Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap
Most performance gaps are not about knowledge. They are about the distance between intention and execution. My life’s work is closing it, so capability shows up in what people actually do, not only in what they know.
Intent is the bridge. It is what turns knowledge into consistent action.
Founder of Asbiverse GroupTurning intent into capability, and capability into results that last
- MBA, Leicester Business School
- PG in Academic Practice
- Masters in Law, in progress
Ankur Shiv Bhandari is the founder and CEO of Asbiverse Group. His life’s work centres on one universal challenge that faces every individual and every organisation, in any sector and at every level: the gap between knowing what needs to be done and consistently doing it.
To close that gap, Ankur created Intentonomics®, the science of strengthening choices. It addresses the force that turns knowledge into consistent action: intent. Most performance shortfalls are not caused by a lack of information, tools or talent. They come from the distance between intention and execution. Intentonomics® makes that distance visible and then closes it, whether the setting is a boardroom, a factory floor, a government department, a classroom or an individual career.
Intentonomics® anchors ASB Excellence Intelligence™ which, together with K.S.A.R.™ and PIFFLE®, enables organisations to build Capability Ecosystems that deliver measurable and sustainable results. Asbiverse Group puts it to work through two doors: in Consumer Goods and Retail, through Shopper Focused Value Creation and five specialist divisions; for government, public bodies and other industries, through Intent Institute.
The most complete expression of this work is Route to Shopper®, the world’s most comprehensive commercial excellence methodology for Consumer Goods and Retail. It carries a clear conviction: placing the shopper at the centre of every commercial decision is the most powerful and sustainable source of value creation available to any brand or retailer.
Starting his career at grassroots level in India, Ankur has spent more than two decades supporting global organisations, based out of the United Kingdom, working at every level of hierarchy across every commercially active continent, in 18 languages and more than 51 consumer categories. His career runs through Procter & Gamble, ICI, Accenture, Kantar, Kellanova and Asbiverse Group, and he has served as employee and trusted adviser to some of the world’s most respected organisations, and has always believed that the principles of intent and capability that drive commercial excellence have a place in public life too.
Intent and capability, in service
The principles of intent and capability that drive commercial excellence belong in public service too. Ankur served as the first Indian origin Mayor of Bracknell Forest, after four years as a Borough Councillor.
In 2013 he was part of the business delegation that accompanied the Prime Minister of India to the BRICS Summit in Durban. In 2024 he stood as a candidate for Chancellor of the University of Oxford, for the same reason he writes about intent: to give knowledge a purpose.
- Procter & Gamble
- Unilever
- Accenture
- WPP
- Coca-Cola
- Kellanova
- Kantar
- Panasonic
- GSK
- Abbott
One question runs through everything: how does knowing become doing?
Over the years Ankur has developed three connected methodologies to answer it: the why, the what and the how. Together they form ASB Excellence Intelligence™, and their most complete proof is Route to Shopper®.
Intentonomics®
The science of strengthening choices. It works on intent, the force that turns knowledge into consistent action, and makes the gap between intention and execution visible so it can be closed.
Discover Intentonomics® →K.S.A.R.™
The operational integration framework. It translates intent into the structures, standards and routines that let capability show up reliably in day to day work.
Explore K.S.A.R.™ →PIFFLE®
The method that puts the frameworks to work with people. It is how capability is built, embedded and sustained across a team or a whole organisation.
See the PIFFLE® Method →Route to Shopper®
The world’s most comprehensive commercial excellence methodology for Consumer Goods and Retail professionals. Ankur created it from his own years in the field, and it is where the knowing-doing principle is tested hardest, placing the shopper at the centre of every commercial decision. Built on the GUIDE™ and PATHS™ frameworks, it is the knowledge at the core of Shopper Focused Value Creation.
GUIDE™ sets the brand and manufacturer perspective. PATHS™ sets the retailer and channel perspective. Together they cover the full commercial picture.
Route to Shopper® in numbers
One core. Two doors.
Ankur founded Asbiverse Group on a simple belief: the same principles of intent and capability apply whether the work is commercial or not. So the Group, Excellence with Intent, is built with one methodology at the core and two doors to it, and a team who carry the work far beyond what any one person could.
ASB Excellence Intelligence™
Intentonomics® (why) × K.S.A.R.™ (what) × PIFFLE® (how), running through every division.
Asbiverse Group
Shopper Focused Value Creation
Five specialist divisions work as one body, with Route to Shopper® as the knowledge at its core.
- AsbiverseThe Brain of Route to Shopper®Research and advisory
- Commercial Excellence AcademyThe People of Route to Shopper®Training and certification for sales and commercial professionals
- DireczionThe Nervous System of Route to Shopper®Shopper Focused learning for non-sales functions
- Autumn Dew StudioThe Physical Presence of Route to Shopper®Packaging and point of purchase design
- OugmentThe Intelligence of Route to Shopper®Analytics and knowledge outsourcing
The Commercial Excellence Scorecard takes minutes and is free.
Intent Institute
Learning and Transformation driven by Intentonomics®
A fully managed learning and transformation service for government and public bodies, regulated industries, wider enterprise, education and NGOs.
The Excellence Domains it delivers
- Leadership ExcellenceEXECUTIVE
- Individual ExcellenceGROWTH
- Operational ExcellenceSYSTEM
- Marketing ExcellenceIMPACT
- Talent ExcellencePEOPLE, Talent Excellence as a Service
Asbiverse Group was founded in 2009 and has delivered work in more than 65 countries. Visit the Group
Two books, one gap
Ankur wrote the first for the people he has worked alongside in sales and commercial roles. The second goes to the root of everything he does: intent.
Intentonomics®
Intentonomics®: What you know is WORTHLESS POINTLESS UNLESS intent turns it into action. Giving Knowledge a Purpose
Why people who know what to do still do not do it, and what closes the gap. Written in plain language for anyone who has watched a good plan go nowhere.
Speak Shopper or Get Shelved
The Shopurai® Way to Future-Proof Your Sales Career in the Age of AI
The sales professionals who will thrive are not just those with the gift of the gab or the most data. They are the ones who know how to Speak Shopper. Grounded in 25 years of global commercial experience across more than 65 countries, the book brings the Route to Shopper® methodology to a global audience for the first time.
“While AI can optimise a promotion in ninety seconds, it cannot form the intent to serve a human being standing in front of a shelf. If you work in consumer goods or retail, this book is not optional reading.”Wayne Levings, CEO Kantar Americas and Global Chief Client Officer, Kantar
A career built at every level, on three continents of practice
From grassroots selling in India to global transformation programmes, the classroom and public office. The roles are grouped by the part of life they belong to.
Business
Jan 2015 to Present
Founder and CEO
Asbiverse Group · Bracknell South, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Asbiverse Group drives excellence through intent. In Consumer Goods and Retail it works through Shopper Focused Value Creation and five specialist divisions; for public bodies and other industries, through Intent Institute.
How the Group works
One methodology sits at the core: ASB Excellence Intelligence™, made of Intentonomics® (why), K.S.A.R.™ (what) and PIFFLE® (how). In Consumer Goods and Retail, five divisions work as one body around Route to Shopper®: Asbiverse researches and advises, Commercial Excellence Academy trains and certifies, Direczion carries the shopper into every other function, Autumn Dew Studio designs onto the shelf and Ougment measures. Intent Institute brings learning and transformation driven by Intentonomics® to government, public bodies and other industries.
May 2010 to Dec 2014
Managing Director
Kantar Consulting
Led Kantar Retail’s growth and delivered projects across parts of South East Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Translated Kantar Retail’s global capability offer into what was relevant for each region, won new clients and managed existing global relationships.
Key achievements
Projects won and delivered for Castrol, Lenovo, FrieslandCampina, Coca-Cola, Tetra Pak, Abbott and Carlsberg. Biggest success was winning Castrol’s majority training business across India for two years, with multiple programmes across sales and management hierarchies.
Jul 2007 to May 2010
Management Consultant, Consumer Goods
Accenture
Sales transformation consultant for Consumer Goods industries, with a focus on sales strategy and CRM.
Consulting project roles
SAB Miller Plc, Sales Integration Lead (2009 to 2010). Led business process design and integration to deliver a combined total sales solution built on global best practice, spanning trade promotions management, field sales planning, telesales, back office and the links between sales and finance, demand, supply and marketing.
Diageo Plc, Global Design Director and Commercial Processes Lead (2008 to 2009). Led the redesign of key components of the global commercial strategy across brands such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Bells.
Procter and Gamble, Global Transformation and Transition Lead (2007 to 2008). Led the definition and transition to a new global growth model on a business of more than 75 billion dollars, with deployment to five pilot markets in Asia.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Subject Matter Expert (2007).
May 2002 to Jun 2007
Various commercial roles
Procter and Gamble
Progressive commercial roles in national account management, in market strategy and planning and in campus recruitment leadership.
Roles and responsibilities
Market Strategy and Planning Manager (2005 to 2007). Managed the national business across more than ten European customers on core categories and owned national budgets for the channel.
Business Development Manager (2002 to 2005). Managed a national business worth more than 15 million pounds with record share levels, across Ariel, Daz, Fairy and Flash, handling the UK’s biggest chain of cash and carries and a national retail chain of more than 700 stores.
Campus Recruitment Team Leader (2005 to 2007). Headed a multi functional team on one of the top ten campuses in the UK.
Sep 1999 to Sep 2001
Area Head
AkzoNobel, ICI Paints, Dulux
Depot management, new market development, dead market revivals, Dulux product launches, channel management and sales promotion strategy.
Results
Turnover increased by approximately 20 per cent. Debtor days reduced from 72 to 18. Network growth of approximately 300 per cent, with improved brand recall.
Aug 1998 to Sep 1999
Senior Marketing Executive
Perfect Bread Private Limited
Developed the market for a bakery start up across five states of India including Delhi and the National Capital Region, heading the total sales force and making the brand a leader in three states and a strong competitor in two.
Academic
Jan 2020 to Sep 2021
Senior Lecturer, International Business, part time
St Mary’s University, Twickenham · London, United Kingdom
Supported academic research and teaching with a focus on capability development, realising strong synergies between the latest research thinking and professional practice.
Key responsibilities
Supported postgraduate business programmes including International Strategic Management, International Marketing and Digital Marketing. Built a connection between industry and academia at this professional level.
Community
2024
Candidate, University of Oxford Chancellor election
University of Oxford · Oxford, United Kingdom
Stood for the same reason he writes about intent: to give knowledge a purpose, help the right intent develop and play his part in more fulfilled lives.
May 2022 to May 2023
Mayor of Bracknell Forest
Bracknell Forest Council
Represented the Borough of Bracknell Forest as its First Citizen. The first person of Indian origin and the first person of colour elected to the role.
May 2019 to May 2023
Borough Councillor, Local Government
Bracknell Forest Council
Elected as the first ever Asian origin Borough Councillor in the May 2019 elections, serving the community across ward needs, economic and skills development, the planning committee and multiple community projects.
Jan 2020 to Nov 2022
Liveryman and Chairman of Membership
The Worshipful Company of Marketors · London
Enclothed as a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Marketors, focused on the development of the marketing profession.
2013
Business delegation, BRICS Summit
Durban, South Africa
Part of the business delegation accompanying the Prime Minister of India to the BRICS Summit, as CEO of his business.
Reflections on knowing, doing and the space between
A body of thinking on intent, action, perseverance and perspective. Choose a theme.
“Knowing what to do and how to do it are two separate things.”
“Understanding the destination doesn’t guarantee the journey; it takes action to bridge the gap between knowing and doing.”
“Recognising the goal is easy; the challenge lies in the steps you take to get there.”
“The map is not the journey; knowing the way and walking the path are worlds apart.”
“Knowing what to do is insight; doing it is execution. Success requires mastering both.”
“The knowledge of what to do plants the seed; the action of doing it nurtures the growth.”
“Understanding the ‘what’ is just the beginning; it’s in mastering the ‘how’ that dreams turn into reality.”
“It’s one thing to have the recipe, but it’s another to create the masterpiece.”
“Inaction is a type of Action.”
“Reflection without Action churns no Butter.”
“You can have the blueprint, but without the tools and Intent, the building never rises.”
“Intent NOT Content drives Transformation.”
“Fastest way to catch-up is to Slow Down.”
“Rock Bottom is an illusion broken by Perseverance and Patience.”
“Being scared is a natural biological response, Being afraid is a choice.”
“In the cry of the Bird, the silence of the Mountain was heard.”
“Insignificance is a significantly relative feeling. It absolutely does not exist.”
“If you want an Answer, a Question will have to be asked.”
“In the search lies the allure of the possibility of being found.”
“Let your Journey decide your Destination.”
“Ignorance is the only path to knowledge.”
Where to catch Ankur next
Talks, webinars and podcast conversations on commercial excellence, shopper behaviour and closing the knowing-doing gap. If a room, a panel or a mic needs a voice on any of these, that is a conversation worth having.
Featured talk · TEDxHow to Convert Intent into Action
Ankur at TEDxStMarysUniversityTwickenham on the role of intent and the move from knowing to doing, built on four pillars with examples from business, family, law and public life.
Watch the TEDx talkSpeak Shopper or Get Shelved, the live session
13:00 GMT · Online. A working session on turning shopper understanding into commercial action, drawn from the book and Route to Shopper®.
Register →The Commercial Excellence Podcast, new episode
Wherever you listen. A conversation on the knowing-doing gap and why most capability programmes stall before they change anything.
Details →Recent appearances
- September 2026: Jury Member, Coca-Cola Golden Spoon Awards, India Food Forum
- September 2026: Jury Member, Images Food Service Awards, India Food Forum
Excellence Intended with Ankur Shiv Bhandari
Ankur writes and talks about what he is learning, across the whole Group. Each piece points to the door it belongs to: Consumer Goods & Retail, or public bodies and other industries.
Excellence Intended
Across the GroupCapability, change and transformation, for commercial and public organisations alike.
View the writing →Intentonomics®
The science of strengthening choicesWriting on intent, the force that turns knowledge into consistent action, and how to make it stronger.
View the writing →Personal
Reflections and the human sideThe more personal writing on perseverance, perspective and the space between knowing and doing.
View the writing →The short version
What is the knowing-doing gap?
It is the distance between knowing what needs to be done and consistently doing it. Most performance shortfalls are not caused by a lack of information, tools or talent. They come from that distance between intention and execution. Ankur’s work makes it visible and then closes it.
What is Intentonomics®?
Intentonomics® is the science of strengthening choices, developed by Ankur. It works on intent, the force that turns knowledge into consistent action, and is the WHY of ASB Excellence Intelligence™, alongside K.S.A.R.™ (the WHAT) and PIFFLE® (the HOW).
What is Route to Shopper®?
The commercial excellence methodology Ankur created for Consumer Goods and Retail, and the world’s most comprehensive. Built on the GUIDE™ and PATHS™ frameworks, it runs to 79 kata, more than 1,400 templates and 13 formats, and places the shopper at the centre of every commercial decision.
What is Asbiverse Group?
The Group Ankur founded in 2009. Asbiverse Group drives excellence through intent. It works through two doors: Consumer Goods & Retail, through Shopper Focused Value Creation and five specialist divisions, and Public Sector & Other Industries, through Intent Institute. One methodology, ASB Excellence Intelligence™, runs through both.
How does Intent Institute relate to Asbiverse Group?
Intent Institute is the Asbiverse Group division for public bodies and other industries. It brings the same methodology, led by Intentonomics®, to government and public services, regulated industries, wider enterprise and education. In Consumer Goods and Retail the same methodology is applied by the Group’s five specialist divisions.
What are Ankur’s books about?
Speak Shopper or Get Shelved brings the Route to Shopper® methodology to a global audience for the first time. It distils 25 plus years of commercial experience across more than 65 countries into a practical roadmap for every professional navigating the arrival of AI. The second book, Intentonomics®: What you know is WORTHLESS POINTLESS UNLESS intent turns it into action. Giving Knowledge a Purpose, is coming soon and explains why people who know what to do still do not do it, and what closes the gap.
Let your journey decide your destination
Follow the thinking, start a conversation, or bring intent and capability to your own organisation.
Three ways forward
For a conversation, a talk, an interview or simply to share a thought, write to Ankur directly.
Email Ankuroffice@ankurshivbhandari.com
For thoughts or support in Consumer Goods & Retail. A good first step is to see where you stand: the Commercial Excellence Scorecard takes minutes and is free.
Score your Commercial ExcellenceFor thoughts or support in public bodies and other industries, on learning, change adoption and transformation, through Intent Institute.
Book a conversation