TRC Consulting has appointed Shivali Tandon as Director of People and Culture and board member, elevating human capital strategy to executive-level decision-making as the firm positions itself for significant organisational transformation. The appointment signals TRC’s recognition that sustainable growth requires cultural evolution alongside technical expertise.
Tandon brings 15 years of cross-sector experience spanning fintech, FMCG, biotech, IT, and consulting, with demonstrated capability in building scalable HR frameworks and leading high-impact organisational change. Her mandate extends beyond traditional HR functions to encompass strategic workforce planning, leadership pipeline development, and culture transformation across TRC’s operations.
Strategic Context
Established in 1999, TRC Consulting operates as one of North India’s largest business advisory firms, offering services across governance, risk, compliance, taxation, talent management, asset management, and valuations. The firm maintains operations in Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
Ankit Chadha, Managing Director of TRC Consulting, described the firm as reaching an inflection point requiring fundamental shifts in culture, strategy, and stakeholder perception. “It was imperative to have someone at the reins who can drive our vision and mission as their own,” he stated, positioning Tandon’s appointment as central to the transformation agenda rather than peripheral to it.
Professional Trajectory
An alumna of Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies and IIM Lucknow, Tandon began her career as Senior Specialist for Operations at Kassa Finvest in 2010. She progressed through roles at Myra Digital India before spending eight years at Icreon Communications from 2012 to 2021, where she developed expertise in building engagement-driven workplace cultures.
In November 2021, she joined Clensta as Vice President for HR and Organisational Development, before moving to Success Pact Consulting as Vice President for People and Process in October 2024. This progression demonstrates consistent focus on aligning people strategies with business objectives whilst creating workplace cultures rooted in engagement, performance, and inclusion.
Tandon holds globally recognised certifications in diversity, equity and inclusion, prevention of sexual harassment, gender sensitisation, emotional intelligence, and inclusive leadership practices, aligned with SHRM and CPD frameworks.
The Transformation Mandate
Tandon’s responsibilities centre on embedding a people-first philosophy across TRC’s strategic and operational initiatives. Her approach integrates data-driven insights with empathy and systems thinking to enhance workforce productivity, strengthen leadership pipelines, and build adaptive, high-performing culture.
This focus addresses contemporary challenges facing consulting firms, which must attract and retain specialised talent whilst fostering cultures that support continuous learning. As technology eliminates low-value tasks, consultants require new capabilities in data interpretation, strategic recommendation, and complex stakeholder management – creating urgent need for upskilling programmes and adaptive learning cultures.
Tandon articulated her vision for TRC, emphasising sustainable, future-ready cultures grounded in collaboration, trust, and continuous learning. “My focus will be on nurturing a culture where collaboration, trust, and continuous learning become the foundation of how we work and grow together,” she stated.
Industry Implications
The appointment arrives as India’s consulting sector navigates significant transformation. Firms now compete not only with traditional rivals but with technology companies, in-house consulting units, and boutique specialists. Clients increasingly demand consultants with deep sector expertise who can deliver measurable outcomes rather than generic recommendations.
Simultaneously, consultants face elevated expectations around work-life balance, professional development, and company culture. Firms that fail to create compelling employee value propositions struggle to compete for talent in markets where skilled professionals have multiple options.
Research indicates that consulting firms succeed not through heroic individual effort but through effective knowledge sharing, mutual support, and collective capability development. Tandon’s appointment to the board elevates people strategy to executive-level strategic discussion, signalling that TRC views human capital as central to competitive advantage.
Implementation Challenges
Successful culture transformation in consulting firms requires addressing interconnected challenges. Professional services cultures often prioritise billable hours and client delivery over employee development and wellbeing. Shifting this orientation demands visible leadership commitment and revised performance metrics that value sustainable delivery over short-term utilisation.
Geographically distributed teams require deliberate strategies to maintain cultural coherence whilst respecting local differences. With operations spanning multiple cities and international locations, TRC must balance cultural consistency with contextual adaptation.
Additionally, culture change must connect to tangible business outcomes to gain sustained leadership support. Tandon’s emphasis on data-driven insights suggests an approach that measures culture’s impact on productivity, retention, client satisfaction, and innovation.
Looking Forward
As consulting clients increasingly seek partners who understand both technical challenges and human dynamics of change, firms that excel at developing their own people prove better equipped to guide clients through transformation. Tandon’s leadership offers TRC opportunity to differentiate through culture whilst building capability to serve clients navigating their own workforce challenges.
