Rising Stars of the Profession: Siddharth Maiti

Siddharth Maiti is a Senior Consultant with Cognizant and an established professional with comprehensive experience in business consulting and data management. He has played multiple roles across product life cycle such as – Product Owner, Product Manager and Lead Consultant. Specialized in data strategy, target optimization, target operating model, product development and data architecture. Led RFP representation, stakeholder consultation, market research, product development and solution design initiative for several key programs. Worked in domains such as Communications and Media, Banking and Capital Markets, Public Sector, Life Science and Healthcare Insurance; with clients across North America, UK, APAC and Australia. Has advanced knowledge of Agile process, Salesforce, Cloud data solutions, SQL and MS Office Suite. Has a strong academic background with an MBA focused on Financial Management Services.

What would you say has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

Having the right opportunities. The support I have received from my home manager and the teams I have worked with – have been the biggest factors in my success so far. Without any of these components, I believe my efforts would have been just good enough to deliver what is required but the support I have received has provided the incentive to go beyond what is expected.

The fact that I have always strived to see beyond my role pushes me to think on my feet and adapt to 'out of the box' situations or unexpected challenges and where appropriate to suggest ways in which the engagement could be evolved to deliver incremental value.

Finally, I keep reinventing myself to ensure I am delivering to the best of my ability, to stay ahead of competition and endeavor to prove my ability to perform at a level higher than my current role.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

The aspect that I enjoy the most is meeting the 'Challenge of the unknown'. Every assignment presents a new opportunity to learn and expand my horizon of knowledge, domain expertise and professional skills.

Consulting for me is a point of convergence where I use:

• my academic & domain knowledge to identify the business problem
• technical (data & systems) knowledge to recommend a solution and
• professional skills (stakeholder & program management) to drive the engagement.

Also consulting comes with the perk of working alongside the best global brands and talented professionals without switching employers.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

The work I have done for Aston Martin Formula 1 holds a special position in my heart and career.

I have been following motorsport for a while now. Being given this opportunity to appreciate and be a part of all that goes behind improving the performance of that car on track will always be a very memorable part of my success story. The engagement I led for AMF1 resulted in better financial management, regulatory compliance, and improved operational efficiency. It will also help them realize cost savings and free up budget which can be re-invested in material R&D.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

I have always followed and echoed the following words from my manager – 'I should choose my battles wisely. This has helped me steer my focus on larger goals with strategic objectives rather than indulging in tactical solutions. I have used this advice time and again to keep myself motivated both personally and professionally. This has also helped me overcome any momentary setback. This approach very much aligns with my way of tackling business problems for clients and defining a pragmatic approach to arrive at the recommendation.

What does being honored as a Rising Star mean to you?

I ride high on the acknowledgment of individual effort. As a manager, I ensure that I formally recognize and support any team member who uplifts the standard of project delivery and enhances business benefits for the client. Similarly, I humbly accept any recognition that acknowledges my contribution to the engagements because it does not just help me grow as a professional but also provides a for baseline my standards so that I can endeavor to perform even better every time.