The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: Michael Ciatto

Early in his career, with limited consulting skills, Michael Ciatto, Vice President, Genpact Supply Chain Services & Solution Lead, had the opportunity to lead an operational restructuring for a Fortune 1000 retailer. With the help of a great mentor and friend, the initial engagement of evaluating procurement operations grew into an overall strategy and go-to-market re-design for the CEO and Chief Strategy Officer. 

"While certainly above my pay grade or experience, I was tasked to lead a team with over 17 VPs from the client. This project provided me exposure to every aspect of the business as we changed everything from product assortment down to store signage and refrigeration units at 2,500 stores in under twelve months, Ciatto says. "The program gained press coverage and hearing my mom's excitement as my dad was cutting out the article for her is still my proudest professional memory."

Ciatto says the consistent intellectual challenge of consulting, spanning the evolution of operating models, extended network collaboration, learning and applying new technology capabilities, drawing parallels across different industries and being faced with new problem sets daily is undeniably stimulating. In addition to the intellectual stimulus, he says the blend of validating hypotheses through a strong data driven foundation and the skill of influence to embolden clients to operate differently is a unique opportunity.

"I think the best advice I have ever received is that your name on the roll should mean your heart in the work. Whatever the 'work' is be it academics, athletics, business, family or service, if you are going to commit to it, do it fully," Ciatto says. "I read a quote the other day that said you are wealthier than 93 percent of everybody that has ever lived. Because 93 percent of the people that have lived have passed on from this planet. And every celebrity, emperor, billionaire any layman that has died would give any of their wealth or notoriety for what you still have—today. So, if you are going to give part of today to anything, give it to something you love and give that activity your full devotion for that period of time because you can never get it back."

Q&A:  What's been the biggest factor to your success so far?

Ciatto: "While most of my colleagues and clients would likely respond in saying the key drivers are a willingness to work long nights and ability to trade-off hours of sleep for some time in the gym, I think my passion to help others be successful has been the most important contributor to my success. Early in my career, I was told that the single most important metric upon which a consultant should be measured is how often an engagement drives a promotion or "superstar" status for the client project leads and sponsors. One consistent trait of successful consultants I have worked with is the perception that all client engagements are a personal vote of confidence and trust in not only the consultant's intelligence but devotion to investing in improving the business as if it was his/her own."