The courage to guide clients to Be In Front

The world continues to be marked by rapid technological advancements, sustainability challenges and economic volatility.

“Things are changing so fast in a dynamic world. In fact, digitalisation, decarbonisation and decentralisation are fundamentally changing the business and economic environment. Business as usual is no longer an option.”

Such constant change can be daunting, but Sharad consistently demonstrates to clients how to transform challenges into opportunities. “Our role is to help clients tackle these challenges head-on and find pathways to sustainable growth. When we go to the client and help identify the problem statements, we also say, ‘Let's look at it another way: how are we going to convert this into an opportunity for you to grow?” That’s the value the client feels. Converting every challenge into an opportunity for growth is crucial.”

Staying in front of emerging trends is vital. Sharad credits KPMG’s people and global network for the Firm’s ability to remain at the forefront of industry trends, supported by strategic investments of over S$100 million in areas such as artificial intelligence and sustainability.

"We are not one office practice, but are present in 145 countries. The ability to connect with our network and understand what’s happening globally is valued by clients. The second aspect is, of course, our people. We hire many diverse talents across our organisation and each one brings a unique perspective and skill set.”

Sharad adds that it is not enough to have a unique perspective. It is also important to have the courage to present these perspectives to the person in the corner office. “Challenging the client in a constructive fashion requires a bit of courage and being open to challenge as well. We don't claim to always be right, but if we constructively challenge each other, we can come up with a better solution.”

In his long career partnering C-suite executives, Sharad remembers there have been some clients who were more demanding than others.

“The most difficult clients teach you the best, and I have had a few of those in my career! In managing those relationships successfully, you achieve two things: the first is you develop confidence to face any client and situation in the future. The second is, when you deliver on some of those difficult jobs more successfully, you earn their trust and potentially forge life-long friendships.”

For Sharad, one return on courage is an enhanced reputation, which is reinforced through trust and loyalty, especially in difficult times. "Reputation, for me, means to have somebody trust you to be on their side, even if everything goes wrong," he says. He recalls instances when projects didn’t go as planned, but standing by the client and working through challenges together has strengthened relationships and built lasting trust.

This commitment to clients extends beyond technical expertise, Sharad emphasises.