Two Cognizant associates, Ardhendu S. Acharya and Neha Banerjee, have been named Consulting Magazine’s 2019 Rising Stars of the Profession – Consulting’s 35 under the age of 35.

Those included on the list are “recognized for excellence in Leadership” and “All 35 professionals included on the list have distinguished themselves in the profession through extraordinary achievements.”

Chosen for excellence in financial services, Acharya attributes his success to his focus on clients, results-oriented approach to his work, desire to continuously learn, ability to motivate his peers, and the consistent support and inspiration he gets from practice leadership in any given engagement. “The diverse and dynamic nature of consulting brings with it a degree of ambiguity,” Acharya says. “The excitement and satisfaction of applying original ‘first principles’ thinking to build and deliver well-grounded, actionable solutions to solve new problems has always appealed to me the most.”

Recognized in the category of Client Service, Banerjee is passionate about using technology to fundamentally transform the way companies operate. She is particularly excited by the potential of recent digital advances such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. She says, “As new technologies shift the expectations of consumers and businesses, we as consultants are presented with an opportunity to drive unforeseen value for our clients. I’m excited to be a part of these changes.” She also hopes to use her achievements to inspire other women interested in consulting and technology by working with organizations such as Cognizant’s Women Empowered group.

“The editorial selection committee was blown away by the quality of candidates from the nearly 300 nominations we received. It’s amazing what this generation of consultants is able to bring to the table and for the profession – they are redefining what it means to be a consultant right before our eyes,” said Joe Kornik, Consulting magazines Editor-in-Chief. “These 35 Rising Stars are already making a huge impact on their firms, clients and the entire profession and the future of consulting is in great hands.”

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