Growth strategy
Choosing markets, products and partnerships that compound value.
Strategy Director · London
Sarah Ahmed
Leading with insight and integrity. Sarah helps boards and executive teams set direction, make hard trade-offs and turn strategy into results.
18+Years Experience
120+Projects
65+Clients
01Professional profile
Leading strategic transformation
Sarah joined Arshan in 2016 and has led the strategy practice since 2021. She specialises in growth strategy, portfolio decisions and large-scale transformation.
Before Arshan she spent eight years in corporate strategy at a global consumer goods company and four years in investment banking. She is known for making complex choices simple, and for staying close to the teams who deliver them.
- Led 120+ strategy and transformation programmes
- Advisor to boards in retail, technology and healthcare
- Guest lecturer on strategy execution at London Business School
- 2021 – Present
Strategy Director, Arshan
Leads a 14-person practice serving clients across 11 countries.
- 2016 – 2021
Principal, Arshan
Led growth and portfolio programmes for retail and technology clients.
- 2008 – 2016
Head of Corporate Strategy, Consumer Goods
Shaped a £2B portfolio review and three acquisitions.
- 2004 – 2008
Associate, Investment Banking
M&A advisory for European industrial and consumer companies.
Areas of expertise, as rated in Sarah’s most recent client and peer reviews.
Business Strategy96%
Market Analysis90%
Leadership92%
Change Management85%
Financial Modelling80%
- 2007
MBA, London Business School
Dean’s List; concentration in strategy and finance.
- 2003
BSc Economics, University of Warwick
First Class Honours.
- 2019
Board Director Programme, INSEAD
Corporate governance and board effectiveness.
02Expertise
Where Sarah adds the most value
Portfolio decisions
Investment, divestment and M&A choices backed by clear economics.
Leadership alignment
Facilitating executive teams to one shared strategy and scorecard.
03Selected work
Engagements led by Sarah
Digital innovation · Meridian Retail Group
Digital Transformation for Global Retail Brand
An omnichannel platform, unified data and a new operating model for a 900-store retailer.
+320%revenue growthRead more
Business growth · Ashford Learning
Growth Strategy for a University Group
Portfolio review, new market entry and a digital recruitment engine for a three-campus group.
+24%international enrolmentRead more
Operational excellence · Halden Health
Patient Flow Redesign for a Regional Hospital Network
Capacity modelling and new discharge pathways across six hospitals and 4,200 beds.
27%shorter waiting timesRead more
04Latest insights
Articles by Sarah
The Future of Business in a Digital World
Why the next decade belongs to companies that treat digital as a way of operating, not a project.
Sarah Ahmed8 min readWhat Healthcare Leaders Can Learn From Retail
Patient experience is the new competitive frontier. Retail has already written the playbook.
Sarah Ahmed6 min read
Five Strategic Questions Every Board Should Ask in 2027
A practical agenda for boards balancing growth ambitions with a more volatile economy.
James Whitmore6 min read
05Connect
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