The 2019 Rising Stars of the Profession: Neha Banerjee

Age: 30

Five years ago,  Neha Banerjee decided to make a career change. She was working in business operations but wanted to use her passion for technology to help organizations transform the way they did business. So, she decided to go into consulting.

Throughout this transition, she came across many naysayers who told her consulting would be a difficult career, especially for a woman. "However, I continued to stay on course and pursue my passion for business and technology," Banerjee says. "I am proud to say that I am the first woman in my family to earn a post-graduate degree."

She says she hopes she can use her achievements to inspire other women leaders looking to defy expectations. To that end, she also works with Cognizant's Women Empowered group to lead initiatives that empower and support women.

The biggest factor to her success thus far she says, has been her ability to build strong, lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect. To achieve this, she strives to have effective communication, maintain a positive attitude and look for ways to exceed client expectations where possible. "I like to see my clients as partners and build a collaborative relationship with them," Banerjee says. "This means showing them that we, as consultants, are an extension of their team—not just outside partners."

It's no wonder then that she says it's an exciting time to be a consultant. "As a digital consultant, I have the opportunity to work with established brands to transform their digital strategy. This involves bringing these brands into a new age of technology, one that includes artificial intelligence and machine learning," she says. "As these new technologies shift the expectations of consumers and businesses, we as consultants are presented with an opportunity to drive unforeseen value for our clients."