Business people and organizations around the world are dependent on the wise counsel of expert leaders as transformation partners for their turnaround, survival and growth. Well-informed guidance in a niche area is a precious commodity for companies who do not have the wherewithal to invest in such capabilities. Today, few of the young and smart individuals have been able to combine strategic thinking and execution excellence, providing clear road maps and implementation leadership for business process, information technology, finance & accounting, HR, marketing, and a host of other functions. But the thing is that they have to face all the trials and tribulations of a start-up, tougher and more demanding clients, who insist on proof of their efficacy in their niche area of expertise for delivering business impact.
There is a person who is standing apart as a Champion dazzling in today’s global environment in India and that is Rakesh Sinha, Business Leader of RvaluE Group & Co-Founder of Shared Services Forum. Right from the inception of the company, Rakesh has demonstrated strong conviction in entrepreneurial thinking. Laser focused on 5 key responsibilities, i.e. Alignment and Ownership of Dream, Vision and Mission, Developing Organizational Capability and Intellectual Property, Focus on Execution, Enhancing Customer Experience and Business Impact, Focus on Growth, Business Generation & New Initiatives, and Planning for getting Future Ready, Rakesh has contributed well in building and growing the RvaluE Group.
Instrumenting a Strong Strategic Leadership and Execution
An IT graduate, who acquired business management skills from IIM Calcutta, Rakesh possesses a strong strategic leadership and execution capabilities with 15 years of experience in the Business Consulting and IT/ITeS Industry. He has played vital leadership roles and has successfully led many customized business transformation initiatives such as sourcing model strategy, benchmarking, location strategy, offshoring, RFP & deal management, business process redesigning etc. Rakesh has made a significant contribution to projects in vision planning for globalizing shared services, identifying process consolidation opportunities for over 2500+ FTEs, preparing the business case, leading process migration/people transition and stabilization in SSC operations. Rakesh is one of the few leaders globally certified as an Authorized Evaluator by ITsqc of Carnegie Mellon University, USA for eSCM (the best practices model for ITeS space) and a certified ‘Program Coach’ from Canada.
Entrepreneurship as a Choice
On the question of choosing transformational consulting as a business, Rakesh reverts, “When I joined RvaluE, I chose entrepreneurship more than consulting, and chose global exposure besides India. Gradually realized that RvaluE provides me with an unbeatable combination to learn and contribute on strategy and operations, customer and business, process and performance, systems and technology, people and capabilities, corporates and industry forum, best practices and next practices, analysis and synthesis – overall a fantastic opportunity to fulfill my passion and entrepreneurial bug!”
It is the passion to NOT to do monotonous routine work, being challenged by project dynamics and client scenarios every day, exposure to work across industry segments/various domains, functions, opportunity to connect, meet and interact with CXOs and senior leaders, and being part of strategic initiatives of client organization, and last but not the least, pioneer new initiatives and innovate new operating models, which dragged Rakesh in the consulting space.
Jumping the Stumbling Blocks
Sometimes when you are given hurdles, it makes you more creative at the end. The same happened with Rakesh. It was not at all easy to start working without facing an obstacle. Rakesh shares, “Being a consultant can sometimes be awkward. You get to a client site, and you are expected to work with absolutely a new set of people whom you may have never met. These people do not know your skill-set, they’ve never seen your work or heard your approach, and in some cases, they might be wondering why you’ve been brought in to help with their work. Now, imagine going to a client site, and being 24 years old (11years back)! Consulting, Advisory and Implementation, that too for a niche area, requires the confidence of your clients as well as your team.”
Playing the entrepreneurial role with the limited experience in this space was not at all easy for Rakesh as he had to jump numerous stumbling blocks like, limited showcase-able references, funds flow and cash reserves, demonstrate-able capability, and pulling a team of professionals together having a shared vision. He says, “Over time, I have learnt to be ‘comfortable with the uncomfortable’ and earn the trust of people I interact with, in local and international environment”.
RvaluE, Playing the Momentous Role in Rakesh’s Life
RvaluE started its journey in 2005 with niche focus on Business Process Consolidation and Transformation, enabling its client organizations to setup Shared Services Centers (primarily captive operations). Rakesh brought a new practice to RvaluE in implementing eSourcing Capability Model (eSCM developed by Carnegie Mellon University, USA) making RvaluE an Authorized Organization and becoming Authorized Evaluators for this first of its kind global best practices model.
Rakesh says, “At the outset, for Ravi Ramakrishnan (Founder & CEO of RvaluE) and myself, it was a clear mission to build niche expertise, become thought leaders, knowledge & industry experts in the space of BPM and hence, all efforts were put in that direction. Now, over the years, RvaluE has expanded into a full suite of Business Process Management advisory, consulting, capability and operations organization.”
RvaluE Consulting, ‘Transaction to Transformation’
Having started a decade back, RvaluE is a team of qualified and skilled professionals, and business gurus delivering comprehensive services and solutions. The company renders Redesigning of Business Processes, Leadership and Capability Development, and Industry Expertise for business process strategy adoption, execution, and enhancements across offshore operations, Indian Corporations, and BPS organizations. The ‘Team’ at RvaluE is the backbone of the company and believes in the mantra of ‘transaction to transformation’.
RvaluE Consulting provides customized consulting services to help organizations realize the full potential of Shared Services and Business Process Outsourcing. RvaluE, clearly believes that Business Process Management (BPM) and Business Services is all about realizing value across the process value chain with an end-to-end perspective.
They look at the business through the eyes of their customers. RvaluE primarily focuses their energies constantly in understanding, anticipating, meeting and exceeding their customers’ demands. RvaluE consistently provides their customers quality services, good value to their satisfaction with a commitment to deliver. Their client base includes large Indian and Multinational companies across the globe.
Over the years, RvaluE has a broad range of transformational services across the business process spectrum covering all functions like F&A, Operations, Procurement, IT, and CLM. Shaping and Redesigning business process services strategy by analyzing and assessing client requirements and business goals, comprehensive sourcing advisory services including innovative operating models and end to end RFP Management, set up, stabilize and even manage captive operations through robust program governance and change management, leveraging shared services as a strategic enabler to business, service/performance management frameworks and process improvement initiatives, all combined to transform the current processes to deliver efficiency and effectiveness.
Through the effective use of operational alignment and capability models (eSCM), RvaluE brings in best practices to Clients for improving operational excellence, enhancing customer relationships and proactively adding value.
Unrivaled Leadership of Rakesh
Rakesh, being an integral part of RvaluE Group has contributed in the journey of growth, expansion, and brand recognition of RvaluE. He has contributed in Capability Building and Development of Intellectual Property. Rakesh led setting up of Shared Services across industry domain and service functions for leading corporations. Under his leadership, RvaluE has been a part of creating awareness, evaluation for certification and implementation support of eSourcing Capability Model (eSCM) for leading global corporations. He is the Co-Founder of Shared Services Forum (SSF), set up in 2011 as an industry platform to create and disseminate knowledge for excellence in BPM for the ecosystem in Global India, has Co-Authored pioneering survey and research of BPM and Shared Services in Global India and Co-Authored first-of-its-kind book on BPM ‘BPM in Global India – The Inflection Point for Competitive Advantage’.
But, with great responsibility comes great learning. The timespan to in-between the starting phase and today taught great lessons to Rakesh, he explains them as, “This entrepreneurial leadership has led to the great lessons for me like Conviction and Clarity, Communication eluding understanding and alignment to the Customer needs, Ownership and accountability to deliver to client, Seeing the big picture and the detail, and the belief that ‘angel’ lies in the detail!, and last but not the least Preparation, Preparation and Preparation!”
“We have carried out over 30+ advisory and transformational assignments and set up over 14+ Shared Service Centers (SSC) within India and overseas, with tailored operating models like Captive, BOM, BOT, Managed Captive etc. We have pioneered and demonstrated 20-25% cost saves for India corporations, which others even now find it hard to achieve,” says Rakesh.
Ravi specially adds, “Rakesh has matured beyond years, and has surprised senior leaders with his astute thinking at his age, his new ways and innovative models, and immense program and change management expertise in a global environment. He continues to rise above expectations and constantly discovers entrepreneurial means to contribute and realize value in every leadership interaction and a business opportunity. His ability to learn by observing senior leaders, absorbing the positive traits and their way of insightful analysis to decision making is a great attribute that contributes immensely to his success”.
Valuable Success Enablers for Rakesh
Rakesh says, “I have been privileged to have the opportunity to receive continued guidance, mentorship and confidence of Ravi who believed in my entrepreneurial abilities and guided me to build and leverage my thinking and leadership skills in each interaction. I owe my success to his mentorship!”
Further he says, “I firmly believe that following attributes added to my success: My self-belief & conviction, passion to be an Entrepreneur, mindset of contributing back to society, building awareness and preparing for the meeting, striking relationship and continue to build on the same, and ability to utilize each opportunity to contribute, add value to client, RvaluE and myself personally and walk away with the learning to improve for next interaction.”
Valuable Advice for a Beginner
Rakesh advises the beginners that ‘bring your heart and soul into whatever you do as an entrepreneur while having an eye on your vision (long term thinking) and short term goals to sustain your venture.’ The person should have qualities like, Readiness to let go of the comfort zone of corporate life, Mindset shift for being flexible and adaptable, Believing in accountability and not just authority, Demonstratable Learnability, Business and Commercial acumen, and Ability to strike and grow relationships.
Rakesh believes in returning to the society what he has gained! He now mentors young aspiring leaders from leading Management Institutes, devotes time and energy to social projects along with like-minded people, who think beyond the present, for creating Think Tanks for 2030 and make India a better place to live in the global village!
