Big news! Consulting magazine’s just-released “Rising Stars of the Profession” list for 2016 includes not one, but two individuals who are truly champions of Protiviti’s culture.
Houston Director Ashley Cuevas has been named in the Leadership category, and New York Senior Manager Madhu Mathew has been recognized in the High-Tech Industry category. Both were chosen from hundreds of consultants to join 33 other talented professionals under the age of 35 being saluted.
“Ashley is highly regarded within our organization as both a leader and a mentor to those around her,” says our President and CEO, Joe Tarantino. “Madhu is equally regarded as a subject-matter expert whose deep understanding of IT issues enables him to offer the best possible solutions to his clients. It has been gratifying for our leadership team to watch them both grow from graduates of our intern program to the positions they’re in now. We’re proud of their accomplishments and their commitment to exceptional client service, as they receive this well-deserved recognition.”
You can read more about Ashley and Madhu – as well as the other “Rising Stars” – in the March 2016 edition of Consulting magazine or in the press release on Protiviti’s website . The publication will celebrate this year’s winners at its Rising Stars of the Profession Awards Dinner in Chicago in April.
In the meantime, to commemorate this special occasion, let’s hear from our two honorees about what they’re thinking now, how they got where they are today, and what they see for the future of Protiviti. Enjoy!
Q: Congratulations! How does it feel to receive such a major honor?
Ashley: I was extremely honored that Protiviti nominated me for this award, and am blown away that Consulting magazine selected me as an official winner. I appreciate the recognition of my hard work and dedication to my career leading up to this point. More importantly though, this award provides extra motivation for me to continue to work hard to pursue my dreams and achieve great things for Protiviti in the future.
Madhu: I am truly humbled and honored to receive such a recognition. I can honestly say that I love my job – I love what I do, the people I work with, and I’m proud to work for amazing company like Protiviti… so it’s just an added bonus to get this award.
Q: You’re both new parents. How have you been able to focus on both family and career so successfully?
Ashley: I ask myself the same question frequently, especially since we will welcome our second child to our family in late May! Honestly, it’s been trial and error, and good days and bad days. I am extremely fortunate to have my husband, who fully supports my ambitions and desire to have a rewarding and meaningful career. He also works full-time, so we do our best to share the household and childcare duties equally. Some advice my grandmother gave me growing up sticks in my head: “There is a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.” I understand now that these words can be applied to all aspects of my life. I strive to be fully present at work during my time at the office or in the quiet hours of the evening after my family is in bed, which allows me to be fully present and make the most of each moment that I spend with my family during dinnertime and on the weekends.
Madhu: My baby is just three weeks old now so it may be a bit early for me to give advice on this one. I guess it’s still up in the air if I can handle both at the same time!
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Ashley: Early in my career, my manager at the time told me that part of my job was to make sure he was doing his job. Initially, I thought this advice was meant to convince me to do his work for him, but I quickly learned that the more that I can help make someone else successful, the more they will help me be successful as well. I try to apply this advice in dealing with my bosses, my teams, and my clients. My ultimate goal is to help those around me succeed and in turn, they have helped me to reach my goals as well.
Madhu: ”Put people first.” Focus on developing and supporting the individuals in your organization, and everything else will flow from there. You will be able to build a strong team of individuals that will want to work with you and for you if you have been supporting them all along.
Q: How do you picture Protiviti evolving? How will you be a part of that journey?
Ashley: I think we will continue to grow not only in size and market share but also in our capabilities and the delivery of our promises to our people and our clients. I hope to be involved in this evolution through growing our client base, strengthening our practice areas, and developing our people through these formalized programs.
Madhu: Protiviti has always been able to evolve with changing times and technology, so I have no doubt that we will continue to do so, especially because we hire great talent and put the right people in leadership roles throughout the company. Better yet, our people are empowered to make an impact and provide meaningful feedback at all levels, which helps to continuously improve all aspects of the company.
