Abhisek Sahu and Bhavesh Karnani on their kickstart at Varrlyn

Abhisek Sahu and Bhavesh Karnani joined Varrlyn in the spring of 2024. Reflecting on their first six months with the firm, they tell Consultancy Europe about their work as consultants on strategic projects with an international bank.

Over the course of a decade in consulting, Abhisek Sahu has spent time with Tata Consultancy Services and IBM in India. But when the opportunity came to relocate to a role in Europe, working with some of the continent’s largest financial institutions, he couldn’t pass it up.

Sahu says, “The experience has been incredible so far, and I can clearly feel a significant change in the work environment compared to my previous one. Here in the Netherlands, there’s a strong emphasis on work-life balance, rather than just focusing on work. The managers and colleagues are very supportive, always available to guide you in both personal and professional matters. I'm truly enjoying my time here.”

Following a similar trajectory, Bhavesh Karnani had worked for more than 10 years with Quinnox, Capgemini, Deloitte and Calypso Consulting in India and Singapore, before Varrlyn came onto his stage. In the months since, he has also enjoyed “largely positive change” relating to his new working environment. “That includes great support from Varrlyn and a healthy work life balance.”

“Having worked for one of the major Dutch banks previously from offshore, the transition was relatively smoother. Adding to that, Varrlyn’s smooth onboarding process, helpful nature of the fellow colleagues, made the transition even better.”

Key projects in banking

Since arriving at Varrlyn, both Sahu and Karnani have been tapped for strategic projects with the same client. Together, the Varrlyn team supports major transformation projects from complex product migrations to integrations between multiple systems.

At present, Sahu is working as a senior data engineer with the Asset and Liability Management (ALM) team, with additional responsibilities in DevOps. His primary focus is on data migrations to the Azure cloud, designing and implementing data pipelines, and guiding the team through the complex process of migrating data from legacy systems to the cloud.

Karnani meanwhile is primarily working as a DevOps engineer for Calypso, one of the major treasury back office applications at the client. The product portfolios span across foreign exchange, derivatives, money market asset classes, making for an exciting “360 degree role”, requiring him to work on development, functional and technical support initiatives.

“My role permits me to leverage my expertise in Calypso and at the same time also provides me a great opportunity to build on that. This is considering we are working on a major upgrade to the latest version of the application. At the same time, the complexity involved with the project, with regards to project planning, strategies, prioritisation and cut-throat timelines for delivery, enables us to think out of the box, which is both interesting and challenging.”

“I'm absolutely loving my work right now,” Sahu adds, “There’s so much to learn, and the atmosphere is perfect for growth. With numerous learning platforms and constant knowledge-sharing sessions, it's an incredible environment to expand my skills and thrive in the field. Every day feels like an opportunity to grow and achieve more!”

Settling in

Not everything has been easy for the two professionals, however. Transitioning between the working cultures of Asia and the Netherlands has thrown up several surprises – for better and for worse.

While Sahu notes being delighted by “the level of support and enthusiasm” he’s experienced, or how it is always possible to “share ideas or discuss something with leadership”, Karnani adds that there is also an unexpected “bluntness in communication at the workplace” which is rooted in the Dutch culture. While this has “helped me sharpen my communication skills”, it has still taken him some time getting used to, he admitted.

Luckily, Varrlyn has worked hard to help both its newest members settle into life in the Netherlands, in the office and beyond. Karmani notes that the consulting firm organises periodic lunches and events to help staff stay in touch with each other, or to highlight any issues they are facing at the client's workplace. But beyond that, they even supported him with all the formalities of his move.

He continues, “It was quite a challenging move for me in particular, having to relocate from Singapore, which is not my home country. Varrlyn were accommodating with regards to requests regarding adjustments in joining dates, helping with the visa process in Singapore, providing insights with regards to finding a home here in the Netherlands, the registration with the municipalities here, and so on. It was very re-assuring, considering this is my first move to Europe.”

As for Sahu, he says that he is “proud to be part of Varrlyn for life” because of “the incredible opportunities” it has provided him with. Elaborating on the “life-changing” few months, he notes that “every step of the way, Varrlyn has been there for me.”

Sahu concludes, “In just six months, my life has transformed completely – both personally and professionally. Varrlyn has taken care of everything, from securing my visa and handling relocation to helping me find a place to live over these past six months. I’m beyond grateful and will forever cherish what Varrlyn has done for me.”