Q1.  Please describe your current role at Bain & Company as a Director

As a Director and co-lead of the Consumer Products & Retail Centre of Expertise at the Bain Capability Network, I collaborate with the Bain Consumer Products Practice for delivering value to priority Consumer Products clients, using proprietary consumer and market analytics tools across a variety of topics including consumer segmentation, revenue growth, assortment optimization, commercial excellence and profit pools.

Q2. What drives you to succeed in your career?

There are several drivers that encourage me to give my 100% each and every day - an opportunity to make a difference in performance of global clients/brands, being in a position to continuously learn about the why, how and so what of businesses, and being a part of teams made of diverse smart individuals making the overall experience highly rewarding.

Q3. What do you think are the key skills required to succeed in a leading management consulting firm such as Bain? What skills should management students be equipped with?

The most important innate and acquired skill is having a problem-solving mindset. It is the most critical skill required to succeed not just at Bain but at any firm and in any managerial role. This, followed by self-drive and motivation to work smart as well as hard.

Q4. What significant changes has the consulting industry gone through during the Covid pandemic?

The real change is yet to be seen, given half the world is still working remotely in very non-traditional consulting patterns. Once things stabilize post pandemic, it would be great to see how many new remote, offshore and globally integrated ways of working get embedded in the new normal. For a consulting firm, its primary asset is people and the knowledge/experience they bring to the table. Hence, the new working models seen amid the pandemic that facilitated seamless global talent integration, and options of “off-site” support instead of almost mandatory “on-site” support is a huge opportunity that no consulting firm would leave unexplored

Q5. How did your year at Great Lakes prepare you for a corporate career? Any interesting incident/experience you would like to share?

I graduated in 2010 when students, especially from middle class backgrounds such as mine, still had limited awareness of what varied career choices exist both within and outside our country. Getting a chance to interact with a group of extremely talented batch mates, and being taught by world class Indian and renowned global faculties at Great Lakes helped broaden the mental horizons immensely, making us all ready to take on any challenges that might come our way.

Q6. What are some of the key skills you developed at Great Lakes that have helped you through your professional journey?

Money value of time, as our beloved Chairman, Uncle Bala says! This is by far the most important skill I took away. If you understand this, truly, you would be able to manage everything else. With time being the scarcest resource in life, ruthless prioritization is essential. Also, playing on each other’s strengths is the best recipe for success in professions such as mine where teamwork is everything.

Q7. What does being a ‘leader’ mean to you?

We before I, us before Me. Internalize this for every decision that you will ever have to make as a leader. All else is secondary.

Q8. What is your message to aspiring management professionals who are currently students at Great Lakers?

Be curious, push yourself to learn more, explore the not so obvious. An aspiring management graduate needs to take risks to get rewards, so be ready to take those risks, and God forbid if you fail, be mentally ready to start all over again. At the end of the day, you need to trust your capabilities, and know that – Yes! you can do it, come what may!