Anantha Venkatasubbarao

About Anantha Venkatasubbarao

Transformational IT & Organizational Change Leader | Driving Strategy, Agility, Cloud & Operational Excellence at ScaleI am a strategic leader and change influencer with 25+ years of experience and an MBA, delivering complex, enterprise-scale programs across Healthcare, Pharma, Telecom, Services, and Consulting. I specialize in digital transformations, Agile & Lean adoption, cloud modernization (AWS), operational excellence, and mindset change at scale.My superpower is continuous learning and upskilling—constantly exploring opportunities to grow horizontally and take on broader responsibilities while driving measurable organizational impact. I excel at translating vision into execution, fostering collaboration, partnering with C-suite executives, coaching high-performing teams, and delivering programs that align technology, strategy, and value creation.Key Career Wins:• Led enterprise Agile transformations for Pharma & Healthcare clients, driving faster delivery and improved collaboration including in my current role.• Built Comcast’s Lean Six Sigma program, delivering multi-million-dollar savings through Green & Black Belt projects.• Elevated HP to CMMI Level 5 and achieved the world’s first ITIL certification, optimizing operations and saving millions.• Guided GM to CMMI Levels 2 & 3, standardizing processes and improving efficiency.• Executed a Lean Six Sigma project at Quest Diagnostics, improving efficiency by 55% and saving millions.• Implemented PMO best practices at HP, delivering significant cost reductions.• Modernized IT landscapes leveraging AWS Cloud, driving scalable, resilient, and value-focused technology solutions.Areas of Expertise:• Stakeholder Alignment, Collaboration & Enterprise Program Leadership• Agile Coaching & Mindset Change• Organizational Change & Business Transformation• Lean Six Sigma & Process Optimization• PMO, Program & Project Leadership• Cloud Modernization & AWS ArchitectureCertifications:SAFe SPC | PMP | LSS MBB | CSM | Prosci Change Management PractitionerI believe leadership is about influence, mindset, and lasting value—and I bring that philosophy to every program, team, and organization I serve.

Experience

1. Associate Director (Agile Coach) - Program Project Management

   Merck

   Nov 2021 — Present

   Spearheaded Agile transformation across My Merck Accounts (MMA) and Core Commercial Package (CCP), accelerating delivery, embedding new ways of working, and driving measurable stakeholder value.• Led MMA migration to AWS Cloud, retiring Tridion and delivering multi-million-dollar savings while improving scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency.• Delivered critical business functionalities since 2018, managing a high-performing onsite/offshore team of ~18 and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders across IT, Business, RMO, AMS, CAT Admin, Networking, API, Security, and Compliance.• Built and empowered high-performing teams via servant leadership, customer-first mindset, retrospectives, Inspect & Adapt practices, and team-building workshops that strengthened collaboration and engagement.• Led Change Management for the Global Demand Management Initiative using Merck’s Strategic Realization Framework (SRF), driving organizational readiness, stakeholder alignment, and adoption of enterprise-wide business transformations.• Represented US Market as Change Management Expert in the Employee Engagement Network, co-designing engagement strategies, shaping culture-focused communications, and implementing adoption feedback loops.• Led Agile maturity assessments for the US Market across multiple critical programs, executing follow-up evaluations to track prior coaching recommendations, driving measurable improvements, and providing quarterly leadership updates to ensure governance and sustained performance.• Enabled executive alignment and performance tracking through leadership updates, adoption metrics, and measurable value delivery.• Mentored colleagues through Merck’s EMP program, supporting career growth, skill development, and achievement of professional goals

Education

• University of Saint Mary

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Enterprise Strategic, Risk Management

  2013 — 2015

• University of Mysore

  Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), Mechanical Engg

  1979 — 1984

Skills

• Six Sigma
• Certified Lead Auditor
• Software Project Management
• Software Development Methodologies
• Net Promoter Score
• Itil
• Quality Assurance
• Iso 13485
• Maturity Assessments
• Quality Control
• Vendor Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Software Development
• Dmaic
• Pmo
• Operational Excellence
• Pmp
• Leadership
• Testing
• Product Management
• Business Process Management
• Organizational Change Agent
• Iso 9000
• Strategy
• Business Process
• Governance
• Business Process Improvement
• Integration
• Project Portfolio Management
• Process Management
• Project Management
• Project Planning
• Program Management
• Leading Organizational Change
• Agile Methodologies
• Team Building
• Management
• Change Management
• Quality Management
• Lean Manufacturing