Big business
High flying business consultant Ravi Sibal works with the world’s largest companies to streamline and improve their business processes. At 38, the roster of multinational corporations to have benefitted from Ravi’s expertise includes Shell, BG Group, BP, Volkswagen Group and Siemens, to name just a few. He now works for the world’s largest software and services organisation, IBM, in the role of Transformation Director / Programme Manager, where he has been for the past five years.
His rise to the top levels of big business had humble beginnings, however, with the 18-year-old Ravi starting at Staffordshire University in 1997. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do at that time,” he said. “I did business studies at A Level so it was a natural choice for me to follow that on at university. I came to Staffs through Clearing as I had a couple of friends there, I’d heard good things about the business school, and I’m from the Wirral so it was close to home.”
Career beginnings
It was during his time at Staffordshire University that Ravi got his first taste of real world business experience. “I did a placement year during my Business Studies degree at Premier Brands, who produce Typhoo Tea. That came about because I had a summer job packing tea boxes and I approached the management about improving their processes and got the management job. I’ve always been interested in operations management and strategy; I’m very much a strategist. After graduating in 2000, I landed a dream job at Bentley, where I started as a temp in the logistics department.”
Ravi spent five years rising through the ranks at Bentley Motors, which included leading a project with VW Special Vehicles, Audi Quattro, Bugatti and Lamborghini. It was the automotive company’s luxury cars where he made an impact, developing and introducing new manufacturing procedures and processes better suited to the lower volume production within these divisions. This streamlined production process is still used today.
Then Ravi joined PA Consulting, looking at the manufacturing processes in other automotive makers, before diversifying. “At that point, I wanted to get into different areas, so I started working with public sector, defence and financial services clients, to build up a repertoire.” This decision to branch out gave Ravi the opportunity to join Capital One Bank, then business process outsourcing company Capita and eventually IBM in 2011. Here he has helped the world’s largest oil firms improve their IT strategy, frequently travelling between his home in the Wirral to London, Europe, America and Australia.
Forward thinking
“In today’s world, I think it’s very important to reinvent yourself during your career,” Ravi explained. “I’ve gone from a very business focussed environment to very strategic IT focussed and, for me personally, I’m always thinking about what the next step is. I believe you shouldn’t let your past experiences restrict your future direction.”
For those interested in following Ravi’s footsteps, he has the following advice: “In my role at IBM, we’re always looking at recruitment, but this isn’t for traditional jobs in HR, for example. We’re looking for technical skills, sales ability and, of course, a degree is a prerequisite. I’m recruiting consultants that can go out and work with a wide-range of clients – so experience is essential.”
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