Sunil Kasturi has taken on the role of CEO at Propeller as part of the long-term, strategic succession planning.
For the past ten years, Sunil has been an essential part of Propeller's success and growth. As Chief Growth Officer, he demonstrated his ability to drive growth while also being an empathetic leader who embodies Propeller's values.
We spoke with Sunil to discuss Propeller's next phase of growth, its strategies for expertise-driven work and technology-centric approaches, how it remains at the forefront of industry trends and responds to evolving client needs, and the challenges that businesses are facing in 2024.
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# Sunil, in your new role as CEO, what vision do you have for Propeller, and what strategies do you plan to implement to achieve it?
“My vision is centered on sustained growth and competitiveness in an evolving landscape. In the size we are right now, having transformed from a small firm in 2012 to a two-hundred-plus organization, growth means something different for us. It means competing not only with larger players but also with nimble, focused companies like ours.
To continue to excel in this competitive space, we are honing in on expertise-driven work. Beyond delivering excellent client service, we aim to be trusted thought partners and advisors. We want to continue delivering value beyond the work we have contracted for, bringing a unique perspective to the table, thanks to our diverse team, a decade-plus of experience, and over a thousand successful engagements. Articulating this value to our clients and guiding them through challenges is an important part of our growth strategy.
Another key pillar of our approach is being technology and data-centric. In the realm of large-scale transformations, technology and data are at the core. We deliver a lot of transformational work — from technology adoptions to organizational structure to large-scale strategies and shifts. So, we are continuing to invest and concentrate in these spaces. Our continued focus on tech transformation and data and analytics, supported by our experience design and people and change practices, positions us as integral partners for our clients.
Looking ahead, partnerships will also play a pivotal role. We will continue to grow organically, as well as seek strategic collaborations to offer an even wider array of services, enhancing the value we provide to our clients.
To execute these strategies successfully, we are emphasizing clarity on our differentiators, enablers, and service lines. This ensures not only our competitiveness but also that our clients find transparency and value in what Propeller has to offer.”
To continue to excel in this competitive space, we are honing in on expertise-driven work. Beyond delivering excellent client service, we aim to be trusted thought partners and advisors. We want to continue delivering value beyond the work we have contracted for, bringing a unique perspective to the table, thanks to our diverse team, a decade-plus of experience, and over a thousand successful engagements.
# With the business consulting landscape constantly evolving, how do you plan to keep Propeller at the forefront of industry trends and innovations?
“To remain at the forefront of industry trends, we keep a pulse on the market through internal research vehicles, expansive client conversations, and ongoing market analysis. Externally, we analyze industry reports and publications and leverage data to inform our innovation investments.
Prioritizing our innovation investments based on those market insights is something we tend to do well within the firm. We’re adaptive and unafraid to adjust our investments quickly to ensure our focus remains on the areas that require growth and attention to meet client and market demands. For example, this proactive approach led us to delve into AI last year, aligning our expertise with marketplace needs.
Second, we recognize that clients seek value across various domains, and they’re not interested in our internal structuring. They have a business problem that requires bringing together technology, data, the ability to manage change, a sound strategy, stakeholder buy-in, and execution to solve. For us, staying ahead and meeting client needs involves building diverse and multidisciplinary teams. By assembling profiles of individuals skilled in soft skills, like dealing with ambiguity and excellent client service, and hard skills, like technical expertise, we ensure we can holistically address complex business problems.
We consider continuous learning and skill development as essential elements of our strategy. Cultivating a culture of curiosity and providing frameworks to build from, as well as support and budget for ongoing learning, enables our team to stay relevant and grow their skillsets in service to our clients.
And then last, client feedback and collaboration are central to our growth strategy. Our leadership team takes a very high-touch approach. What this means is we’re not just talking with our clients but also client stakeholder teams. Our seasoned experts are also on the ground delivering work for our clients. This individualized attention ensures we are well-positioned to tailor our services to address our clients’ evolving challenges and their industry-specific issues.
Collectively, these areas of focus will help us anticipate and navigate industry trends and client problems effectively.”
# What will have the biggest impact on businesses in 2024? What challenges are businesses tackling this year?
“A couple of things stand out. First, the advancement of data and analytics, especially with the AI evolution, will be key. AI relies on good data, so managing and securing that data is crucial. Data is a valuable business asset. Competitive businesses are looking at customer and employee data to personalize experiences and product offerings. Associated with that, customers know businesses have access to that data, so they have higher expectations for tailored experiences and better service. So, businesses are tasked with meeting and exceeding consumer expectations.
Next, with the current macroeconomic climate, businesses need to be flexible in how they’re setting up their organizations and their operating models. Consulting is pivotal here. We help businesses build resilience and think about how they can be effective, especially when things get a bit unpredictable.
We’ve talked a lot about data, tech, and AI — and organizations, especially those that rely on less sophisticated tools — are under pressure to digitally transform themselves more quickly than ever before. So, digital transformation will continue to be a major trend this year. Propeller plays a big part here, as we are at the center of those transformations with a cross-functional understanding of people, process, organizational, tech, and data impacts.
Tying all these challenges and opportunities together, along with your question earlier about staying at the forefront of industry trends, is innovation and adaptability. Markets, technology, customer loyalty, and consumer preference— they’re all changing quickly. A business's ability to innovate and adapt are important factors and challenges that businesses are going to be looking at in the coming year.”
Markets, technology, customer loyalty, and consumer preference— they’re all changing quickly. A business's ability to innovate and adapt are important factors and challenges that businesses are going to be looking at in the coming year.”
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