When it comes to street works, safety starts long before the first dig.
For Rishu Sharma, who leads Utilities Safe Digging, Street Works and Customer Service delivery at Sopra Steria, the focus is on making sure everything is in place behind the scenes so teams on the ground can work safely, efficiently and with confidence.
Based in Noida and supporting UK utility providers, Rishu and her team play a critical role in protecting underground infrastructure and keeping essential services running smoothly. It’s fast-paced, detail-driven work where precision, collaboration and resilience matter every day.
Recently shortlisted for the Women in Utilities Awards 2026, Rishu is recognised not just for her leadership, but for the real-world impact her team delivers at scale, helping make street works safer, more efficient and more reliable.
A journey shaped by purpose
Rishu’s career has been driven by problem solving, continuous improvement and a clear sense of purpose.
She shares: “I enjoy working closely with people to achieve shared goals. I find energy in fast-moving environments where I can identify opportunities to improve how things work and turn those ideas into practical solutions.”
With over 20 years at Sopra Steria, her journey has spanned operations, delivery and transformation, building deep expertise and a broad perspective across the business.
“Each stage has helped broaden my perspective and deepen my understanding of the business, making my time at Sopra Steria both meaningful and professionally enriching,” she says.
Her move into utilities brought a new level of pace and impact, one that continues to motivate her today.
“It’s a dynamic environment with constant opportunities to improve processes, solve problems and make a real difference for customers.”
What my role involves
As a Delivery Manager, Rishu leads teams responsible for safe digging, street works and utilities customer service processes, ensuring everything is ready before work begins on the ground.
“My role is to make sure we deliver work smoothly, safely and with the customer at the centre of every decision,” Rishu explains.
A key part of that work is the Safe Dig pack – an essential utility information pack that supports safer excavation.
It typically includes:
- details of underground assets,
- key warnings and risk information,
- alerts for high-pressure or high-risk areas.
It ensures teams have the right information at the right time, helping reduce incidents and enabling safer, well-informed work on site.
No two days are the same. Rishu’s time is spent working closely with teams and customers, solving challenges, improving processes and driving continuous transformation.
Making an impact where it matters
While much of this work happens behind the scenes, its impact is felt directly by teams on the ground.
“The real impact is making sure field teams receive the right information without delay, helping them work more safely and with greater confidence.”
By improving speed, accuracy and access to critical data, Rishu’s team helps reduce pressure on field teams and keeps work moving without unnecessary delays.
Their focus on continuous improvement has delivered tangible results, including:
- reduced wait times for field teams,
- faster turnaround in street works back-office operations,
- more efficient, customer-focused service delivery.
“That kind of support may happen behind the scenes, but it can make a very real difference to safety, confidence and delivery.”
Building trust and delivering together
For Rishu, success is rooted in trust and teamwork.
“What I’m most proud of is the trust I’ve built with my team, customers and stakeholders and the quality of what we deliver together.”
Her leadership approach is grounded in collaboration, continuous improvement and a shared commitment to doing the right thing for customers and colleagues.
Ultimately, her team is focused on three priorities:
- keeping health and safety front and centre,
- ensuring delivery runs smoothly and effectively,
- putting customers at the heart of everything they do.
Recognition and what it means
Being shortlisted for the Women in Utilities Awards is a powerful milestone and a reflection of both individual leadership and team impact.
For Rishu, it’s also a moment to reflect: “Recognition is both an honour and a motivator. It reinforces that collaboration and persistence really do make a difference – and inspires me to keep striving for excellence.”
Supporting safer street works every day
Rishu’s story highlights the critical role played behind the scenes in keeping essential services running safely and efficiently.
From enabling quicker decisions on the ground to driving continuous improvement at scale, the work of Rishu and her team makes a real difference every day.