#WeLeadComms: Anu Naveen Sharma

Today’s #WeLeadComms honors go to Canada-based strategic communications and change management professional Anu Naveen Sharma.

“The quality of our relationships depends on the quality of our communication. In business and in life, communication builds trust, creates alignment and helps people make better decisions.”

That belief has shaped Anu’s 17-year career advising organizations across India and North America on strategic communications, reputation management, stakeholder engagement, digital communications and complex issues.

Today, she is a Senior Consultant at Crestview Strategy, where she advises organizations on communications, reputation, public affairs, stakeholder engagement and organizational change. Working alongside exceptional colleagues at Crestview has reinforced her conviction that communication professionals create the greatest value when they become trusted advisors to leadership. Watching Crestview grow into a global consultancy has demonstrated how organizations create lasting impact by putting strategy before tactics and earning the trust to guide leaders through their most important decisions.

Moving to Canada challenged Anu to rebuild her professional network and establish herself in a new communications landscape. The experience strengthened her resilience and reinforced a lesson she carries into every role: meaningful careers are built one relationship at a time.

Today, her son, Atharv, is her greatest teacher. Motherhood has deepened the empathy, patience and adaptability she brings to both leadership and client work.

Alongside her consulting career, Anu serves as President of IABC Ottawa, where she is focused on strengthening the communications community, creating meaningful opportunities for professional development, and helping communication professionals build the networks, knowledge and confidence they need to thrive.

As artificial intelligence reshapes organizations, Anu believes the greatest opportunity for communication professionals is to help leaders build trust, navigate change and enable AI adoption strategically. Her current work and ongoing learning increasingly focus on AI adoption, risk preparedness, stakeholder engagement and reputation, helping organizations build trust while turning change into successful adoption.

Anu’s long-term vision is to serve as a Chief Communications Officer, positioning communications as a strategic business function that helps organizations build trust, navigate change and make better business decisions. She also plans to teach at a university, bringing real-world strategic experience into the classroom. Over time, she aims to strengthen connections between the communications communities in India and North America, contributing to the continued growth of the profession across both markets.

+++