You set the strategy. We build the ground beneath it.
The people side of value creation, from new operating models to AI.
On solid ground, the plan delivers.
Five ways we create value
Build the foundation. Hold steady through change.
Build the foundation (Groundwork)
Transformation Execution & Change
We turn approved strategy, including AI, into results: portfolio focus, governance, sponsorship, adoption.
130+ initiatives cut to 60. ROI tripled.Org Design & Operating Model
We build structures, roles and decision rights around how the business actually makes money.
↓30% SG&A from operating model redesignTalent Strategy
We put the right people in critical roles, with succession and skills tied to strategy.
~90% critical-role succession readinessHold steady through change (Keel)
Leadership Development
We coach executives, facilitate teams and speak on leading change, as operators who’ve run P&Ls.
50+ leaders coached and trained across North America, Europe and AsiaEngagement & Enablement
We turn your survey into team-by-team plans that leaders actually act on.
+3 to +18 pts in enablement scoresPowered by our proprietary method
The Enablement Stack™
An evidence-based method that shows leaders which layer to fix first, plus an AI-enabled HR companion with solutions for every layer. Proven at global consumer goods companies.
How we work
Most advisors start from HR practice. We start from the P&L.
Start from value
Every recommendation is tied to P&L impact: growth, cost or speed.
Fix the foundation first
Work happens in the order that makes everything above it hold.
Build it to run without us
Leaders own the change long after the engagement ends.
Companies we work with
What clients say
“Participants tell us it’s like Soniya knows them inside out, even the first time they meet her. Her examples are empathetic and straight to the point, so people apply what they learn within minutes, and keep seeing results in the weeks after.”HEAD OF LEARNING, IEEE
“She designed the organization around how we make money, not around who reported to whom. We came out leaner and faster.”CFO, RAE & JERRY’S
“For the first time we had a real successor for every critical role, and a plan for the skills we’ll need in three years.”CHRO, IVY REHAB
“Soniya coaches like someone who has run the business, because she has. She made me a better business operator, not just a better manager.”C-SUITE MEMBER, ULTA
“Soniya turned our survey from a report card into a plan. Every leader got a clear starting point for their own team, not one program for everyone.”HEAD OF TRANSFORMATION, CPG COMPANY
About the founder
Soniya R. Sheth
Soniya is a business operator who makes strategy real. Over 25+ years at L’Oréal and P&G, she owned P&Ls across major brand portfolios, led enterprise transformation, and learned firsthand why strategies stall: rarely on paper, almost always on the people side.
She founded Groundwork & Keel to fix that: building the foundation a strategy needs and keeping leaders steady as they carry it through, whether the change is a reorganization, a new operating model or AI.
She created the Enablement Stack™, proven at global consumer goods companies, and is certified in change management (Prosci), organizational design (AlignOrg) and executive coaching (PCC). She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a B.Sc. in Psychology and Mathematics from McMaster University. Based in New York.
Get in touch
Let’s talk about your strategy.
Tell us a little about what you’re working on. We’ll come back within two business days.
Email