Hinah Akhtar

Managing diverse global digital projects that drive digital transformation and enhance People and Organization (P&O) processes across Novo Nordisk.

• Project Planning and Oversight: Successfully managed the planning, execution, and assessment of a highly complex, two-year delayed project, achieving a 100% back-on-track delivery rate while remaining within scope and aligning with the overarching P&O mission.
• Strategic Communication Enhancement: Contributed to the design and implementation of a strategy that resulted in a 75% increase in information dissemination effectiveness across the stakeholder landscape, directly supporting organizational objectives, and improving stakeholder engagement metrics. Also achieved a 97% satisfaction rate on new team structure initiatives in projects, leading to team efficiency.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management : Build and sustain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to foster collaboration, and ensure that global P&O digital initiatives resonate with strategic business aims.

Managed a diverse portfolio of business and IT projects aimed at strengthening business development, improving stakeholder communication, and enhancing the customer and employee experience during business transition and growth, including mergers and acquisitions.

• Stakeholder Communication : Oversaw communication regarding project progress, conducted issue analyses, and facilitated training sessions for stakeholders.
• Interdepartmental Liaison : Served as the primary contact between eight divisions of the organization, conducting needs assessments, and coordinating the design and implementation of various projects.
• Steering Committee Contributions : Provided critical inputs for the Steering Committee and participated in project team meetings involving both internal and external stakeholders.
• Employee Training : Developed and delivered training programs to enhance employees' understanding of product usage.
• Documentation and Process Development : Created processes, manuals, and guidelines to streamline project operations.

Project coordination and strategic communications for a $700M portfolio of large-scale development initiatives and feasibility studies across health, renewable energy, transport, water infrastructure, and climate change, co-financed by ADB, UN, and other international donors.

• Stakeholder Liaison: Served as the key liaison among project consultants, financiers, and external stakeholders, building relationships, managing project deadlines, and facilitating both internal and external communications.
• Partnership Development: Established and curated strategic partnerships with government agencies, civil society, and communities, resulting in the design of the world's first zero-emission Bus Rapid Transit system.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Designed and implemented targeted stakeholder engagement programs to foster trust between the government and citizens, leading to Pakistan's first-ever public-private partnership for biogas production from cattle waste.

Hired as an advisor to help design the Government of Denmark's Public Diplomacy initiative for Pakistan.

• Public Affairs Portfolio Development : Initiated and established the Embassy's Public Affairs portfolio, focusing on enhancing awareness of the Government of Denmark's trade and development initiatives in Pakistan.
• Development and Humanitarian Aid Promotion: Successfully executed and promoted $78M in development aid, and secured $56M in humanitarian aid funding.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Perception Enhancement: Achieved a 32% improvement in stakeholder and public perception from 2013 to 2016, significantly bolstering the Embassy's reputation.
• Strategic Best Practices Implementation: Positioned the Embassy's strategy and results as 'top best practices,' leading to their adoption as a model for the MENA region.
• Social Media Engagement : Developed and cultivated the largest social media presence among all Danish embassies worldwide, enhancing outreach and engagement.

Hired as a consultant to establish and enhance the strategic communications function of Novo Nordisk (NN) in Pakistan.

• Market Access and Public Affairs Strategy : Played a key role in advancing the execution of market access and public affairs strategic plans in collaboration with various functions and business areas.
• Stakeholder Engagement : Launched the Novo Nordisk first-ever Pakistan Diabetes Leadership Forum, bringing together stakeholders from government, healthcare, legislation, and academia to foster collaboration and dialogue.
• Product Launch Coordination: Designed and executed multiple launch events for NN products nationwide, ensuring impactful introductions to the market.
• Public Engagement Initiatives : Conceptualized and implemented the first-ever annual 'President of Pakistan Diabetes Walk,' promoting diabetes awareness and community involvement.

Project coordinator for the European Union's Communication and Visibility project, aimed at highlighting the results and impact of the EU's €650 million project portfolio in Pakistan.

• Strategic Communication Development: Developed and implemented a comprehensive communication strategy to promote EU cooperation initiatives in Pakistan.
• Creative Content Production: Produced a visual identity toolkit, project videos, case studies, brochures, and fact sheets to effectively convey project outcomes and messages.
• Digital Presence Creation: Designed and launched the EU-Pak DevCo website, along with establishing social media platforms to enhance online engagement and visibility.
• Media relations and engagement : Prepared press releases and coordinated media outreach efforts, including managing events to promote project initiatives.
• Media Monitoring and Evaluation: Established and managed systems for media monitoring and evaluation, ensuring consistent assessment of public engagement efforts.
• Event and Interview Management: Oversaw media management for all official EU interviews and events, ensuring effective communication and representation.

Managed outreach initiatives, campaigns, and news content development that focused on public engagement and awareness of socio-economic issues, with the aim of promoting the media's role as a watchdog on development issues. I also carried out interactive engagements with the public and private sectors to work collaboratively to promote educational news content.

Key projects include:

• UNICEF Polio Control Cell: The Polio Control Cell initiative aimed to achieve 100% immunization coverage for children in Pakistan while disseminating information about government health initiatives and conducting awareness campaigns. It ensured coordination between relevant health authorities and 75,000 vaccination team members, which enabled health authorities to reach vulnerable communities and include all children under five in the national polio vaccination program, resulting in the vaccination of 22,000 previously unvaccinated children, helping to prevent the re-emergence of the polio virus in the region.

• Cultivating Hope - National Inter-University Documentary Competition : The project, a collaboration between SAMAA TV and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), engaged 600,000 students nationwide to address extremism. The initiative empowered youth to promote a tolerant and progressive society by emphasizing innovation and the use of technology, while offering a creative platform for self-expression.

• HEC-SAMAA Scholarship Program: The HEC-SAMAA Scholarship Program is the first media scholarship offered by a TV channel, designed to assist deserving students in need of financial support for higher studies in Mass Communication, Journalism, or Media Studies at public sector universities.