The 2019 Global Leaders in Consulting: Sanjeev Agarwal

"Every day is a new day and generally no two days are the same; my job is not monotonous. I am able to meet and work with organizations in different geographies and across industry segments—I get deeper insights on their business challenges and try to find solutions to their business problems," Agarwal says. "Across our offices in the Middle East and India, we have people from more than 15 nationalities. I get the opportunity to learn a lot about people, culture, and their behavior."

Agarwal was one of the founding managing directors who was instrumental in establishing Protiviti's operations in Kuwait (2006-2007). He led the Internal Audit and Financial Advisory practice and had responsibility to expand Protiviti's presence in other ME countries. 

"In the Middle East practice, we now see an increased understanding of the importance of collaboration within our different solutions and industry practices, without which our growth would have been a challenge," he says. "The consulting practice in India currently is in a growth phase and future growth looks to be quite promising. I have a senior leadership team in India, which has matured, bonded well and taken ownership and responsibility—this makes my job a lot easier." 

Over the last five years, Agarwal says the firm has made a lot of effort to establish the India member firm as a global delivery center, however this was not easy and came with its own set of challenges. "In the last 12 months, there has been a shift in understanding the importance and capabilities of the center, and now Protiviti consulting practices around the world are collaborating to bring the most optimal solutions to clients," he says. 

In 2014, he took on the responsibility of Country Market Leader for the India practice at a time when things were very difficult. 

"Over a period of time, we have been able to attract senior talent from the market and, with their support, we have been able to successfully build a large, strong practice in India, which has all the ingredients to be much larger and stronger over the next few years," he says. 

Q&A: What does being recognized as a Global Leader in Consulting mean to you? Your firm? Your clients?

"I am very excited and a big thank you to my family, senior leaders and my colleagues. This recognition will further motivate me to work harder and achieve even more. The firm: It will add to the brand image of Protiviti and should further elevate its status within the industry. Additionally, people in the firm will be happy and proud to see that someone from among them has been recognized and awarded. It will further motivate them to excel in whatever they do."