It is more than 10 years ago that Avi joined Boyd & Moore Executive Search (BMES). Back then he worked as a Researcher in the Pune office, India.

“10 other people started with me the same day. We were told that most of us weren’t expected to show up again the next day (laughs). The hours were quite tough since work started at 5:30 in the morning. We supported consultants in the Tokyo office with market data and research, so the office ran on Japan time.

For me this arrangement was perfect though. I was in the middle of an MBA program and needed the time in the afternoon to attend courses.”

Before Avi entered the consulting world he was a software engineer writing code for big companies in India and Ireland.

“I’ve always been interested in technology. I still am. But writing code 9 hours a day wasn’t really what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I couldn’t see myself growing and I started to realize that I’d rather work with people than staring at a screen all day long.

That’s why I decided to go to school again. I enrolled for an MBA in International Business & Relationships since I was eager to learn more about communication, business development and market dynamics around the globe.”

It had never been Avi’s plan to work at the side while studying but when a friend introduced him to BMES the chance was too good to let go.

“I didn’t know much about recruiting. The only thing I had heard was that it was a sales-driven job which was exactly what I needed more experience in if I wanted to build a career in international business development. In addition, BMES was a Japanese company and Japan always represented high quality for me. So, I decided to give it a shot and applied.”

Although going to work very early in the morning and attending courses in the afternoon was quite exhausting, joining BMES turned out to be the best decision Avi could have made.

“First of all, I got the opportunity to apply the things that I had learned in theory in class the next day at BMES in practice. For example, I wrote my MBA thesis about 6 Sigma while implementing some of the principles in the company.

Secondly, it was a big learning experience. We received language and culture training to be able to communicate better with candidates in Japan. Also, I learned more about technology and its different applications at BMES than during my time as an actual engineer.

Last but not least, I could make a big impact on the young business. When I first joined BMES the India office was still very small. We were around 25 people and there weren’t many processes in place. We were pretty much flying by the seat of our pants which wasn’t always the best approach, especially not for the Consultants in Japan who relied on us to identify and engage the right candidates.

One major change I was able to make was taking over roles Consultants in Japan couldn’t work on because the positions were either too difficult to fill or not senior enough. I suggested to the Consultant I was working with that I would find and prepare candidates if he would be willing to submit them to the client. What started out as an experiment grew into a new responsibility for me quickly and led eventually to me going to Japan.

First, I only went for 1 months of training to learn how the Tokyo office worked, meet face-to-face with clients and candidates and bring back new knowledge to India to improve our own processes. I felt like a pioneer. The more we were able to provide value to the Consultants in Japan the more the Japan Management trusted us with bigger tasks and gave us the freedom to run parts of the business independently.”

The excitement of being able to bring change to the organization as well as the prospect of going to Japan, convinced Avi to stay at BMES even after finishing his MBA.

“Before me there were 3 other Indian consultants who were given the opportunity to transfer to Japan. This was eye-opening for me. I realized that I would be able to go to Tokyo if I’d just work hard enough. Compared to the company I had worked in as an engineer the career chances and the speed in which I could reach my goals were so much better at BMES.”

In 2013, Avi transferred to the Tokyo office. After only 2 months in the new city he made his first placement – the start of an uninterrupted line of success.

“I don’t want to brag (laughs) but already after my first year here in Japan I got promoted to Senior Consultant. 12 months later I became AVP and last year I got the VP title. And, finally this year I joined the Directors’ board. Since 2013 I have been top biller of the year. That’s why they call me ‘Mr. Consistency’.”

Seeing his name on top of the board makes Avi proud but there’s something even more important.

“For me being a team leader is the most rewarding part of my work.

Being a biller is easy. It’s all about you – your successes, your failures. You benefit from your own hard work. But that’s it.

As a Director you have to take care of others. It’s not about you anymore. It’s about them. You have to think outside of the box to help everybody succeed. Supporting other people, especially Junior Consultants, to get on track and make placements is so much more fun than being an individual contributor.”

Even after 10 years of success and numerous promotions Avi hasn’t lost his appetite for change and growth.

“Our business is all about trust so delivering results consistently is the best way to establish yourself in the market. I want to strengthen my reputation even further by providing value to candidates and clients in the tech area. And, of course, to the company as a whole and my team in particular. I am eager to take on more responsibility and help BMES grow even further.

I really think it’s a great time to join BMES. We have expanded to a considerable size with more than 150 people in offices across Asia, but we still haven’t lost our startup vibe. People who are motivated to drive results will find the freedom and the support to succeed here at BMES.”

Avi and all the other team leaders at BMES are always looking for entrepreneurs and team players who are excited about connecting innovative companies with exceptional talent. If that sounds like you, check out our open positions!