Electrification of the automotive sector is a welcome change that is driving a plethora of innovations in sustainability, digitalisation and customer-centricity !

Vysakh Madhavan, our next pathbreaker, Senior Business Consultant (Customer & Growth) at BearingPoint, solves business problems for automotive  OEMs – Strategy, Transformation, Due-Diligence  etc.

Vysakh talks to  Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about being excited about dynamic opportunities in the e-Mobility sector that are shaping up new business models.

For students, don’t forget to keep your passion at the core of  your work. It might not always be the most  rewarding, but it can go a long way in helping you  push through tough situations.  

Vysakh, can you share your background with  our young readers?  

I grew up in Bangalore, India. I’ve always had a  keen interest in cars and sports. So that led me to  do Mechanical Engineering while I pursued my  interest in sports on the side with football  representing my school and university at different  levels. After that, I pursued my MBA and luckily for  me, I got a campus placement in Maruti Suzuki.  And then, I followed that path into automotive  consulting.  

What did you do for graduation/post graduation? 

I did my BTech in Mechanical from VTU and  PDGM, Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad. I also did an Executive Leadership Program from  Said Business School  

What were some of the key influences that led  you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and  unique career in Automotive Consulting? 

It was purely driven by my interests. And  unfortunately, I didn’t plan too much into the future.  I took it one step at a time.  

Tell us about your career path  

After my BTech, I joined Accenture which was an IT  job. I didn’t do much. I was there for a brief period.  

After my MBA I joined Maruti Suzuki as a  Management Trainee. I was part of the team that set up Nexa Channel systems and processes in  South India. I travelled across the region, met a lot  of dealers and understood the nuances of sales  and marketing, brand launch, brand activations,  channel management etc.  

After MMSIL, I joined Nomura. I wanted to join Nomura to expand my capabilities  in the automotive industry by working across different  countries, different types of companies and different  types of client problems. Their customers are car  makers, motorcycle makers, investment bodies etc 

Here, I worked with Automotive Clients across the  APAC region. I worked with OEMs, Tier1 Suppliers,  Investment Companies, new mobility players on  their go-to-market strategy, due diligence etc  

After that I joined Ather Energy for a brief period  of setting up the CX operations team and the  systems and processes across India  

I set up the customer experience team. This included setting up  the processes, experience guidelines across  dealerships and digital platforms

I currently work at BearingPoint where I work with  global OEMs on transformation and CX initiatives  across UK and Europe  

How did you get your first break?  

This was through an off-campus placement drive for Accenture.  

OEMs (MSIL) have a management trainee program from  top b-schools which is an accelerated path to  leadership in the firm. They usually recruit from b-schools through a rigorous process 

What were some of the challenges you faced?  How did you address them?  

Degree vs Skills: Most of the roles were in  software while my interests were in automotive.  Hence, I had to leave my initial job to pursue my  MBA  

Reputation of college: Coming from a Tier 2  college didn’t help my job prospects. So,I had to  additionally upskill myself and plan for the next  move  

Where do you work now? What problems do you  solve? 

I work with a consulting firm called BearingPoint in  London. I solve business problems for automotive  OEMs – Strategy, Transformation, Due-Diligence  etc 

BearingPoint is a predominanly European firm  with a strong tech background and presence. So  we build a layer of business understanding on tech  foundations. While Nomura was pure play strategy  consulting. We help client solve issues related to  people, digital problems, market and competition knowledge etc.  

What skills are needed for your role? How did you  acquire the skills?  

My role requires business skills, knowledge of  industry, critical reasoning, storytelling, networking  

What’s a typical day like?  

My typical day is spent in calls, brainstorming  sessions, client presentations, networking  sessions etc. 

What is it you love about this job? 

It challenges me to think differently and always  learn about new and upcoming technologies and  develop new skills  

How does your work benefit society? 

My work helps automakers improve their organisation internally, grow sales and sell more cars, improve  experience for customers and improve the post sale  relationship with customers. 

Tell us an example of a specific memorable  work you did that is very close to you! 

Launching a new car brand in India for a client through intense customer interviews, understanding  their brand, and building a story around the brand  

Your advice to students based on your  experience?  

Don’t forget to keep your passion at the core of  your work. It might not always be the most  rewarding, but it can go a long way in helping you  push through tough situations.  

Future Plans?  

Continue doing this work and probably explore  building a digital product