Arpan Goel and Devika Singhal on their new environment at Varrlyn

Shifting from large consulting firms to a boutique presents new opportunities to even the most experienced professionals. Reflecting on their first year with Varrlyn, Arpan Goel and Devika Singhal explain how the company’s entrepreneurial environment and unique culture has helped them to learn and grow.

When asked what they enjoy most about life at Varrlyn, Devika Singhal and Arpan Goel agree one thing comes before everything else. The streamlined approach of a boutique consultancy allows for entrepreneurial agility – but also fosters a strong culture of support.

“I love the sense of community,” Devika explains. “We often meet for lunch, dinners, and fun team events that help build strong connections. There’s a strong culture of support and openness. It’s great to work at a place where everyone is kind and approachable.”

Arpan adds that this approach extends to the way Varrlyn works with its clients, empowering its own people in the process. “I have had the opportunity to engage directly with clients, which not only facilitates the development of deeper, more meaningful relationships but also enables me to exert a greater personal influence on the overall client experience – an opportunity that, in my previous roles at larger firms, was somewhat limited.”

Varrlyn offers a very different environment for Arpan. He previously worked over a dozen years at Luxoft and Big Four consulting firm Deloitte, with a focus on technology consulting and risk. During this time, he gained extensive experience with major financial institutions in diverse capacities.

New job and environment

Adjusting to a smaller, less bureaucratic model of consulting was not the only change Arpan faced when joining Varrlyn, though. He also had to contend with a move across the world – from India to the Netherlands.

While his brother, who had already spent seven years in the Netherlands, was able to help him “acclimate to the new conditions”, however, there were also cultural differences to address – and once again, Varrlyn’s team was critical for that.

“Varrlyn has been exceptionally supportive, assisting me at every step of the relocation process to ensure a smooth transition into life in the Netherlands,” Arpan notes. “Additionally, my client-side team has been incredibly welcoming, guiding me through the various work processes, which enabled me to quickly grasp and adapt to my responsibilities.”

Devika has been on a similar journey – having spent over eight years in the finance sector, with the last five years as a Business Analyst working on Murex implementations for United Overseas Bank in Singapore, where she worked on-site as a consultant, gaining diverse experience across various financial domains.

While she also found adapting to a cooler climate “a challenge”, her 18 months in the Netherlands have been “a great and positive experience” – especially in the eight months she has spent at Varrlyn.

“The team made my transition seamless,” Devika notes. “Colleagues offered consistent support throughout the recruitment and onboarding process. I’ve adapted well to life here, enjoying the work-life balance and the opportunity to explore the Netherlands and neighbouring countries. Varrlyn’s supportive and approachable culture has really helped make my journey feel smooth and welcoming.”

Complex projects in banking

Since arriving, both Arpan and Devika have been working on projects with the country’s largest bank: ING. As ING looks to modernise its technology services, Devika has been serving as a customer journey expert to the business, supporting the bank’s trading risk management within the financial markets division.

“My role involves handling business as usual issues, development requests, and contributing to a larger-scale migration. What excites me most is the collaborative nature of the project and the opportunity to be part of a transformation that bridges business needs with technology.”

Arpan meanwhile is involved in ING’s strategic initiative known as Pricing Architecture, a proprietary framework designed to enhance the bank’s in-house capabilities for trade pricing, sensitivity calculations, and the generation of both end-of-day and intraday value at risk reports.

He expands, “In my capacity as a customer journey expert, I collaborate closely with front office and trade risk management teams to address discrepancies in profit and loss, risk figures, and value at risk computations. Additionally, with the decommissioning of legacy systems underway, my responsibilities extend to ensuring a seamless migration of trade versions and cashflows from existing platforms to the new system, ensuring data integrity and operational continuity.”

Career growth

While both professionals have a wealth of experience to draw on, this work has challenged them to continue learning new skills constantly. After all, moving to Europe means they are operating a new regulatory and cultural environment, with exposure to different systems, tools, and ways of working at Dutch banks.

Speaking to that end, Devika notes, “Every challenge contributes to both my professional growth and personal development. Varrlyn has been instrumental in my integration process, and regular check-ins with the leadership team ensure that I’m not only aligned with my role but also growing within it. The team genuinely takes interest in how things are going, and I always feel comfortable sharing any feedback or raising any questions.”

Arpan has also benefitted from insights from the firm’s leadership team, who ensure that he has “everything” he needs. But that support ranges across all levels of seniority, amid Varrlyn’s non-hierarchical and open company culture. “The full team consistently encourages me to expand my knowledge in new areas of the financial industry, fostering both my professional development and long-term career growth. I am deeply grateful for their unwavering support and guidance.”