Interview with Rochelle Coutinho, Senior Project Manager at INVERTO UK

At what stage of your career did you join INVERTO GmbH?

I joined INVERTO GmbH in July 2014 as a Senior Consultant.

Why did you choose a career in consulting?

Consulting is a fast paced environment with a steep learning curve. I like the buzz of working in this environment, across different projects and industries. Consulting is a profession which gives an opportunity to work on projects to make a real difference to the clients bottom-line. No one day is the same as the other and you are given responsibility right from day one to contribute to success and I really enjoy this aspect of my job.

It’s Monday morning and the start a new project day. How do you start an average week?

The week commences with understanding the initiatives assigned to me on the project and the key objectives of each of these initiatives. We discuss all initiatives within the team, the key success target and outline next steps for the project kick-off. Relevant meetings are set up with key stakeholders and presentations are prepared to define objectives, next steps and timeline to complete the project. Planning and preparation is the key to our profession and a big factor when it comes to success.

How did you find settling in and the communication with your new colleagues when you joined?

INVERTO has a friendly environment with a lot of talented people always willing to help. I found it very easy to settle as I was made to feel very welcome and immediately a part of an integral team. INVERTO is a place where you can just pick up the phone and talk to a colleague when you need help or guidance and help is guaranteed.

What are you doing in your current project?

I am currently working on an international project for a leading vending machine client in Europe to help them to reduce and to optimize their indirect spend. The client has various locations within Europe and hence involves a lot of travelling. Furthermore I also have an opportunity to work with stakeholders in different regions and be a key link in the project bringing different regions together.

How international is your role as a consultant at this international consultancy and what is that like for you?

My role is very international as I work with stakeholders in different countries. I find this aspect of my job very exciting as I get to travel to places, learn about new cultures whilst maintaining my project focus.

What has been your biggest success at INVERTO (so far)?

My success has been delivering the objectives set in a timely manner and contributing to the overall success of the projects. Our projects have made a real difference to the clients bottom-line and optimized their cost structures. I have also been successful in integrating non-procurement departments with their internal procurement function making this a sustainable solution for better procurement in the future. Working on various projects has helped me to develop myself as a professional consultant and to progress within INVERTO.

And what was the biggest challenge?

It can be challenging sometimes to work with some stakeholders who have been with the company over a number of years and are not willing to change the way they do things. Nevertheless this can be dealt through understanding their need, the reason for resistance and working on this through client engagement and regular communications. Achieving immediate results also helps to build momentum and trust with the client which further eliminates pushback from such stakeholders.

Think back to when you joined INVERTO and compare that to your current situation. In hindsight, what has been the biggest surprise?

My biggest surprise was getting responsibility at an early stage in my career and having the opportunity to design my own path to fulfil my responsibility in a successful manner.