my innate strengths and work with powerful tools and techniques to help people make that shift and anchor themselves in critical aspects of their professional and/or personal lives.

‘You, my client, are at the heart of every conversation; meaningful conversations based on trust where the only focus is YOU’.

My HR career profile is on LinkedIn (Ambuja Hegde)

Based in Dubai, I consult in the UAE and overseas, in person and through virtual sessions.

I believe that Choice is the key to our individual evolution. My Purpose is to help people make those life changing choices.

Ambuja Hegde, Founder

COACHING

A certified Brain Based Coach from the Neuro Leadership Institute, US, I use the Brain Based Coaching approach, a unique methodology based on contemporary Neuroscience.

By understanding how the Brain works, this approach enables us to better tailor our coaching language, strategies, and goals to be aligned with an individual’s ‘hard wired’ way of thinking. The Coaching conversations are insight-driven and involves Goal setting and Habit building.

BBC is one of the most powerful form of coaching and is based on the below insights to the brain.

Up close, no two brains are alike
The brain hard wires everything it can
Our hardwiring drives automatic perceptions
It is practically impossible to deconstruct old wiring
It is easy to create new wiring
The brain is a connection machine

Powerful questioning techniques and forward focused conversations will be used to help you get a deeper insight to the way YOU think, act, and behave.

Be it Coaching for Life, Workplace, Business, Performance, Relationships, Skills or Behaviors, it is all about the decisions we take. The core of our decision making is the brain, the ‘’heart of our thinking’.

Some of my clients include:

Teens and young adults
Professionals
Parents
Senior Corporate executives
Homemaker mums

Curious to know more? Call for a complimentary session.

CAREER GUIDANCE

Are you a fresh Graduate looking for your first career break? Do you need support on how to maneuver the process of writing an impactful CV, how to face interviews with confidence, what doors to knock on and what jobs you should be targeting?

Are you an industry specific expert who now wishes to switch industries to capitalize on the global economic trends? Do you want to adapt your profile and positioning to break into an industry that is more promising?

Does your child need help in filtering through the myriad of options to get clarity on what line of studies would best align with their natural aptitude and inherent skills, thereby setting him or her for the right and successful career thereafter?

I support the above needs with a combination of structured assessment tools, professional CV writing and counselling.

EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY

Often, employees are confused about their rights and entitlements in an organization, be it at the time of joining or leaving.

Whilst all contracts are designed with a win-win objective for both sides, these are not always easy for the employee to interpret. Employees do not understand the implications of every term and condition in their Employment contract or in their Separation agreement.

At such times employees are not comfortable to talk to even their own HR and are looking for someone outside their organization who can advise them on their rights in an objective and confidential manner. At the same time, this need not always be in the form of legal advice.

With extensive experience in dealing with HR policies and the Labor Laws in the UAE, I support those who are looking for such advice and be their fair and trusted independent counsel.

HR CONSULTING

Equipped with over two decades of HR leadership experience in multi-national organizations, spanning across all areas of HR, I partner with organizations to support them with their Strategic as well as all areas of HR Operational needs in all areas of the employee lifecycle.

I work on a need-based Consultancy as well as Retainer basis, especially focusing on start-ups and those organizations that do not yet have full- fledged HR teams.

I also provide Consulting in some niche areas of HR such as:

Strategic needs

Diversity & Inclusion
Leadership Training for Line Managers and new managers
Design and Run Assessment Centers for Recruitment
Training on how to run HR investigation
How to work with Cultural Sensitivities
Executive Coaching

Operational needs

Policies & Procedures
Preparation of HR departments for HR Audits

TESTIMONIALS

Winnie Bundi

Ambuja gets my highest recommendation as an executive coach and mentor. Her unique ability to recognize, understand, and explain complex business relationships has revolutionized my thinking, and most importantly, my actions. Despite some painful personal realizations, Ambuja mentored me in managing complex issues to make me a better person and proved to be right 100% of the time with her observations, opinions, and suggestions. Ambuja is one of the top contributors to the success that I enjoy as a professional today.

Former HR Director – Wrigley, East Africa

Carol Talbot

It’s extremely rare that you come across a person with Ambuja’s experience, abilities and expertise and even rarer that you get the opportunity to mentor with someone of this caliber. She has proved this over the twenty plus years that I have known her

Keynote Speaker, NLP Master Trainer

Master Firewalk Instructor, Author

Ruth Fernandes

How can I encapsulate a relationship that spans more than 20 years? Ambuja is more than just a client. She is the quintessential professional, who manages her varied roles with passion, integrity and a great deal of skill. In every role, the single most distinction that held Ambuja apart is her innate understanding of people and their needs and marrying these to the needs of the Organization. Her coaching and counseling skills have been well recognized across all levels, from the senior-most down to the simple blue collared workers. I wish her well and am certain that she will fulfill her mission to help those who can benefit from her wisdom and understanding of human nature.

Senior Partner and Head of Talent Management

Daksada Management Consultancy

Karim El Alaoui

Ambuja is a professional person acting with high sense of integrity and driven by values. Expert of all the elements linked to Human Resources. I enjoyed working with her and hope one day our roads will cross again.

Former Managing Director

Middle East, Turkey & Africa, Boehringer Ingelheim

Daniel Omosa

A seasoned professional with a track record built in the trenches of the industry and in cross-cultural environments. Ambuja not only brings theory but knows how to apply it to buy the right talent and build it. Her strong relationship building skills, listening, coaching and HR process knowledge equip her well to be a ‘go to’ advisor to organizations as well as to individuals.

Chairman and Managing Director – Fuga Limited, Kenya

Former General Manager – Wrigley, Sub Sahara Africa

K.R.Upili

Ambuja Hegde, whom I had the privilege to hire and work with in Siemens in the ‘90s as a vivacious young girl, brings a unique blend of skills. The most unique quality was her ability to place and win trust of people and colleagues at all levels, which is a critical requirement for any professional as a coach and mentor. I wish her all the best in her next innings.

Former Head of Human Resources and Member of Managing Board

Siemens South Asia

Gabriella Planojevic

I have worked closely with Ambuja (Amby) for the last seven years, both on a professional and personal level. Amby brings a wealth of experience in HR, from her years in senior roles in large multinational companies. What sets her apart is her authenticity in all her dealings, her genuine care for the people she works with and her personal investment in all that she does. She has been an advisor, a consultant, a coach and a mentor to her business partners and people working under her guidance have flourished.

Global Talent & Development Director at Aramex

Marjan Maghami

I would like to express my gratitude to you, Ambuja, for the outstanding advise you continuously provided for me on very complex HR related topics Ambuja, your dedication, commitment and expertise in HR and your extensive experience in the Middle East, Turkey & Africa region has been instrumental in my success. Your genuine concern and expert advice are something I will always fall back on.

Head of Medical Affairs – META, Boehringer Ingelheim

Costa Economou

Ambuja has worked with me as my HR Head for the region. I have found her to be a solid professional HR manager - well versed in the region's Human Resources and Leadership issues. Her mentoring and coaching skills were also highly appreciated by our management team. Working at the highest level of integrity, and with her set of values she gained the trust of her peers and colleagues.

Founder - Stratpharma

Raoul Johnson

I have had the privilege to work with Ambuja Hegde at Stanley Black & Decker (MEA) As the HR Head for MEA, Ambuja was highly respected for her proficiency in her field. She and the team she led were exceptional in their support to all key areas of the business. She helped build a strong “People” culture and despite business pressures drove an atmosphere of collaboration, positivity, energy, and performance. Ambuja’s leadership skills, business acumen and overall knowledge of the HR function position her strongly as a Consultant and Coach.

General Manager - ACE Hardware International

Carla Abou Zeid

I worked with Ambuja (Amby) for three years in Boehringer Ingelheim. Ambuja was an excellent HR leader during our most challenging and complex time where we had the acquisition deal with Sanofi and the major restructure within the organization .As a valued member of the leadership team, she demonstrated a strong commitment to results, terrific business acumen and great insight into the workforce. Her passion for excellence also made her a strong coach and mentor not only to the HR team but to everyone in the organization.

Marketing Manager CEMA at Medtronic

Bill Cody

I can highly recommend Ambuja for her strong leadership skills, functional expertise, and broad knowledge of the business landscape across the ME&A region. I was her direct Manager for over three years. As a Wrigley MEA regional management team member, Ambuja played a leadership role whilst consolidating the Wrigley MEA operations. She led the integration of the Mars business processes following their global acquisition of Wrigley. I have always found her to be a positive and determined individual.

Former Regional VP – Wrigley, Latin America

Naheed Mirza

I have had the opportunity of knowing Ambuja over the last seven years in both a business and personal context. Ambuja exhibits the highest level of professionalism and integrity in day to day encounters while maintaining a positive and motivating attitude in everything she does. Her warm sense of humor, her ability to coach and spread her positivity is something that everyone who meets Ambuja will have the opportunity to experience.

Training & Development Manager – GulfIP, Boehringer Ingelheim