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Sarwjit Sambhi |
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Managing Director |
Today
Developing the world’s largest offshore wind farms in the North East of England, managing an array of gas fired power stations and trading assets to maximize the return on a £2B investment — as Managing Director of the Power Business Unit at Centrica, Sarwjit Sambhi seamlessly handles a variety of initiatives critical to the growth of the leading supplier of gas and electricity in the UK. With responsibility for the UK generation fleet, new construction projects, trading and business development across both thermal and renewable power, Sarwjit is particularly proud of his contributions to UK wind farm development because Centrica is the main contractor and therefore responsible for the risk management of the entire build programme. This implies a whole new set of challenges to the organisation while positioning its operations as the best practice in a highly competitive industry. As if this isn’t achievement enough, Sarwjit has also found the time and focus to run not just one but four marathons—and a triathlon. He is also a keen water skier and it is currently learning to play golf.
At Booz & Company & Before
After graduating in Engineering from Cambridge University, Sarwjit worked in East Africa on a World Bank project to rehabilitate the power system in that region. In 1994, he joined the London office as a Consultant and shortly thereafter aligned to the Energy practice. His first energy assignment—a privatisation project took him to the Middle East and a 1-year-old Booz & Company office in Abu Dhabi. After that and back in the UK, he worked extensively for UK utilities on strategy assignments. In the Netherlands, he first worked on shaping the structure of the electricity industry post-liberalisation, and then in 1997 moved away temporarily from utilities to join his first Shell assignment. With Shell, Sarwjit worked on a range of restructuring and strategy projects across Europe, Malaysia, Brazil and Nigeria. Back in the Netherlands and the utilities sector, Sarwjit started to develop a client base that he expanded during the remaining years of his tenure with Booz Company until he joined Centrica in 2001.
Do you feel that Booz & Company gave you a strong foundation for your current work?
Yes, the experience at Booz & Company gave me three key skills that I apply every day. The first is how to think through issues clearly and logically. In the industrial and commercial world, you become a more efficient and better leader when you can identify and stick to priorities. The second is how to analyze problems. Thinking analytically and applying useful frameworks to the many issues that pop up on your desk enables you to come up with robust answers. And the third is around performance management. At Booz & Company, being an individual contributor doesn’t get you very far. It’s all about how to get the team engaged with the client, how to motivate them to excel and succeed. Instilling a culture where frequent and constructive feedback is something natural—this is a very powerful tool, for both consulting teams and organisations of a much larger scale.
What were the challenges you encountered as you moved from Booz & Company to industry?
Engaging and leading a very diverse organization, and therefore having to develop a range of leadership approaches to get the workforce behind you (at Booz & Company, there is more homogeneity in terms of skills, profile, background and personality). Learning to be patient, because it takes longer to see change happening. Having an absolute feeling of accountability, as you move from advising to being responsible for the execution.
Would you say there’s a particular consulting style at Booz & Company?
I think so. A key differentiator and part of our value proposition to clients is our pragmatic approach. We are not theorists—our recommendations are tangible and practical—and I think clients really appreciate that. In fact, Booz & Company pioneered the collaborative approach and introduced the first integrated client/consulting teams.
Would you recommend working at Booz & Company?
If you aspire to move to industry eventually, the expansive set of skills that Booz & Company gives you is extremely valuable.
Any favorite Booz & Company moment you’d like to share?
Too many to mention . The experience of working in different cultures ranging from Rio de Janeiro to Borneo have left me with many special memories of my time at Booz & Company.
Any advice for people just starting their careers with the firm?
Learn the consulting craft and apply it to as many situations in a way that you and your client can make a difference by getting as close as possible to results.