Archive for December, 2011

Karan: How is working for a boutique consulting firm different from working for larger consulting firms?

Bryan: My expectations from choosing to work with a boutique firm was primarily based on exposure and greater decision making in the firm strategy. In addition to this, I wanted to manage client relationships end-to-end where I was responsible for client delivery as well has developing relationships between my firm and the client. Today I am working on three projects with a major multinational technology client and am also leading the market expansion strategy for the firm. In this way, the exposure I am getting working with the firm as well as large clients is helping me achieve these goals and objectives.

Karan: What are the pros and cons of working for a boutique consulting firm?

Bryan: A key pro in working with a boutique firm is that you get to see the value you are creating within the firm and with its clients almost instantaneously. Also, the influence you have in decision making and firm strategy goes a long way and you are also given the opportunity to lead initiatives that interest you. On the flip side, a con for working with a boutique firm is the type of people that can survive in a boutique world. Unlike larger firms where people with different working styles can thrive, a boutique firm requires individuals who are able to manage multiple responsibilities of equal priority without diminishing the entrepreneurial nature of the person. In this way, you tend to work with very highly-charged and motivated individuals and thus begin seeing common patterns in work cultures without any major diversity.

Karan: What skills/personality would fit in well with a boutique consulting company?

Bryan: As mentioned in my previous response, individuals who are willing to take on multiple responsibilities and manage client relationships at the same time would thrive in a boutique world. It is not for the faint-hearted and considering the large sphere of influence you would have, your decisions would make or break your career. A good foresight, ability to multi-task, manage client relationships, deliver value, ability to grasp patterns etc. are all skills that are required as a basic necessity for anyone wanting to working in a boutique firm.

Karan: Because many boutique consulting firms are not well known, what advice do you have for students looking to find boutique consulting jobs?

Bryan: Network. It is important to remember that although many boutique firms exist out there, only a chosen few of them are actually creating ripples in the industry. One way I was looking to identify value-adding boutique firms which had a strong future strategy was by simply speaking with professionals in large companies that employed their services. That way I was able to see how the firm was adding value and also take a call if I would fit in that culture – and this method proved to be very useful to me since I am not seeing that same pattern of delivering value through my work with the firm. Do not go by jobs on job portals because firms get hundreds of thousands of applications every day. Network with individuals in the firm who can refer you.

Karan: How can students leverage their Thunderbird experience to help them prepare for a career in boutique consulting?

Bryan: Take classes in Thunderbird that tell a story of where you are going with your career. Do not take classes just because they are easy or don’t have exams but ensure that at the end of the day, when you look at your resume and call yourself a major in a subject, you have the classes on your transcripts to prove that. I have been asked for my transcripts with multiple firms I interviewed with and got offers from, large and boutique, and I have always had to explain why I took the classes I took. Make sure your story makes aligned sense on your resume and on your transcripts.

Karan: Looking back on your Thunderbird experience, are there things you wish you had done differently? For example: courses you wish you had taken, clubs you wished you had joined

Bryan: For one, I wish I could have attended more networking events and joined professional associations during my MBA. Even though I started networking in the first trimester of Thunderbird, I always feel that it is never too early to start networking. I am still networking even though I am working as a Senior Consultant with Loft9 Consulting primarily because the industry is always changing. The function is always changing and if you don’t network or stop networking once you have a job, it will be too late to catch up.

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Karan Singh is a second-year MBA student, focusing on Global Marketing and set to graduate in April 2012. He has been associated with TMCA for the past one year and heads the Communication Chair.

Dear TMCA Membership,

The time has come to say good-bye.  As we finish up our finals and either graduate or go home for winter break, I just wanted to let you know how appreciative I am of your support and involvement over the last trimester.  We had a very successful Consulting TREK, a great Lunch-and-Learn, a fabulous Presentation Workshop, and a killer Clash of the Consultants.  As a leadership team we are proud of the contribution you have made to the success of the Association.  We are who we are because of you!  So thank you!

I am very excited about the new Leadership team and I know that they are going to increase the value to the student body over the next year.   I had the privilege of hearing some of their ideas and they are both exciting and progressive!  I hope that you are just as involved and engaged next trimester!

I wish you all a restful winter break and to all of you who are graduating, Congratulations!  I’m proud to have called you a peer and a friend.  Good luck with the rest of finals!

Kind regards,

Michelle Toto

Anuj Mathur, CPA

TMCA President Spring 2012

Global experience in the “Financial Services” industry has been the hallmark of Anuj’s career. As a qualified Chartered Accountant from India and a CPA, he has a deep understanding of corporate finance, controllership and internal audit functions. Having worked for 10 years at GE Capital, Anuj had the opportunity of designing and executing financial process transformation across major corporations.

Anuj has expertise in finance, strategy, audit and performance improvements through six sigma / lean transformation. Recently he concluded a successful internship at the Corporate Audit group of Pfizer Inc. An active participant in extra-curricular activities on campus he is presently the Vice President of the Management Consulting Association and has previously served as the President of the Finance Association, In spring 2011 he led a team of T-Bird’s who won 2^nd prize at a M&A Case Competition organized by ACG.

Anuj has held leadership positions and his most recent role was of “Assistant Vice President (Strategic Projects)” at Genpact Inc.

Karan Passey

TMCA Vice President, Spring 2012

Karan is a first year Traditional MBA candidate at Thunderbird School of Global Management. An international student from India, Karan has 5 years of experience in a variety of functions and industries.

Karan graduated summa cum laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a BS in Business Management. Upon graduation, he worked with a leading medical software company in Boston as an end-user trainer and implementation specialist. When he returned to India, Karan spent two and a half years with KPMG’s governance, risk and compliance advisory practice in Mumbai, India. Karan is a passionate scuba diver and took on the role of COO at a scuba diving company focusing on organizational culture change and restructuring of business processes prior to attending Thunderbird.

At Thunderbird, Karan is focusing on Management Consulting. He is actively involved on campus and apart from the Thunderbird Management Consulting Association; he is a Campus Ambassador, part of the Thunderbird Cricket Team, and a number of regional Cultural Clubs.

Allison Martyn

TMCA CMC Liaison, Spring 2012

Upon graduating from the University of Scranton with a Bachelor of Arts in International Language Business-French, Allison spent a year teaching English in a suburban high school in northeast France.  After completion of this contract she took a position in the Innovation Department of a property and casualty insurance company.  In this role she managed the corporate innovation program and the implementation of corporate-wide collaboration software.  Allison is a first-year, traditional MBA student pursuing a career in change management and human capital consulting with an emphasis on cross cultural communication.  In her spare time she enjoys travel, music, baking and trying extreme sports like canyon jumping.

Jing Ma, Joy

TMCA Treasury & Consulting Projects Chair

Spring 2012

Jing Ma (Joy) holds a bachelor degree in Finance and Accounting. She will graduate from Thunderbird with a Master of Science in Global Management in December of 2012.

She is a down-to-earth individual who believes and exercises the motto that the only way to success is work hard. Her educational training, extracurricular activities and professional involvement equipped her with strong communication, analytical and problem solving skills.  She intends to leverage her skills, knowledge base and a global mindset to pursue her career interest in the field of financial services. She always wants to challenge herself to think differently and go beyond the expectation.

Darshan Shah, MS Candidate

TMCA Marketing Chair, Spring 2012

Darshan Shah holds a Bachelors Degree in Information Technology Engineering from Mumbai University, India. He is a very focused and optimistic individual with strong quantitative skills. Prior to joining Thunderbird in Fall 2011, Darshan worked with a retail firm in Mumbai and was responsible for inventory management and overall business development of the company.

Darshan is extremely ambitious and futuristic. He was a part of the winning team for ‘Clash of Consultants’ event organized by TMCA in Fall 2011. As a second trimester student at Thunderbird, Darshan represents the Thunderbird Cricket Team and constantly seeks to develop his Global Mindset through his involvements at campus.

Set to graduate in December 2012, he is currently seeking an internship in the Supply Chain Industry and aspires to leverage this opportunity to gain relevant and transferable skills.