How One Woman Combined Analytics and Customer Strategy to Drive Business Growth

When Puja Bhakta began her career as an intern focused on process improvement, she never expected her path would span analytics, sales, customer strategy, and ultimately leadership. But each role gave her a new perspective on how data can solve business problems—and how the strongest careers aren't always built in a straight line.

Today, as Director of Customer Analytics at Oldcastle APG, Bhakta combines her analytical expertise with firsthand experience managing customer relationships to help teams make smarter, data-driven decisions. Her work supports major retail partners like The Home Depot and Lowe's while helping internal teams improve everything from inventory planning to promotional strategy.

Along the way, she's learned that career growth isn't just about working hard. It's also about advocating for yourself, embracing opportunities before you feel completely ready, and recognizing that every role builds skills for the next one.

“After spending time in a customer-facing role, I realized I had strengths both on the customer side and strong analytical skills, and I wanted to combine that experience to drive broader impact,” she tells Fairygodboss. “I have seen firsthand how powerful data can be when it's directly tied to customer strategy and execution, and how analytics can build trust with the customer. It gave me a good understanding of what information my peers and I need to do our jobs more effectively, and where the gaps were.”

Moving back into analytics leadership allowed her to connect those dots, she adds.

“We use data not just to report on the business, but to shape decisions and enable teams to work more seamlessly and actively,” she explains.

We spoke with Bhakta about navigating career pivots, leading high-performing teams, empowering others through data, and the advice she'd give women looking to take the next step into leadership.

Where did you start your career journey, and what were your previous roles and experiences like?

I started my career journey as an intern at Assurant, focusing on process improvement. After the internship, I transitioned into a full-time position within the company as an operational analyst, working on company projects to help automate, understand, and efficiently track performance.

My early roles were very data-driven and analytical. I helped Oldcastle APG transition to multiple reporting systems to Tableau. I built dashboards, supported forecasting, and I helped teams understand sales and operational performance. I partnered closely with sales, finance, and field teams to support pricing, promotions, assortment decisions, and inventory planning.

From there, I transitioned into a National Account Manager role, where I owned customer relationships with The Home Depot across categories like soils, mulch, masonry, and dry mix. That role expanded my experience into strategy, negotiation, forecasting highly seasonal businesses, and managing sales while driving significant growth.

How did you make your career switch, and how did your company support you?

Promoting me into this role is the first step in how the company supported me. They recognized both my analytical background and customer-facing experience, and by giving me opportunities to step into leadership roles where I could bridge those two areas.

The transition was fairly seamless since I started in analytics, and I had become the team's go person for help regarding data. I started leaning into making sure everyone had accurate information, building insights, and helping guide decision-making.

What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about your work?

The most rewarding part is seeing how analytics can directly influence decisions and drive results—whether it's improving performance, solving complex supply chain challenges, or helping teams feel more confident in their strategy. I enjoy solving complex problems that ultimately create upside for the business and strengthen our value to customers, as well as figuring out ways to address issues before they even become problems.

What's your favorite thing about working at your company?

My favorite part is the people and the team camaraderie at Oldcastle. I've collaborated with sales, marketing, operations, leadership, and others within the company, and it is always a welcoming environment. I like that we all work together to solve problems and stay focused on outcomes rather than silos. The company also truly invests in its people, providing the tools and opportunities needed to succeed and grow, while actively recognizing and promoting talent.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I would describe my leadership style as collaborative, direct, and empowering. I set clear expectations, provide context and support, and then trust people to own the solution. I'm very focused on building confidence and capability, not just getting tasks done. I want them to understand what they are working on so that they can provide the best solutions.

What's one strategy you've used when managing an individual or team that has been particularly effective?

An effective strategy is to explain the 'what and why' early on—defining what success looks like and why it matters—and then giving the team the autonomy to determine the best 'how'. It creates accountability while also encouraging creativity and ownership. Sometimes we can get stuck in our own routines, and having someone else look at it with brand new eyes can help drive additional insights.

What's been your most valuable career mistake?

One of the most valuable lessons, not necessarily a mistake, I've learned is that no one will advocate for you more than you can advocate for yourself. Hard work does speak for itself, but over time, I realized the importance of clearly communicating your impact, speaking up for opportunities, and taking ownership of your career growth. Take the time to draft a development plan for yourself and have conversations with key stakeholders.

What is your No. 1 piece of advice for other women who want to move into leadership?

Take on opportunities that stretch you, speak up, and be confident in the value you bring. You don't have to wait till you feel 100% ready. Believe in yourself. Growth comes from stepping into challenges before you feel completely comfortable.

What advice would you give to women considering a career pivot?

Pivoting doesn't mean starting over. You're building on everything you've already learned. You've built up the skills, whether it's problem-solving, communication, or business understanding, you'll use that as your foundation while you learn something new. Don't be afraid to try new things; the worst that can happen is you try, and you don't like it, and you know more about yourself.