About
Why people behave the way they do has been an eternal curiosity of mine. It's what prompted me to go for my Bachelor's in Psychology and Anthropology from St. Xavier's College (Mumbai) and a Master's in Organisational and Social Psychology at the London School of Economics. And what prompts me to write reflective pieces from time to time.
In 2011, I kickstarted my career with an internship at Canvas8, a strategic insights practice in London, as a trends research and editorial intern. The internship solidified my interest in this space and I went onto full time roles moving across start-ups through to mid-sized and global consultancies in London, Mumbai, and Singapore, rising up to the rank of Director of Insights.
As a researcher made in the pre-Covid era, I had the privilege of spending a good chunk of time on field. The hands on lessons learnt on human centricity, empathy, and cultural influence on behaviour have been invaluable in shaping me into the researcher I am.
Putting people and culture at the centre, I have helped solve a host of interesting challenges for Fortune 500 companies, startups, and not-for-profits alike. I spent several hours in Vietnamese households decoding the semiotics of 'mornings' and 'morning meals' to inspire a dairy brand's marketing direction to win the mornings occasions; I got onto the streets of Lagos and learnt how Nigerian merchants spot digital payment scams to guide the UI/UX of a mobile payment platform; I worked with a team to simulate a 'naked' toothpaste shopping experience for Londoners to guide packaging design decisions with an environmental bent; and facilitated multiple hothouses, foresight workshops, and ideation sessions for a host of CPG brands.
In 2021, after a decade of agency experience, I made a conscious choice to switch over to the client side with a view to get more involved in taking insights through to actionable outcomes.
Today, I lead the UX research practice at Rakuten Viki, an asian entertainment OTT service. At Viki, I create and manage Viki's insights diet, lead strategic planning workshops, and direct the positioning of the research team in influencing Viki's future direction.
Beyond work, I have fun with amateur photography, writing for myself, and reading on the psychology of terrorism and personal stories of forced migration.