Her Story
About Shilpika
Shilpika Karnala is a CSCP-certified supply chain professional with nearly 12 years of experience leading demand planning, material planning, inventory optimization, and supply chain strategy across the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Currently serving as Senior Materials Planner at DiversiTech Corporation, she has built a reputation for driving operational excellence through data-driven decision-making, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous process improvement. Her expertise spans demand planning, supply planning, material requirements planning (MRP), procurement, inventory management, capacity optimization, and new product commercialization. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to building resilient, efficient supply chains that support both customer satisfaction and long-term business growth.
Shilpika's supply chain career began in the pharmaceutical industry, where she spent several years with organizations including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Novartis, developing extensive experience in demand planning, delivery planning, and strategic supply chain operations. After relocating from India to the United States, she faced the challenge of a five-year career break while prioritizing her family's transition. Determined to continue growing professionally, she joined DiversiTech, her first employer in the United States, where she embraced both the cultural and professional learning curve. Although initially challenged by adapting to a new business environment and communication styles, she quickly gained confidence through perseverance and dedication. Within her first year, her contributions were recognized with a company award, reflecting her ability to adapt, excel, and deliver meaningful results. She credits much of her growth to the supportive leadership of her manager, Edison Manuren, whose mentorship and commitment to empowering employees have encouraged her to continually expand her skills and pursue new opportunities.
Today, Shilpika thrives in a dynamic environment where every day presents new opportunities to solve complex challenges and collaborate with colleagues across the organization. She enjoys balancing the operational demands of resolving supply chain issues with the strategic work of simplifying processes and improving overall team performance. One of her proudest accomplishments has been earning her APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certification through Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), achieving a goal she once believed was out of reach after her career hiatus. Her leadership philosophy centers on empowering others through trust, data-driven decision-making, and continuous learning. Rather than directing every step, she believes in giving team members the freedom to develop their own ideas while remaining available to provide guidance, mentorship, and support. With a Master's degree in Chemistry from Andhra University and a passion for operational excellence, Shilpika continues to build a career defined by resilience, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to helping organizations strengthen their supply chains.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shilpika
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being consistent and always being eager to learn something new and understand what I'm working on. I focus on trying to resolve problems not just for the short term, but finding resolutions that will last for the longer period so the same issue won't repeat. Communication has also been key to my success. I know my English is not perfect because it's my third language, but I've learned that you should never stop talking. You should always talk, talk, talk, because that's how it improves, and that gives you confidence and helps you grow in your career. These small things have really helped me succeed.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice and motivation I've received from my team is that I can do better and that I should learn storytelling. In my initial days, I wasn't talking enough in meetings, but people were always more confident about me than I was about myself. They told me I can talk better and encouraged me to develop my storytelling skills, which has helped me communicate more effectively and grow professionally.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Just keep trying and don't break that consistency. You should be consistent with what you want to do and what you want to achieve. Take any number of steps to get there, because one day you're going to bloom and flourish, and you're going to come up with what you want. Never give up. Be consistent with your goals and work hard. We women are the strongest persons, and we can lead the best. We can do much better than men because we can multitask. We are the best managers on Earth because we manage home, we manage kids, and we manage our professional careers. Be consistent, be strong, push yourself high, and never be down. We can do it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is forecasting. It's always about the balance between supply and demand. We know what the demand is, but forecasting is always an issue because every product has its own seasonality and timing. Forecast is never completely accurate, but we should at least be able to drive toward it. On the opportunity side, I see supply diversification as a major opportunity, especially with all the tariffs and global communication we have now. Having multiple suppliers for each product helps with contingency planning, cost reduction, and overall supply chain resilience.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity and transparency are the most important values to me, whether in my personal life or my professional life. These values guide everything I do and are fundamental to how I approach my work and relationships.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.