Aarti co-leads our business in India, where she was a member of the founding team. She works across a range of industries, helping clients define winning strategies, execute transformations, and drive impact. She specializes in financial services and public sector and policy practices.
A chemical engineer turned MBA, Aarti has always been attracted to problem-solving. “Back in engineering college, I remember the joy of ‘cracking’ a tough question in physical chemistry,” she recalls. “I think my career in consulting allows me to still get such highs when we solve client problems and learn new things every day.”
It was when Aarti was leading a high-impact engagement with a capital markets regulator that she realized she wanted to make consulting a long-term career. “That engagement allowed me to see the enormous impact that my work could have and that we could really transform the industry. The satisfaction and pride that I gained from that work, made me realize how much I enjoyed consulting,” she notes.
We have never seen industries and businesses being transformed at the current pace before. The opportunities for value creation are enormous, but the challenge is making sure our clients set themselves up for the new world order across business lines, functions, and the way of working.
At Oliver Wyman, she has worked extensively with clients in India, North America, and Europe on topics spanning market strategy, distribution excellence, cost reduction, digital transformation, operating model redesign, and organizational effectiveness.
To those looking to start their career in consulting, Aarti’s advice is three-fold: “Consulting is like an extended internship, so keep learning! Don’t lose sight of the big picture — take time out for yourself and your loved ones. Build your network of advisors as well as your pool of mentees — this is a team sport (and much less fun without the camaraderie).”
Outside of her work, Aarti has recently begun working with a few non-profit organizations as a strategy volunteer. She hopes to eventually devote more of her time working in the social sector or public sector space in India. “The amount of impact one can create in such places is unparalleled and I think there is a great deal to be learned by getting operationally involved,” she says.
She holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT, formerly UDCT), Mumbai. She lives in Mumbai with her husband and two daughters.