Hasmeet, Partner

CV

• B.Sc. (Honours School) Biochemistry, Panjab University (India)
• M.Sc. (Honours School) Biochemistry (India)
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Finance Specialization), S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Technology (India)
• Focus: Automotive players across the value chain incl. Suppliers, downstream players and EV OEMs
• Hobbies: Swimming, travelling, interior designing

What advice would you give your younger self?
The advice that I would give my younger self and that I continue to give to all young female consultants that join Roland Berger is to not underestimate yourself. At the beginning of my career I constantly battled with imposter syndrome, which often got in the way of my ability to be true to myself and really excel. But as time passed by and I gained more experience, I realized that my insecurities were not well founded and that there is no limit to what I can aspire to and then also achieve. I would like to further emphasize to my younger self that even in those situations when you – and maybe those around you –doubt what you can do, you should trust your instincts and believe in yourself. There is a whole world of opportunities waiting out there if you keep taking those chances.

What was your best moment at Roland Berger?
My most rewarding experience at Roland Berger has been an office exchange program that I did in Japan, at our Tokyo office in 2016. Before that, I had already gained good experience in Europe, the Middle East and India. However, working in Japan with the team locally, getting to learn that culture – both in a professional and a personal context – and making memories for life (traveling to the furthest corners of Japan alone, visiting Mount Fuji, finding vegetarian food in Japan and the unlimited karaoke bar evenings) added an altogether other dimension to my treasure trove of experiences. I had the opportunity to work with two of the largest players in the automotive industry in Japan and helped further strengthen my self-confidence, ability to work autonomously and deepen my industry know-how. So, this all-round enriching experience is the one that I remember fondly to this day.

What advantages do you see as a woman in consulting?
My almost ten years in consulting have taught me that successful stakeholder management is one of the most integral aspects of our required skills portfolio, and underestimating the value of it has never done us any good. It sounds rather obvious, but it is easier said than done. When working on complex, high-stakes projects, it is absolutely necessary to continuously decode the individual, company and political motivations in the decision making and ensure that they are factored in when defining solutions. And on top of the strong analytical skills and focus on high quality, women generally have the upper hand in interpersonal skills and effective communication to convey that empathy. This combination is extremely valuable and can turn some very difficult situations around.

Which rumor about consulting is absolutely not true?
The unpleasant rumor that consultants basically "tell you the time on your watch" is the one that tops the list for me here. I primarily do strategy projects for a varied range of players across the automotive value chain and each of those projects has been extremely challenging and rewarding in terms of identifying the problem, defining a creative solution and then making it tangible enough for implementation. We cannot use a cookie-cutter approach for any two strategy projects and have to develop bespoke solutions to suit the needs of our clients – as no two problems and no two clients are alike. And we would not be able to achieve that if consulting was just about telling you the time on your watch.

What do you appreciate most about the working environment at Roland Berger?
The most appealing aspect of Roland Berger for me is the colleagues and the teams that I get to work with on a day-to-day basis. So far, none of the colleagues that I have worked with across the world are ones that could fit into a mold – everyone is unique. To top it off, we all have an extreme level of motivation, respect and the mindset to strive for excellence at work every day. This inspires me tremendously and keeps me going even when things are a bit rocky.