Accenture's Ami Palan On The Art Of The Consulting Business

Ami Palan leads Accenture's sales and service business with a guiding philosophy of tenacity and the art of effective silence.

Jewelry throughout by Smythe & Cross, smytheandcross.com; hair by Christophe Saluzzo, makeup by Johny Saade, @chrisohny_mgmt.

Consultants, by nature, want to be the smartest people in the room. It’s in their job description. Sometimes that room can get pretty noisy.

That’s when longtime consultant Ami Palan likes to employ a simple philosophy, especially when solving issues for clients. “One of my favorite quotes is from Gandhi, who said to speak only if it improves upon the silence. Over the course of my career, I’ve learned to be more patient and calmer. It’s not the loudest idea that wins. It’s really about the collaboration of different ideas and innovations coming together,” says Palan, who is the head of North American sales and service business for Accenture (accenture.com). She’s worked at the mega consulting firm, which has more than 700,000 employees, for nearly 22 years.

Palan says her decision to become a consultant derived from a love of problem-solving and travel. When she was a child and traveling with her parents, she would pretend to be Barbara Walters. Faux microphone in hand, Palan would announce to the world, or her immediate family, “This is Ami Palan coming to you from…”

Palan laughs as she recounts the memory. “Walters was such a trailblazer. I wanted to be able to share with people what I was experiencing in a particular place. The way she came across was so incredibly inspiring. She also represented how I’ve tried to live my life. Take risks, make mistakes and be tenacious. Go after what you believe in,” says Palan, who grew up in Chicago and earned her MBA at the University of Chicago.

In between meetings and travel (she’s on the road up to 10 days a month), the busy Bay Area business leader sat down to discuss everything from how she helps some of the world’s biggest tech companies to books she’s forever recommending.

It feels like every person and brand has an interesting origin story these days. What’s yours?

My parents immigrated to the United States from India. They took a massive leap of faith not really knowing anyone here. They went to school here and both received their master’s degrees. The risk they took—and how hard they worked—showed me that life always presents challenges, and it’s our job to solve them. I apply this notion to my consulting career. I really do wholeheartedly believe there’s always a way, and it may not be what you plan or what you expect. It may not be what your clients are expecting, but there’s a way to reach the goals and the outcomes. That’s just the mindset that I operate within. And maybe that also led to my career choice as well.

I love that you chose a career where you’re presented with these really challenging problems daily.

Right. It’s a new situation all the time. And you may not be the expert, but you’re forced to find the network of experts to learn, quickly piece things together and present something that’s going to make an impact.

You’re always in the hot seat with clients to find solutions, yes?

All the time. One of the best pieces of career advice I ever received was to get comfortable being uncomfortable. In my business, you’re naturally uncomfortable every single day, because you’re taking on some new issue to solve.

I know you can’t talk about which Bay Area clients you help, but can you share how you’re helping them these days?

They’re among the biggest tech companies in the world. We help them deliver a better front-office experience for their customers and their employees. We also help companies provide a personal touch to customers through multichannels to complete transactions quickly.

How does this mission help you evolve professionally?

It’s important for me—and for all of us—to stay intellectually curious. There are so many hot topics in the industry right now, from the metaverse to AI to virtual reality. My job is to understand how those concepts can apply to what our clients are trying to achieve. I have to stay on top of these technologies, remain curious and learn. I also strive, more than ever before, to ensure that the work I’m doing continues to have a meaningful purpose—and really make a positive impact in the world. That’s why I’m interested in sustainability, inclusion, diversity and community.

Those are also important factors for the customers you help these days, right?

For sure. What we’re seeing all of our clients do is really make a significant effort in those areas, from community to the environment. I think these factors have truly become top of mind for a lot of the clients that I serve. Whether it’s product fulfillment or product innovation, they want to work in a more sustainable way that has a positive impact on our communities. It’s become top of mind for everyone we work with, and it’s actually a huge conversation-starter with clients as we discuss how they evolve to the next level.

I hear you’re also a fan of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. How did she influence you?

I loved something she was famous for saying, which was to fight for things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. To me, that embodies the essence of what it takes to be a good leader, female or male. The point is bringing people along with you, and you do that by showing compassion. Also, it’s important to care about what matters to the people on your team. This entire philosophy is so applicable to all of us, and it’s important to everything we do in my organization.

Speaking of compassion, I know you’ve been a longtime supporter of Dress for Success (dressforsuccess.org), which empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support and professional attire.

I’ve been involved with Dress for Success for the past 15 years. It started very simply, as I donated clothes for women entering the workforce. But about three years ago, I got more involved and led a local fundraiser for the San Francisco affiliate. All of the proceeds went to supporting women as they built their tech skills and other essential skills needed to enter the job market.

Two years ago, I joined the San Francisco board of directors for the organization. My goal has been to apply my consulting skills to support our Dress for Success clients. It’s very similar to what I do at Accenture, as I try to figure out solutions to give clients an optimal experience.

I think the biggest learning factor for me is the important role that each of us plays in building a thriving community. It has helped create for me a sense of awareness that everything we do to help is significant—as we contribute to a greater good. Another Gandhi quote I love: Be the change you want to see in the world.

Always being curious, always learning are obviously part of your worldview. What books are you forever recommending to friends?

There are so many! The Second Mountain by David Brooks, The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger, The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, Open by Andre Agassi and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari.