A Powerhouse of Perseverance, Productivity and Perfection
Anish Kumar Arya has seen a phenomenal rise like a phoenix in his career with his treasure trove of knowledge and ability to deeply understand people. A true leader with profound expertise, he has had the chance to lead technology transformation assignments across the globe, including the USA, Canada, Netherlands, Greece, Azerbaijan, and India.
Currently working as a senior level director in PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), one of the big four consulting firms that is part of Cloud & Digital practice. Anish is the leading director for the firm’s SAP financial services industry vertical in the USA. He specializes in helping successful finance & technology transformation of the firm’s clients who are working towards making this world a better place to live.
His journey was full of ebbs and flows as he constantly persevered through the rain and sunshine for the last two decades and has always bounced back stronger after every low phase of life. He says, “I don’t believe in luck. I have always believed in hard work, positive mindset and the right strategy. If you keep your head in the right place and don’t panic in adverse situation, every failure will open a new door to success.”
His passion is derived from transforming business by harnessing the power of technology. Over the years he has seen firsthand how digital innovations can revolutionize the way of doing business with improved productivity and create new avenues for growth. It makes him feel that he is contributing directly or indirectly to making this world a better place to live. He states, “I am particularly excited about potential of emerging technologies which are changing the lifestyle in very positive way. I like to talk to the people and C-level executives in the industry to understand their current way of doing business and the pain points. I love to build effective enterprise performance strategy & architecture for the organization’s overall growth.” His work style is unconventional. Instead of advising the client, he prefers to work with them as part of their team to understand their real-life, day-to-day issues rather than imposing my expertise or industry standards.
Anish’s leadership style is highly influenced by situation awareness and a blend of various leadership styles, such as democratic, strategic, and tactical. He doesn’t believe in micromanagement but always pushes to maintain the expected quality of the work. He also prefers to set expectations upfront and then give his team the freedom to execute quality work within the allotted time.
Anish emphasises the value of trust and remarks, “Trust your team and try to build one-on-one relationships with your team members. This is very important for effective upward & downward communication. This also creates a sense of belongingness for your team members, who will be motivated to work for you.”
Seeking inspiration from his parents, he feels blessed to have been bestowed their support throughout his career. Having limited resources growing up, his parents always encouraged him to dream big. Their belief in him has made him move mountains. With their good wishes, he is moving towards his goal of becoming a global leader in business and technology that will transform consulting.
When it comes to believing in the rat race of being a tiger, Anish aptly answers by saying that he doesn’t believe in this as everyone has a different life trajectory based on their ability, effort and priorities. He works towards improving himself daily and focuses on his path and goals by keeping the competition to himself. He says, “I believe in the power of knowledge and listening. I am a good listener but always validate the information with my knowledge. This gives me clarity for decisions and doesn’t cloud my mind with thoughts about what others will think. For me, doing the right thing is important. This keeps me away from the rat race.”
Global Recognition: Having many years of experience in the industry, Anish’s created his own reputation in the corporate world beyond his direct work responsibility. In finance and technology transformation world Anish is a known name and his influence extends beyond his regular work responsibilities. He received multiple prestigious accolades and awards like for his outstanding work in technology consulting which includes “2024 Global Recognition Award” , “Most admired Global Indian 2024” & “Business Excellence Leadership Award 2024”. Anish has been bestowed with multiple appreciations and accolades from clients and companies he worked for. These include employee spotlight awards, delivery excellence awards and special appreciation write-ups from the client. Beyond Based on his global exposure and technical knowledge base, he has participated in prestigious business awards like the Stevie Awards, Globee Awards, and Titan Awards.
He believes in giving back to society, which is why he also does social work and worked as the Vice president of AABAJ (American Association of Bihar and Jharkhand) for three consecutive years (2020-22) and worked towards the betterment of society. He is also provides his volunteer services to his NOBA GSR as part of his school alumni association. He remarks, “I have been associated with world vision where I supported the education & livelihood of two girls coming from the weakest part of the society.”
He shares some of his experiential learning with our readers, which are:
● Life is the sum of your decisions, so try not to regret on your decisions and learn from the outcomes of your decision.
● Failures are the biggest teacher.
● Invest in your personal & professional relationships.
● Respect the person’s knowledge, not his position.
● Perfection is overrated since you have limited time to make things work for you.
● Never wait for opportunities; always try to create one.
● Your physical & mental health are your biggest asset.
