The 2023 Women Leaders in Consulting: Shivani Parekh

A desire to tackle big challenges has been a driving force behind Shivani Parekh's 20+ year tenure at Kearney. Some of this energy comes from growing up as a first-generation Indian American in a diverse neighborhood in Chicago and having to prove herself from an early age. Shivani's upbringing instilled a strong work ethic and determination to confront obstacles and take on tough issues throughout her career. She earned a double major in English and Economics at Northwestern University, then joined a boutique consulting firm, developing programs and advocacy for minority and women-owned businesses to create economic impact.

Upon completing her MBA at the University of Chicago, Shivani wanted to create large-scale impact and started as a senior associate at Kearney where she worked her way up the ranks. She worked across industries on transformation programs and found a home in the Communications, Media and Technology Practice. As a Partner, Shivani has led major optimization programs for many of the largest telecom companies in Supply Chain, Digital, Customer Care, Procurement Efficiency and PMI. Shivani was recently named global chair of Kearney's Women's Network, where she celebrates and supports the amazing work done by Kearney women for our clients and the firm.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

Personal achievement: Making my parents proud. My parents made tremendous sacrifices, leaving comfortable lives in India, to strive for greater opportunities in the U.S. for my younger brother and me. While they endured various challenges to assimilate, they tirelessly encouraged me to achieve my ambitions.

As first-generation Indian American, I have often been the "only" woman or Indian American in countless settings, so proving myself and succeeding—first in school and then in professional life—is a core to my DNA and to fulfill their belief in me.

Professional achievement: Building the telco client and deep relationships from the ground up through perseverance and commitment over the years, when many gave up or doubted me, has been deeply gratifying. At Kearney, my approach is even branded as "purposeful persistence" and is a model for developing lasting client relationships. I protect their trust in me fiercely and continue to deliver impact with the best Kearney teams. It is a huge responsibility and keeps me energized.

What's the best advice—consulting or otherwise—you've ever received?

I have received so much good advice over the years, and I wish I had put more of it into action! But the most impactful pieces of advice I still must remind myself to take are:

• Never give up. Something is only lost if you stop trying. But if you go back to the problem or situation with tenacity and perseverance, in time the right things will prevail.
• Think positively about the outcome. Put out into the universe the good you want to create and the success you want to achieve. Believe it. Think it. Positive thinking and beliefs are self-fulfilling.

What advice would you give to a female consultant just beginning her career?

As the global lead of Kearney's Women's Network and as a project leader, I have the benefit of engaging with many female consulting colleagues from around the world. There is one piece of advice that I would give them: build trust with your clients and protect that trust. I did this by focusing first client success, not trying to "sell," but to help solve their issues and digging in when there are challenges. These pivotal moments have defined my relationships. When you have client trust it enables you to have flexibility, autonomy, and the ability to make a greater impact. This also means doing right by the client over yourself. I have said "no" to projects at times and over time that has gone a long way to build trust, even though I had a short-term loss.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This recognition is a significant career milestone for me. The award enables me to validate my client relationship-building focus as a consulting leader and be a stronger role model at Kearney. My client service focus has been guided by Kearney's sense of "essential rightness," which means doing the right thing for the client with conviction. While consulting will continue to evolve, this recognition reconfirms that the client-service model and focus on trust-based client relationships will remain foundational for the next generation of consultants.