We have all grown up hearing the cautionary adage, ‘Jack of all trade and master of none’. Shyann Horton is certainly no Jack. A trailblazer and accomplished woman, Shyann is known to have achieved mastery in every trade that she tried her hand at; From being the youngest female DJ in India at the age of 14, to being crowned Miss Bahrain - 2016, from conquering and leading in the corporate world to becoming a certified scuba diver, she is truly an embodiment of excellence.

Currently, Shyann is the Director of Global Operations at Shamrock Pharmachemi. The Mumbai based firm is a part of the Shamrock Group of companies. Incorporated in 1981, Shamrock is known for its 26 years of experience in international marketing and exports of APIs, Veterinary API’s and Intermediates to over 40 countries, with the company now venturing into its own API manufacturing units along with its Exclusive Manufacturing and Contract Manufacturing portfolio driving growth within the organization. Wearing the hat of an ‘Ideator’ she innovates solutions, and envisions strategies to venture and create quick yet sustainable growth. Shyann is committed to creating new opportunities and better business practices.

In an exclusive interview with the Women Entrepreneur Team, Shyann speaks about her exhilarating life journey and gives us an insight into what makes her highly effective, and her ‘Individualistic Ideator’ approach is quirky and genuinely innovative.

Take Us Through Your Personal Journey. What Was Your Childhood Like And How Did Your Journey Veer Towards Becoming A Business Leader?

I am fully invested and extremely passionate about what I do in my professional and personal life. At the age of 14 I learnt DJ’ing and got certified by DJ ‘Suketu’. I adopted the stage name “DJ SHY” and my sister Rachael was “DJ RAY” and we were, “India’s Youngest Female DJs”. Experiencing fame at a very young age, showcasing our talent and love for music, we performed all around the world, I also a model walked the ramp, Print Ads and plastered across Hoardings.In 2016, I was visiting Bahrain on work and I happened to participate in a Beauty Pageant, to my surprise I won and I was crowned Miss Bahrain – May Queen 2016.

It was time to build my professional career and I started my first corporate job with Marcus Evans, a Global Multifaceted Corporate Marketing, Business Intelligence & Information company where I discovered that ‘communication’ was my strong suit. Upon my return to Mumbai, I met the Managing Director of Zicom Electronic Security Systems LTD, Mr. Pramoud Rao, a brilliant marketer and business owner. Soon after, I joined the company as their Head Strategy and Alliance, under his leadership we developed Zicom’s first personal safety application ZIMAN.

I got an opportunity to showcase this product as this was India’s first AI & IOT Safety solution called ‘ZIMAN’. I was excited to introduce this to and meet The Honorable Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Gandhi - for citizens safety, IOT and AI technology for women and children, ZIMAN fit the bill for all safety concerns for India and its citizens.

I now had 13 years of experience in : strategy, planning, operations, partnership alliance, joint ventures, collaboration and industrial knowledge, developing an excellent network of clients across industries in India. I was ready to step it up and explore Global industries and markets that’s when, I joined Shamrock Pharma Group as their Director Global Operations and all of this happened so fast considering we were in the prime of the Covid 19 pandemic the month of April 2020.

What Different Roles And Responsibilities Does Your Current Role At Shamrock Pharma Entail?

Shamrock conducts business across 40+ Countries globally, I get massive exposure to the world pharmaceutical market. With my intervention we are now currently running active marketing offices in 18 countries with our exclusive network of partners and Joint venture companies, dealing with business acquisition, brand marketing, product development, customer alliance and Operations. We often affiliate with the regulatory authorities of MoH- Ministry of Health in these countries, expanding the Shamrock brand and focusing on API’s. Mr Kamlesh Khokhani is my Managing Director, he is a man of principle and structure, under his leadership we work towards our organizations vision and mission. To become a Global player in Pharmaceutical APIs.

I stride to yield higher results for the company with great customers service, market domain expertise, business intelligence, in turn bring global growth, larger volumes of sales, gradually expand our horizon by developing business opportunities, increasing profits and market visibility.

As Director Global Operation I want Shamrock to become a One-Stop-Shop for Pharmaceutical APIs and Intermediates. This is possible through Strategic.

Expansion Plans, my aim is to create an Exclusive network of Joint Venture Companies and partner offices across 43 countries by 2025, making Shamrock the most preferred API marketing company on a global scale.

As a successful professional what are some facets of your personality that have helped you in traversing through your career journey?

I believe that `Communication is the key in evaluating what is said' I explicitly believe in this and Yes it is rightly said `Communication is an Art', that one needs to develop into a skill helping me unlock the potential to understand and evaluate of `what is being said' to better understand what is really needed.

With a `Lateral Mindset' I grow and learn along the way to ideate strategies and plans that better my business and this empowers me to preempt a better influential and successful outcome, with focus on the bigger picture highlighting pharmaceutical chemicals businesses for my company. These lateral thoughts, makes us better visionaries, imaginative yet constructive business leaders to build, create bonds and relationships with perks of both personal and professional.

As a leader, I am responsible to insure we get the best possible outcome and I do this with integrity and finesse.

Amidst your time-consuming professional responsibilities how do you find the balance between your work and personal life? How do you stay well aligned periodic industry changes and evolutions?

I follow the `Work hard and Play hard' policy. I am excellent at socializing, Public speaking came easily to me. I believe in #Synchornicity of both professional and personal life.  Both play a very important journey that is, strategically orchestrated and perfectly aligned in two separate worlds' complementing the other.

One should also have an outlet of expression thus creating a better and productive environment mentally to work. I paint. I am an amateur artist, my art form is called Illustrative Art. My illustrations and concepts are more or less always conceptualized around the Universe, all things one and the natural elements of beauty. As a person I am awake, spiritual and aesthetically centered with my thoughts and ideas and how I want my life to be.

“Always believe in your-self, you can do any-thing you put your mind to", self-motivation is the best kind of motivation you will”

Shamrock, knows the importance or gaining market intelligence, research, analysis and we invest in market intel research team all in house called the S.M.A.R.Team short for Shamrock Market Analysis Research Team helps support our needs for business Intelligence data and market trends for APIs . This crucial data is an extent to support our business prospects, knowledge is power and our global office are fully equipped with the local market intelligence of intensive research of markets and products requirements, customer needs and current affairs of MOH for each country.

I constantly build my knowledge bank by greasing my brain with information, reading, research, discovering new market trends in my industry, technology and how that can help enhance industries' though technology. proper utility of time investment yielding better and more productive results every day.

I help my company bring about change and inculcate new tech for better business practices, time management and easy access by adding value to my current business, new changes and guidelines of the regulatory authorities from MoHs in each country we conduct business in. As a company we value our people and believe `Together We Can Improve The Quality Of Life' and try to build a better tomorrow for us all.

What would your words of advice be to young women aspiring to foray into the field of pharma & life sciences?

I bring a lot of encouragement and enthusiasm to the table, transpiring through the work I do with my clients, affiliate alliances and my peers. I am an optimistic realist, I envisage a unique approach to every business problem, meeting or potential opportunity with uttermost care.

"#Always believe in yourself, you can do anything you put your mind to", Self-motivation is the best kind of motivation you will. To be honest Not everyone gets awesome bosses sometimes you just need to work with the grain and work hard to get up the ladder.

#Always think, and then act. You will never go wrong, studies and research that calls this theory "A 6 second pause".

Shyann Horton, Director - Global Operations, Shamrock Pharma Group

Shyann is the Director of Global Operations at Shamrock Pharmachemi. The Mumbai based firm is a part of the Shamrock Group of companies. Incorporated in 1981, Shamrock is known for its 26 years of experience in international marketing and exports of APIs, Veterinary API's and Intermediates to over 40 countries, with the company now venturing into its own API manufacturing units along with its Exclusive Manufacturing and Contract Manufacturing portfolio driving growth within the organization.