Open to opportunities

Zarina Hodiwalla

@zarinahodiwalla

Message

Corporate communications leader driving employee engagement and executive visibility.

India

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead corporate and executive communications for a global, matrixed organization—driving clear strategy-linked messaging, stronger employee engagement, and measurable impact through modern digital communication platforms.

I’m a corporate communications leader with 20+ years of experience shaping internal and external messaging for global organisations across India and Southeast Asia. I align regional communication with enterprise strategy to strengthen employee engagement and elevate executive visibility.

I’ve partnered with global teams in matrixed environments to deliver measurable impact through internal engagement platforms and targeted communication campaigns. At McKinsey, I developed firm-wide employee engagement architecture for 2,000+ colleagues, refreshed editorial and visual identity for consistent messaging, and improved leadership awareness—contributing to a 30%+ increase in program enrolments.

Across Mahindra and my consulting work, I’ve led integrated communications across diverse business sectors, positioned senior executives across 50+ media interviews, and authored thought leadership articles. I thrive on mentoring teams, streamlining delivery, and using digital communication tools like intranet, mailers, and leadership series to build clarity, alignment, and trust.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Head of Content

Ideosphere Consulting

Jan 2025 - Feb 2026 (1 year 1 month)

Ensured clarity and alignment of client content mandates with brand and business strategy, and mentored a growing team. Streamlined processes and institutionalized best practices to improve delivery efficiency.

Content Strategy Corporate Communications Team Leadership Process Optimization Stakeholder Management Remote Collaboration

Executive Communications Specialist

McKinsey Center for CEO Excellence

Sep 2022 - Sep 2023 (1 year)

Developed targeted communication campaigns (mailers, videos, and testimonials) to articulate program value and increase engagement. Co-created a refreshed visual identity and content framework that improved brand recall and helped drive a 30%+ increase in program enrolments.

Campaign Development Video Content Copywriting Visual Identity Stakeholder Engagement Partner Visibility Program Marketing

Communications Specialist

McKinsey & Company

Jun 2018 - Sep 2022 (4 years 3 months)

Built a firm-wide employee engagement architecture for 2,000+ colleagues, including content strategy and new internal platforms. Enhanced engagement for Managing Partner through leadership series, blogs, weekly office mailers, and quarterly impact interviews, and created a unified editorial and visual identity for McKinsey India to improve message consistency.

Internal Communications Employee Engagement Content Strategy Content Architecture Stakeholder Management

Deputy General Manager - Group Comms

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Aug 2007 - May 2018 (10 years 9 months)

Led integrated group communications across internal/external and leadership messaging and aligned sector narratives with group-level strategy. Positioned senior executives across 50+ media interviews, authored thought leadership, and developed robust internal communications through digital platforms such as intranet, mailers, and quarterly AMAs with leadership.

Media Relations Executive Communication Thought Leadership Internal Communications Stakeholder Management Cross Business Messaging