2023 Top Consultants: Bharat Chandu

Bharat Chandu started out at RSM as an audit intern in May 2011. He switched into Technology Consulting in 2012 and eventually landed in the Oracle NetSuite ERP practice. Since then, he has had the opportunity to implement NetSuite for over 100 clients across many industries including Not-for-Profit, Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, Retail, Technology and health care. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife Maire and is a passionate (but not very talented) golfer, HBO subscriber and Washington D.C. sports fan.

What has motivated you to excel over the course of your career?

I love problem-solving and my passion for solving problems has heavily influenced my career. I look at every project as an opportunity to improve a client's business and that mindset makes the work a lot more interesting as opposed to treating every project as just work.

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

I have a lot of patience and empathy which I believe has contributed to my success as a leader and a consultant. I always try to put myself in the client's shoes whenever they face a difficult situation. When you can show compassion toward a client's situation, the client has a better experience and feels they are truly working with a partner as opposed to another vendor. Internally, I also try to put myself in other consultants' shoes when they are in a tough situation. Consulting can be a difficult occupation, but the more you empathize with others, the better your relationships will be and the more positive experiences you will have in your career.

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

What I enjoy the most about consulting is the opportunity to constantly face new challenges. No two days in my career were ever the exact same, and that variety and change has made the work both interesting and allowed me to grow.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

What I am most proud of to date is the team that I have been able to build around me. There is nothing more rewarding in a consulting career than knowing the influence you've had over another consultant's career and growth. I've known a lot of my team members since they were a year or two out of college and now they are great consultants that can run large, complex projects. Of course, a lot of that is attributed to their hard work and talent, but it does make me proud to know that I've been able to help foster their success and growth.

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

Consulting can be a very stressful occupation with long hours and tense situations. It's very important to compartmentalize your professional life so you can enjoy life outside of work. Outside of work, when you are with your friends and family, be present with them and do not let your professional life consume you as an individual. The ability to do this is key to having a long successful career in consulting and avoiding burnout.

What does this recognition mean to you?

Being a consulting leader is tough but rewarding work. You're required to interact with corporate executives, investors, other consultants and your own personnel, all while establishing and managing strategies for marketing, sales, delivery and talent development. This recognition would validate all the hard work that I have put in to help grow my firm and all the individuals I have had a chance to mentor over the years.