An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Continuous learning: I embraced a philosophy of lifelong learning, encouraging my team to remain curious and informed, which has been essential in navigating an ever-changing landscape.
This series aims to discuss the experiences and lessons learned by top executives over the past year, and how these insights are shaping the landscape for change and innovation in 2024. The past year has been a time of unprecedented challenges and opportunities, requiring adaptive leadership and innovative strategies. We believe that sharing these experiences can inspire and guide others in their endeavors to drive positive change in their organizations and industries. I had the pleasure of interviewing Kumar Parakala, President, GHD Digital.
Kumar Parakala is an accomplished business leader and entrepreneur, currently serving as the President of GHD Digital. Recognized worldwide for his digital disruption and transformation expertise, Kumar led the creation of GHD Digital in 2018, that has quickly risen to a prominent leader in the $200 billion global AEC industry, operating across nine countries and 86 offices. A USA Today best-selling author recognized for entrepreneurial leadership, Kumar has been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Economist, the Australian, Financial Times, the Economic Times, CNN, Channel 9, ABC and CNBC. His thought leadership resonated with leaders in more than 70 countries. He was named in the top 50 most influential technology leaders, 2016 Digital Disruptor of the Year, and 2021 CQ University Alumnus of the Year.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you share a little about your background and what pivotal moments led you to your current position as an executive?
I was born in a quaint village in South India. My father was a trailblazer as the first in our lineage to earn a university degree and become a civil engineer, so we moved regularly from town to town as I grew up.
Moving to Australia in the early 1990s to pursue higher education was a pivotal moment that laid the foundation for a career marked by innovation and leadership. I launched my first entrepreneurial venture at 23, focused on delivering training and consulting services to large companies in Central Queensland. In parallel, my two master’s degrees laid the foundation for a remarkable career in technology and innovation, propelling me to become the youngest CIO for the Queensland Government.
Subsequently, my professional journey unfolded with a remarkable 15-year stint at KPMG. As a founding member of their esteemed $2 billion technology advisory division, I garnered invaluable experience. My tenure included pivotal roles such as Global Chief Operating Officer, EMEA Managing Partner, and eventually Managing Partner-Digital Consulting.
In 2015, I formed Technova, a digital consulting startup. In 2017, it was acquired by GHD. I was given the opportunity to spearhead GHD Digital, a “start-up in a big firm.” This quickly garnered acclaim as a leader in digital transformation within the $200 billion global AEC industry. It has a presence across nine countries and operates from 86 offices worldwide. I am a music enthusiast and live in San Antonio, Texas.
As I reflect on my journey so far, I am fueled by a relentless passion for innovation and a commitment to driving impactful change. I believe in the power of collaboration, the importance of pushing boundaries, and the value of harnessing technology for transformative purposes. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and am eager to continue shaping the future of digital transformation on a global scale. My story is a testament to the fact that with conviction, hard work, and a clear vision combined with higher purpose, one can overcome any obstacle and achieve success.
What were the early challenges you faced in your career, and how did they shape your approach to leadership?
Embarking on an unorthodox path, I encountered early career hurdles such as facing rejections based on ethnicity, cultural differences, or other subjective reasons. Rather than succumbing to despair, I perceived these setbacks as invaluable learning experiences that fueled my growth. Despite facing numerous failures, I persisted, learning from each setback and emerging stronger with each attempt. This resilient mindset paved the way for a deeply gratifying career.
Reflecting on the past three decades, a compelling correlation emerges — those who dared to embrace risks ascended to leadership roles within large organizations. Their willingness to venture into uncharted territory directly correlated with their ultimate success. Admittedly, setbacks were inevitable along the way, intricately woven into the fabric of their personal narratives.
My own journey has been dotted with setbacks; however, the overarching lesson rings true — the bolder the risks taken, the more substantial the rewards reaped. These rewards transcend mere professional achievements, extending to the realm of influence and impact on the world around me.
We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
I tend not to use the word mistakes, instead I use the word learnings. Failure and success are intertwined. Personally, I encounter failures regularly, but instead of dwelling on them, I learn and adapt.
A position of influence may draw people to you, but it doesn’t guarantee the formation of enduring relationships. When I left KPMG I learned that many high-profile connections were tied to my role rather than to me as an individual. I realized that many of those I considered friends were really business acquaintances. This revelation helped me to build a solid network with a much tighter group of people who have become lifelong friends.
The extensive hours dedicated to our professions mean that work-life integration is inevitable — I chose this path for a greater purpose, and in doing so, my professional and personal lives have become somewhat intertwined. Most of us spend more hours with our work colleagues than with our own families. The pandemic highlighted how our professional lives can significantly affect not just ourselves but our loved ones as well.
As an executive, how do you define success, both personally and for your organization?
Personal success to me is not about money or assets, it’s about fulfilling a higher purpose where I can impact positively the lives of the people around me, in my organization and in the communities that I’m part of. Organizational success is also about that purpose.
GHD Digital serves as a pivotal force for innovation within GHD and its clientele. Renowned as frontrunners in the industry, we consistently achieve significant outcomes that benefit clients, employees, investors, partners, and other stakeholders. Our success is distinctly measurable, allowing us to quantify our achievements. I consider myself fortunate to have collaborated with exceptional teams where our collective achievements frequently lead to individual success.
Reflecting on 2023, what was the most unexpected challenge you faced, and how did you navigate it?
The year 2023 was marked by geopolitical tensions, economic instability, ongoing COVID-19 challenges, and digital disruption — especially AI. These factors prompted a widespread re-evaluation of work and organizational structures — a shift felt by myself and leaders globally. In the face of such convergence, clear answers are elusive, necessitating adaptive thinking for an ever-evolving and uncertain future.
To navigate these challenges, collaboration and co-creation are the keys. We must join forces with those who grasp the complexities, and work together to innovate solutions. In GHD Digital, we’ve adapted the way we work to continue operating amidst disruptive forces. As a result, we’ve strengthened our organization, fostering closer ties with our team, sharing our strategic vision more broadly, yet maintaining agility in our planning. This approach is crucial in today’s unpredictable landscape.
What was a significant risk you took this year, and how did it turn out?
Five years ago, we took a significant risk by launching a digital transformation business in the AEC industry, which continues to remain focused on operational efficiencies. We chose to innovate and confront the risks and opportunities of digital disruption directly. Our efforts over the past three years have set us apart — we’ve embraced technologies like advanced analytics, AI, robotic process automation, mixed reality and cybersecurity. We also enhanced our products and platforms play. We’ve seen our bold investments in innovation and digital transformation yield an industry-leading status. Our current position as a frontrunner is a direct result of the risks we embraced and the proactive investments we made at a time when others were cautious or for them innovation was not a priority.
How has your company’s mission or purpose affected its overall success? Can you explain the methods or metrics you use to evaluate the impact of this purpose-driven strategy on your organization?
GHD’s purpose is to connect and support communities around the world, building resiliency and sustainability for generations to come. In each of these areas, we have achieved measurable success — whether it’s through our focus on the wellbeing of our people, job satisfaction, shareholder return, or positive impact through our work at the GHD foundation. It’s our commitment to this purpose that helped us continue be successful for more than 95 years. More recently our investment in GHD Digital has helped drive the industry thinking about innovation and digital transformation, enabling us to serve our clients, people and communities.
Have you ever faced a situation where your commitment to your purpose and creating a positive social impact clashed with the profitability in your business? Have you ever been challenged by anyone on your team or have to make a tough decision that had a significant impact on finances? If so, how did you address and reconcile this conflict?
During the onset of the Covid crisis, many professional services firms responded with panic, resorting to downsizing as work came to a sudden halt. However, our enterprise chose a different path. We steadfastly refused to downsize, opting instead to vigilantly monitor the situation and implement measures to safeguard our employees. Through increased engagement with our staff to ensure their well-being, we exemplified leadership dedicated to a higher purpose that benefits both our people and our business.
Another notable example was the inception of GHD Digital, a testament to our commitment to making a positive impact. Despite the initial challenges it posed to our profitability, our investment in this new venture has since positioned us as a highly esteemed industry leader, benefiting our clients, employees, and communities alike.
Could you list the top five things you’ve learned in 2023, with specific examples of how these lessons impacted your decisions or strategies?
- Adaptability in disruption: Recognizing the convergence of disruptive forces, I shifted from long-term planning to a more agile approach, allowing for rapid adaptation to new challenges.
- Valuing people: Understanding that people are the organization’s greatest asset, I implemented programs to enhance employee wellbeing, which in turn fostered a more dedicated workforce.
- Embracing technology: Acknowledging technology as a major disruptor, I took a hands-on role in tech initiatives, ensuring our leadership was directly involved in driving innovation.
- Prioritizing mental health: Post-pandemic, I emphasized mental health and wellbeing within our organization, making it a core part of our culture rather than an afterthought.
- Continuous learning: I embraced a philosophy of lifelong learning, encouraging my team to remain curious and informed, which has been essential in navigating an ever-changing landscape.
How have these top five lessons from 2023 changed your outlook or approach for 2024?
I believe this is already answered in the above response.
In terms of innovation and adaptation, what’s one change you implemented in 2023 or plan to do in 2024 that you believe will be crucial for the future of your business?
In 2023, GHD Digital launched both the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) and the Cyber and Risk Centre of Excellence. These COEs are our knowledge hubs focused on two of the most disruptive forces impacting technology today. When people are busy, they often don’t have time to think ahead. We created our CoEs to harness the thinking of our people in a focused way, allowing them to address existing and emerging challenges and trends and find solutions through new and emerging technology.
As a leader, how do you foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within your team or organization?
- Create an inspiring leadership narrative: Innovative leadership shapes the culture, mindset and behaviors within a business that are critical to transformational journeys. An inspiring leadership narrative requires a diversity of thought in establishing your company’s vision and communicating it through strong storytelling skills.
- Foster an innovation mindset: There is a need for leaders to be curious, willing to challenge how things are done, and open to new ideas and risk-driven, experimental approaches. A digital innovation mindset enables the reimagination and reinvention of businesses to meet the changing demands of their clients and people.
- Track technology and market trajectories: Leverage insight and intelligence capabilities to assess how different market and technology trajectories are developing. Organizations are rapidly developing advanced analytics and artificial intelligence solutions to gain these insights from large and diverse data sources.
- Pursue more radical forms of collaboration: Going forward, organizations will need to pursue even more progressive and radical forms of collaboration to keep pace and embrace more open innovation models that draw on new thinking, capabilities, and technologies from external sources. Focus on building a collaborative culture and rewarding behaviors that support the culture.
- Drive innovation both top-down and bottom-up: A culture of innovation should empower everyone in the organization to pursue their ideas and opportunities for continuous improvement. A shared innovation mindset across an organization not only helps keep employees and leaders stay in sync but also allows innovative ideas to come from any area of the company.
Looking at the broader industry landscape, what emerging trends do you think will be most influential in the coming year?
GHD just completed a global outlook report which highlights several key trends, which I’ve included below.
- Global economy: Amidst a backdrop of increasing risks, the global economic growth outlook is waning. To navigate and prosper in this dynamic environment, it is imperative for businesses to diversify their portfolios, make strategic investments, and place a high premium on adaptability.
- Climate change: As data becomes more robust, it is crucial for organizations to evaluate their mitigation efforts and understand how these actions — or lack thereof — could affect their future valuation, reputation, and operational capacity.
- Generative AI: Looking ahead, the significance of Generative AI is undeniable — it is reshaping industries and charting the course for the future. It is essential for both businesses and policymakers to acknowledge its presence, leverage its capabilities, and ensure its ethical application.
- Cybersecurity and data privacy: The digital domain is characterized by the essential interaction between progressive cybersecurity measures and the ongoing evolution of intellectual property and data privacy laws. Together, they inform strategic responses from businesses and governments to the intricate web of cyber threats and their extensive repercussions on financial stability, public esteem, and national security.
- Sustainability and resilience: In anticipation of regulatory changes and escalating expectations from stakeholders, it is vital to recognize and seize the opportunities that emerge from these challenges. Embracing a comprehensive strategy to manage conflicting priorities is fundamental to establishing authentic leadership in sustainability and resilience.
- Energy transition: Achieving net-zero targets necessitates a comprehensive strategy. The key lies in embracing innovative technologies, enacting strong policies, and cultivating public-private partnerships that will collectively propel us towards a sustainable energy paradigm.
- Water crisis: Addressing the global water crisis demands unified action from all stakeholders. As we move forward, it is crucial for businesses to adopt a range of contemporary and forthcoming technologies to enhance their agility and resilience, thereby ensuring the water sector contributes positively to both ecological preservation and community welfare.
- Resilient communities: The creation of resilient communities extends beyond mere economic considerations. It is essential for businesses to broaden their scope to include environmental health and the overall quality of life, thereby fostering equity and resilience within society.
- Supply chains: In these times of uncertainty, the ability to navigate the ever-changing landscape is paramount. Businesses that focus on flexibility, collaborative efforts, and sustainability will stand out as resilient frontrunners in their fields.
If you and I were having a conversation one year from now, and we were looking back at the past 12 months, what specifically has to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
Success is intrinsically linked to its positive impact on people. I gauge success by the extent of improvement in people’s lives compared to our current state — a happiness criterion. The ultimate goal of innovation is to better the lives of individuals, organizations, communities, and society. Satisfaction comes from reaching these goals and witnessing meaningful progress.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
Follow me on LinkedIn.
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
Kumar Parakala: Lessons I Learned From Last Year To Take Our Organization to the Next Level in 2024 was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.