Celebrating Shreepad Shende: A strategist who believes ‘Work is Worship’

With a career spanning more than 25 years across banking, marketing, communications and corporate strategy, Shreepad Shende has built a professional journey defined by innovation, collaboration and an unwavering belief in the power of purposeful work. As he turns a year older this August, his career reflects the evolution of India’s financial-services sector and the growing importance of agile, technology-led leadership.

Currently Head of Business Excellence & Corporate Strategy at IDFC FIRST Bank, Shende has played a key role in shaping strategic initiatives and strengthening organisational effectiveness. He has been associated with the bank’s corporate strategy function since 2018 and previously served as its Chief Marketing and Communications Officer between September 2019 and December 2021.

At the heart of Shende’s leadership philosophy is a simple yet powerful conviction: “Work is worship.” For him, professional excellence is not merely about meeting targets but about creating sustainable value for organisations, customers and society.

A strong advocate of agile ways of working, Shende believes that the ability to respond quickly to changing market dynamics will determine whether organisations remain relevant and competitive. His approach combines corporate strategy with digital transformation, using emerging technologies to unlock business growth, improve efficiency and create differentiated customer experiences.

Over the years, Shende has developed deep expertise across strategic planning, brand management, corporate communications, digital marketing, media relations, crisis management and analytical problem-solving. His experience in managing profit-and-loss responsibilities and large budgets has enabled him to bring both a strategic and commercial perspective to leadership roles.

Before joining IDFC FIRST Bank, Shende was Managing Director of Ashe MarCom Private Limited, where he spent five years leading marketing and communications initiatives. He also served as Director–Marketing at Nokia Mobile Payment Services, contributing to the emerging digital-payments ecosystem at a time when mobile-led financial services were beginning to gain momentum in India.

A significant part of his professional journey was shaped during his nearly seven years at ICICI Bank. He held several important positions, including Group Product and Marketing Head for the Privilege Banking Group; Head of Product and Marketing for Commercial and Prepaid Cards; Executive Assistant to V. Vaidyanathan, then Executive Director of ICICI Bank; and Head of Marketing for the Small and Medium Enterprises Group.

His work at ICICI Bank earned him significant recognition. In 2012, he was felicitated by Padma Vibhushan Dr C. Rangarajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and former adviser to the Prime Minister, for an initiative that brought more than one million people into the formal banking system and contributed to advancing financial inclusion in India.

He was also felicitated by K. V. Kamath, former Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank, after the bank’s Emerging India initiative was featured in the Limca Book of Records.

Shende’s ability to foster teamwork was recognised when he received ICICI Bank’s coveted “DNA Exemplifier” award for two consecutive years—2006–07 and 2007–08—for demonstrating the organisational value of collaboration. The recognition, awarded to a select one per cent of the bank’s employees, celebrated his commitment to winning not just as an individual but as part of a team.

Earlier in his career, Shende worked with Tata AIG Life Insurance as Head of Cross-Sell and with HDFC Bank as Manager–Marketing. These assignments helped establish the foundation for a career that would eventually bring together banking, marketing, technology and strategy.

As Shreepad Shende celebrates another year, his journey stands as a testament to the impact of combining strategic clarity with humility, collaboration and disciplined execution. From expanding financial inclusion to driving digital transformation and business excellence, he has consistently remained focused on building institutions that are prepared for the future.

For Shende, titles and milestones are only part of the story. The larger legacy lies in his belief that meaningful work, pursued with integrity and purpose, can create lasting change for businesses, people and society.