Kaushika Madhavan new India Managing Partner of Kearney

Kaushika Madhavan has taken over from Vikas Kaushal as the Managing Partner and India Country Head for global management consultancy Kearney, effective from the start of this year. Madhavan is tasked with leading the firm's local business strategy and managing internal operations.

Madhavan brings a wealth of professional experience to the top role, including extensive experience in the advisory sector. A graduate from the Indian institute of Management Ahmedabad, he began his career as an Engineer at Larsen & Toubro, where he worked for three years before entering the world of consulting.

He worked at Arthur Andersen Business Consulting for three years, making his way up to the position of Senior Consultant, before moving on to the position of Associate Director at Big Four accounting and advisory firm KPMG. He joined Kearney (then A.T. Kearney) in 2006 after four years at KPMG, and has remained at the firm ever since.

Madhavan’s work has spanned a number of sectors, although the bulk of his experience focuses on supporting clients in the consumer & retail industry execute large scale transformations designed to improve sales, margins, and customer service.

His familiarity with the consumer & retail sector is of particular value, given the extravagant forecasts for growth in India’s consumer market over the next decade. Madhavan will look to ensure that Kearney establishes a strong foothold as a trusted partner as businesses attempt to meet burgeoning demand. 

For Kearney, Madhavan’s appointment follows from a period of flux at the firm, across its India and international operations. The firm rebranded from A.T. Kearney to Kearney just earlier this year, signalling a move into the future. In his new role, Madhavan’s regional cooperation efforts will involve interaction with Kearney’s new Head of the Asia Pacific Region Arjun Sethi, who took up the role early this year.

Commenting on Madhavan’s appointment, Global Managing Partner and Chairman at Kearney Alex Liu echoed the sentiments of many other global consulting firms in highlighting the importance of India as a market, and consequently the importance of having strong leadership in the country.

“The India unit has been a key part of Kearney’s success story and I am confident it will continue to deliver against our high expectations going forward. Kaushika’s proven credentials in delivering breakthrough transformations for clients fit perfectly for the Kearney’s next phase of growth in India,” said Liu.

Madhavan himself added, “I am very excited to take on this role. Kearney India has a strong client base and a solid reputation of delivering tangible results. This gives us the right foundation to launch into our next phase of growth in India.”