The L.E.K. Capability Network (“LCN”) is a team of analysts based in Mumbai and Delhi, who provide high-quality consulting services to our partners and case teams around the world. Ramya Srinivasan joined as an Analyst in October 2021 and as one of the first members, gives us insight into life as an LCN team member.
What is your career background and what brought you to L.E.K.?
I received my Bachelor of Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, and along with that, pursued CIMA (The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), which is a UK-based Management Accounting course, with exams that are case study based. These exams interested me and helped me realize I wanted to find a role that would allow me to work in strategy/management, which requires problem-solving and critical reasoning. My brother also encouraged me to get into consulting and gave insights into the industry which helped me realize I wanted to start a career in this field. I started working as part of research team at another consulting firm in 2019 and was later approached by L.E.K. to join the LCN in 2021. Working in a capabilities center combined my interests of research and case strategy so it seemed like the perfect fit for me.
What does your day typically involve?
One thing I’ve realized is every day is dynamic and different as there are always different projects and priorities. The basic structure of the day is that we catch up with the case manager or consultant first thing in the morning (their log-off time) and go over what is happening in their case and what needs to get done during our day. There is a lot of collaboration within the case team, and we conduct brain-storming sessions and bounce ideas off each other; for example, figuring out the best way to go about cutting a survey. Additionally, it helps that we have a flat hierarchy within the LCN, and whether you are an analyst or a manager, we all learn from and assist one another if needed during the day, when the case team is offline. At the end of the day, we connect with the consultant for an update and then log off. There is a lot of flexibility, and we connect with other analysts throughout the day for discussions to keep up momentum. I personally have become somewhat of a ‘survey expert’ because I have worked on multiple cases where I have supported survey workstreams. I have even had the chance to lead survey modules on projects. When I’m not working, I enjoy playing Badminton and spending time in bookstores/libraries. I’m also interested in theatre and was a part of the theater and choir groups when I was in school.
What is the LCN culture like?
Professionally, we have a great collaborative culture with a lot of different backgrounds and expertise. We also have a lot of avenues to get to know each other outside of work, whether it’s through a happy hour, office party, or coffee catch-up. We have our own LCN events and are also a part of the broader L.E.K. group and enjoy interacting with all our colleagues.
How do you see your career evolving and growing with L.E.K.?
There are a lot of growth options within and outside of the LCN. Someone starting out as an LCN analyst can move on to be a senior analyst and later a team manager. There is also a career path into the broader L.E.K. consulting where I could apply to be a consultant at any of L.E.K.’s global offices based on my experience and eligibility. I personally would like to eventually get into social impact consulting, or anything related to a public sector or social space, post my Masters. A great thing about the LCN is that even though we are scaling, we remain a relatively tight-knit team with a lot of growth and leadership opportunities for everyone in the team.