Name: Dharit Shah | Designation: Planning Manager | Company: Guthy Renker | Location: Los Angeles, California
(April 4, 2025) From the familiar energy of Mumbai to building a career in the United States, Dharit Shah’s journey has spanned continents and career milestones. In 2014, he moved to Chicago as a student to pursue his Master’s in Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois, driven by a desire to explore better career opportunities and build a successful future.
Now based in Los Angeles, California and working as a Planning Manager at Guthy Renker, a leading direct-to-consumer company in the beauty and wellness space Dharit finds himself at the center of forecasting strategies, inventory decisions, and supply chain planning for multiple brands. His career has taken shape across industries and geographies, but what has remained constant is his methodical approach to problem-solving and his belief in learning through every transition.
Dharit Shah
Key Highlights of Dharit Shah’s journey:
- Moved to the US in 2014 from Mumbai to pursue a Master’s in Industrial Engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
- Stayed patient and persistent during his job hunt, landing his first break at Sensient Technologies after three months and over 100 job applications.
- Built his career in the U.S. supply chain space, and currently serves as Planning Manager at Guthy Renker, overseeing forecasting, supply planning, and inventory strategy for multiple consumer brands.
- Raised inventory turn ratio from 1.8 to 2.6, surpassing industry benchmarks.
- Balances work with travel, sports, and wellness, believing that “prioritizing health over everything” is non-negotiable.
A calculated leap: From Mumbai to Chicago
Born and raised in Mumbai, Dharit Shah completed his undergraduate degree in engineering from D.J. Sanghvi College at the University of Mumbai. Like many of his peers, he stood at a crossroads after graduation, unsure whether to pursue coding-heavy courses or prepare for India’s competitive business school entrance exams.
“I was not fond of coding, and clearing competitive exams for business schools wasn’t really something I had an aptitude for back then,” he admits. The decision wasn’t easy, but he pivoted, finding a spark in industrial engineering, a field that blended analytical thinking with tangible business outcomes.
In 2014, Dharit made the leap across the ocean to Chicago, enrolling in a Master of Science program at the University of Illinois. The move was both exciting and disorienting as it was a phase of complete unknowns. But those years in the university sharpened his technical base and prepared him for the rigour of the American workplace.
Dharit Shah during Joshua National Park hike in California
First break in an unexpected place
After graduating, job offers didn’t immediately pour in. “I applied to over 100+ roles and reached the final rounds for about 10,” Dharit shares. As he weighed his options, a final interview with Sensient Technologies, a flavour manufacturer in Harbor Beach, Michigan, came through. He got the job.
Tucked away in a tiny town, the role was unexpectedly rich in learning. “It was my first full-time experience, working for a food flavours manufacturing company that made products used in everyday items — from Campbell’s soups to McDonald’s French fries.” It was also where he developed an aggregate demand planning tool, which he later adapted for use at Guthy Renker.
The job taught him more than just supply chain mechanics. It revealed his knack for turning process challenges into scalable solutions. “Finding an opportunity in the supply chain wasn’t easy. Although it’s part of industrial engineering, it takes a certain perspective to link the two. Sensient saw potential even when I had minimal experience,” Dharit mentions.
Life at Guthy Renker: Beauty meets forecasting
From snowy Michigan, Shah moved to sunny Los Angeles after landing a position at Guthy Renker. Known for marketing and growing beauty and wellness brands, Guthy Renker has been a whole new ballgame: dynamic, direct-to-consumer, and constantly in motion.
As Planning Manager, Shah’s job sits at the heart of the company’s supply chain operations. “My role primarily is to create a forecast, a demand plan based on media-acquisition strategies, build a supply plan, manage inventory cash flow, and suggest solutions based on foreseeable supply chain challenges,” he explains.
The complexity is magnified by the fact that he handles multiple brands simultaneously. Yet his engineering roots and process discipline shine through helping him introduce efficiencies that have left a measurable impact. He is happy about the fact that he led increasing the inventory turn ratio from 1.8 to 2.6, significantly above the industry average.
Earlier in his career, even as an intern at Brake Parts, Dharit had developed a safety stock formula that saved the company thousands of dollars, which highlights his knack to blend mathematical precision with business intuition.
Dharit during a solo trip to Istanbul, Turkey
Work-life rhythms: Where planning meets play
Despite his professional intensity, Dharit maintains a deeply structured and joyful personal life. His day begins early, often by 5:30 AM, followed by a workout before settling into his work-from-home schedule, which runs from 9 AM to 5 PM. He goes to office in one of the five working days of the week. Evenings are sacred time for family and self.
“I believe in complete work-life balance. It’s not about dividing time equally. It’s about prioritizing things and making time for what matters,” he shares. That could mean playing squash with his wife, studying for a certification, or going on long evening walks. His weekends often involve road trips. Some of them are triggered solely by the desire to try a new café or eat at a highly recommended restaurant six hours away.
“I’ve driven over 150,000 miles in the last seven years. My car’s odometer currently reads over 295,000 miles,” he smiles. He loves being active and indulgin in manual labour. “When I lived in Michigan I would shovel snow off sidewalks just beccause I wanted to do some manual labour,” he tells.
Along with hiking, café-hopping, and international travel (he explored Spain and Turkey in 2023), Dharit hopes to pursue a long-standing interest: learning DJ skills.
Dharit with friends during a Spain trip
Building a future
Professionally, Dharit is at a pivotal point. With experience across food, retail, and e-commerce sectors, he’s eyeing tech companies as his next challenge. “I want to use my supply chain knowledge in the AI industry,” he says. Ultimately, his vision is to grow into an operations leadership role, ideally Chief Operating Officer, drawing on a broad-based understanding of various industries.
While he is happy looking at what he has achieved so far, at the same time he is acutely aware of what he’s given up and gained in his transnational journey.
“I do miss seeing my siblings grow up, spending time with them and having a good bond,” he reflects. “But I also enjoy the freedom, emotional maturity, and financial stability I have gained sitting away from those people.”
Pushing through obstacles
He is philosophical about growth and hardship. “Life is unpredictable. When you feel like giving up, sometimes the reward is just around the corner. That’s what happened with Sensient. It was the last of all the companies I interviewed with, and it changed everything,” tells the professional, recalling the difficult phase after graduation when he had applied to over 100 roles and made it to the final rounds of more than 10. Just as he was about to take a break and reconsider his path forward, Sensient came through, nearly three months after completing his degree offering him not just his first full-time role, but also a crucial launchpad into the world of supply chain.
“Work is everything and not anything at the same time. In an emotional crisis, or when you feel low, the only constant is your skillset. That’s what stays with you, no matter where you go,” remarks the young professional.
Dharit Shah with his wife at the Devil’s bridge trail in Sedona, Arizona
Lessons from the journey
For someone who’s traveled continents and built a career with tenacity, Dharit Shah’s greatest lesson is deceptively simple. “Never give up. You’re one decision away from a life-altering event,” he remarks adding, “Hustle, but don’t lose sight of the things that made you hustle in the first place. Life is not about achieving big things but making small memories to achieve the big ones.”
From Mumbai’s energy to Chicago’s classrooms, from the factory floors of Michigan to the fast-paced boardrooms of California, Dharit Shah has crafted a journey with persistence and patience. His life like the supply chains he manages is a story of careful calibration, continuous improvement, and a deep commitment to balance. In both life and work, he is a planner, and the plan, so far, is balancing both beautifully.
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