Devashree Shukla
Devashree Shukla is a healthcare strategist and competitive intelligence professional with deep expertise at the intersection of clinical care, analytics, and digital health innovation. Currently serving as a Client Operations Manager at ReferWell, she partners closely with C-suite leaders, health plans, and provider organizations to drive strategic growth, optimize client performance, and deliver data-driven insights that improve care access and outcomes. With a background spanning healthcare strategy, product growth, and competitive intelligence, Devashree is known for translating complex market and operational data into actionable strategies that move organizations forward.
With formal training in business administration, public health finance, and health economics—alongside her foundation as a Dental Surgeon—Devashree brings a rare dual perspective that bridges clinical realities with enterprise-level decision-making. Her experience includes leading competitive intelligence initiatives for SaaS and BPaaS healthcare solutions, supporting digital health startups at the pre-seed stage, and advising on product strategy, market positioning, and commercialization. Across roles, she has consistently leveraged analytics, market research, and systems thinking to help organizations navigate an increasingly complex healthcare ecosystem.
Driven by a strong commitment to equity, innovation, and ethical leadership, Devashree is also an active thought leader and published researcher, exploring topics such as AI in clinical decision-making, health data bias, and global health equity. Her work reflects a global perspective shaped by diverse healthcare environments and a passion for building systems that are not only efficient, but human-centered. Through both her professional and volunteer efforts, Devashree continues to advocate for inclusive, data-informed solutions that strengthen healthcare delivery and empower communities.
• Systems Thinking in Public Health
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing
• CPR & AED
• New England College- M.B.A.
• NYU School of Global Public Health- M.P.H.
• Goenka Dental College
• International Student Society
• Healthcare Consulting Organization
• The Pink Foundation
• Goonj
• Robin Hood Army
• Red Cross
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to perseverance and great mentorship I have received along the journey.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is that your network is your net worth: surround yourself with high-achieving people so that when you accomplish something significant, it feels like a normal Tuesday conversation rather than bragging. I learned early that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room, because growth happens when you’re challenged by people operating at levels you aspire to reach.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering healthcare operations and strategy is this: in male-dominated industries, make being a woman your power, not your obstacle. The qualities often dismissed as “soft skills” (empathy, collaboration, emotional intelligence, relationship building) are actually the strategic advantages that drive cross-functional alignment and organizational change. Own them unapologetically.
Second, lift other women up and have each other’s backs fiercely. When I see another woman’s idea get talked over in a meeting, I amplify it. When a female colleague accomplishes something, I celebrate it publicly. When junior women ask for mentorship, I make time. We rise together, not by competing for the limited seats at the table, but by building bigger tables. The scarcity mindset (that there’s only room for one woman) is exactly what keeps us from collective power. Your success doesn’t diminish mine. It validates that we belong here and opens doors for the women coming behind us.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge and opportunity in healthcare operations right now is the same thing: AI is rapidly shifting from competitive advantage to baseline requirement for normal functioning. The challenge is that AI implementation isn’t just a technology problem but a change management crisis, as clinicians remain skeptical, regulatory frameworks lag behind capabilities, and organizations race to adopt tools without building necessary data infrastructure or staff training. The massive opportunity is that healthcare organizations getting AI implementation right (focusing on the human side, not just technology) will fundamentally reshape care delivery economics. When AI reduces prior authorization times from days to minutes or frees clinicians from documentation burden to focus on patient care, it directly impacts outcomes. The winners over the next five years won’t be those with the fanciest AI tools but organizations successfully integrating AI into workflows while maintaining clinical quality, building staff trust, and navigating regulatory complexity.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The three values most important to me in work and personal life are integrity, empathy, and growth. Integrity means doing what’s right even when it’s uncomfortable, being transparent about limitations, and admitting mistakes without deflection. Empathy drives how I lead by recognizing that behind every performance metric is a person navigating their own challenges and complexities. Growth is non-negotiable because complacency means missing innovations that could improve outcomes, so I continuously pursue learning and seek roles that stretch my capabilities. These three values reinforce each other: integrity builds trust that enables empathetic relationships, and empathy creates psychological safety where growth happens.