From intern to Senior Associate, Ankit Yadav from our Transformation Assurance team shares his story on how being a part of an inclusive community of solvers has shaped and developed his professional journey to where he is today.
At PwC, it’s not just about getting a job done. It’s also about trusted leadership, building relationships that last, learning from one another, and putting your skills to work in new and unexpected ways.
Meet Ankit Yadav, as he recounts his growth journey with the guidance of his director, Harald Battran, from our Cloud Trust team.
“I met Harald Battran, Director of the Cloud Trust team at PwC, at a networking event when I was studying for my Masters. Although I lacked professional experience in cloud technology, Harald believed that my academic background in software engineering made a good foundation for the advisory and technical assessments that Cloud Trust does for clients and offered me an internship opportunity. These responsibilities benefit from a basic understanding of computer engineering concepts — skills that are not found in typical Cloud Trust applicants, and could hence give me an advantage in the role.
He was invested in my unique capabilities and potential to make a difference alongside his team in helping clients build trust into their cloud journey. Some background on our Cloud Trust practice — the team helps clients build trust with their stakeholders and deliver sustained outcomes by advising them on cloud adoption, migration, operation and security, while supporting them to recognise, understand, and mitigate risks generated from the adoption of cloud and related technologies.
Upon hearing what the role and possibilities entailed, I decided to accept Harald’s invitation for an internship opportunity with Cloud Trust to learn and experience how my skills could be used to drive a meaningful and transformational impact in a rapidly growing market.
Since my internship days, my relationship with Harald has always been casual, uplifting, and empowering. He would initiate open and candid conversations with me, all while being attentive to my holistic growth. There is no hierarchy or boundaries between us, and we’ve even gone out for drinks during the weekends to chat about anything from our personal lives to work!
Despite being an intern, Harald trusted and granted me the autonomy to handle multiple projects (even allowing me to lead a big one of my own!), which gave me a variety of work experience that has helped to further my holistic growth as an individual.
Therefore, at the end of my internship, I decided to take up the opportunity to be converted to a full-timer as a Senior Associate with the team! While Harald may not have been my designated career coach, he is a colleague-turned-friend who has made a significant impact on me in my PwC internship journey that I was keen to continue learning from and working with.
When I joined the Cloud Trust team as a Senior Associate, I made a mistake in my work. Instead of blaming me for it, Harald constantly sought to understand the stressors I was facing in my position so that he could advise me along the way as I rectified this rough patch with the stakeholders involved. I’ve learned a lot from his coaching, and appreciate how he was happy to factor my viewpoints and competencies into our collective effort of creating lasting, sustainable solutions to the problems we faced.
As I gained more experience in developing cloud strategies for my clients to support their cloud transformation journeys, I discovered my passion in applying my technical knowledge to solve and transform business problems in new ways and hence, when the opportunity came around, I decided to make the switch to join the Transformation Assurance team where I am able to help clients focus on the key commercial outcomes of their business transformation journeys and manage associated risks enabled by the latest technology.
Even in a different team, Harald remained supportive of my venture. We continue to keep in close contact and I still look to him for career advice! I’m grateful that he actively supports me in my new endeavours, and I’ll always value the relationship we have."
At PwC, coaching is integral to the personal and professional growth of our people. We are an inclusive and diverse community of solvers with different experiences and skill sets coming together to learn from, and help one another realise their fullest potential. Join us in creating trust and sustained outcomes in solving today’s problems. Be part of The New Equation.
Ankit Yadav
Transformation Assurance
