Rising Stars of the Profession 2021: Rahul Chalisgaonkar

Rahul is a Senior Principal/Senior Engagement Manager within Infosys Consulting European Advisory practice. He has 12 years of industry experience as a strategic advisor to Fortune 100s in the US, APAC, Nordics and EMEA markets. He specializes in the areas of strategy, supply chain, operational excellence, target operating model, digital advisory, and ERP-enabled business transformation programs, and has been instrumental in shaping the growth narrative and go-to-market vision of Infosys Consulting in the Nordics and EMEA region during the last 6 years.

Rahul has played a critical role in winning some of the largest business transformation deals for Infosys Consulting – in excess of $35M in the last 3 years. He is truly passionate about thought leadership and has been frequently published in top European journals such as Logistics Manager, Connecting Industry and Machine Market UK. He is based out of Stockholm, Sweden where he stays with his wife and their three-year-old son.

When asked how he came to be a consultant, Rahul, notes, "From a very young age, I always had a knack for problem-solving and so after completing my Engineering and MBA from the top tier institutes, I wanted to be a part of a dynamic industry where I get to solve critical business problems and take responsibilities early in my career. Management Consulting was an easy choice as it had all these characteristics, along with the exposure of traveling weekly to different client locations while meeting and collaborating with people from different cultures and backgrounds."

Rahul continues, "Throughout my consulting career, I have been very fortunate to be around a group of very smart and intelligent colleagues and supportive mentors and leaders, and I can confidently say that I would not have been what I am today without their inputs in my professional journey. I am particularly proud of the opportunities which I have been part of especially, selling and delivering true business transformation work for top clients in Europe and being given the opportunity to elevate our brand in media by frequently getting published in leading European journals on topics such as Supply Chain, Industry 4.0/5.0, Automotive and Brexit.'

On defining the best advice he has received, Rahul reveals, "When I started my professional career, my dad gave me this advice. 'Never focus on the external variables, the things which are out of your control, always focus on what you and your team can do – bring in the most positive attitude, hard work, intelligence, collaboration, and resilience into whatever you do. Ensure that at the end of the day, you are satisfied with the end product/deliverable, so you are content that you did everything in your power to deliver a top-quality end product/deliverable.'"

What excites you most about your consulting career?

"My consulting career has been a roller coaster, working across the globe – APAC, Middle East, US, and Europe, across a wide range of topics from Strategy, Operations and Digital Advisory, while working for fortune 500 clients in Manufacturing, Retail, CPG and Life Sciences sectors. What excites me daily is the possibility to have a different problem statement every few months, interacting with C-suite stakeholders in different industries and trying to find the best fit solution for them. I really like how challenging it is to change context every few months and get to learn something new every day."