Financial consulting is no longer just about balancing portfolios and offering retirement plans. It has become a dynamic, tech-driven, and purpose-led space where innovation meets personal impact. Another generation of consultants are the professionals not just well-versed in numbers but also capable of managing change, leveraging digital transformation, and aligning financial goals with broader social, environmental, and personal values. They are not just advisers anymore; they aid in building generational wealth for individuals, guide companies through sustainability transitions, and assist startups in scaling fast. As the industry is being shaped by AI, behavioural finance, crypto assets, and inclusive fintech solutions, more holistic and forward-looking approaches are replacing traditional ones.
What sets these rising stars apart is their ability to combine financial expertise with deep levels of empathy, creativity, and cultural intelligence. These professionals are reshaping the expectations of investment advisory companies, meeting the moment and setting the tone for the new-looking financial consulting as clients ask for transparency, personalization, and impact from their financial decisions. The following are 10 financial consultants who are helping to redefine disruption and embrace opportunity into the future of finance.
- Anil Gopakumar
Firm: Wipro
Title: Business Head of Payments
Widely regarded as one of the best investment advisors in India, Anil Gopakumar, Business Head of Payments at Wipro North America, is an inspirational innovator and leader. Anil has over 30 years of experience working on very big transformations in payments by delivering practical and efficient solutions to over 20 major financial clients. In short, he believes very much in the essence of partnership, creativity, and fortitude. Anil's accomplishments have generated major market growth, big client wins, and strategies to revolutionize the industry. Anil has forever been a learner, which still makes him a lighthouse to teams and ensures that he still creates an impact, showing that with just a vision and very hard work, anything is achievable.
- Nicole Bodack
Firm: Accenture
Title: Managing Director
With more than 20 years of experience, Nicole Bodack, Managing Director at Accenture, is a world leader in the transformation of financial services. Part of a new generation of corporate finance consultants, she is based in Singapore and leads strategy and consulting for Southeast Asia as the head of Accenture's Banking & Capital Markets group for APAC. Nicole collaborates with leading financial institutions to help them become more data-driven, digital, and client-focused. She combines extensive industry knowledge with a love of people, innovation, and cutting-edge technologies, and is well-known for her practical leadership. In addition, Nicole is a fervent supporter of diversity, coaching aspiring leaders and creating inclusive, productive teams that have a long-lasting effect.
- Brian Rebhun
Firm: PwC
Title: Asset & Wealth Management Partner
With extensive knowledge of asset and wealth management taxation, Brian Rebhun is a Partner at PwC and the Managing Partner of its Financial Services Tax practice, standing out among leading financial management consultants. He provides complex tax structure and transaction advice to broker-dealers, mutual funds, hedge funds, and top private equity firms. Brian has years of expertise handling tax issues in New York State and City and is renowned for his astute observations and customer-focused solutions. He is a well-known mentor and leader who combines technical prowess with a desire to support clients' development in a financial and regulatory environment that is always changing.
- Michelle Gauchat
Firm: Deloitte
Title: Principal
Principal Michelle Gauchat leads strategy and innovation for Deloitte's leading financial clients in her role as Vice Chair and Sector Leader for U.S. Banking & Capital Markets, and is recognized among the best financial advisors in the industry. Michelle, a former banker who is now a consultant, guides banks through post-merger changes, digital modernization, and payment product innovation. She brings practical knowledge to her advisory work. Her extensive knowledge of wholesale payments enables banks to reinvent their corporate clientele. Michelle, who is passionate about leadership and finance, is renowned for delivering long-lasting impact in a quickly changing industry by fusing strategic vision with practical execution.
- Paul Schaus
Firm: CCG Catalyst Consulting
Title: Managing Partner & Founder
CCG Catalyst Consulting's Founder and Managing Partner, Paul Schaus, is a visionary leader with more than 30 years of banking and consulting experience. Under his direction, CCG Catalyst, renowned for promoting innovation and change in the financial services industry, has grown to be a trusted advisor to more than 600 clients globally. Paul helps banks embrace digital change, modernize core systems, and negotiate challenging M&A environments by fusing his extensive banking experience with innovative tactics. He is a well-known speaker, writer, and FinTech thought leader who keeps influencing banking's future with his astute leadership and strategic vision.
- Araya Solomon
Firm: Slalom
Title: Managing Director & Global Head of Capital Markets, Wealth, and Asset Management
With more than 23 years of banking and technology consulting experience, wealth management consultant Araya Solomon serves as Slalom's Managing Director and Global Head of Capital Markets, Wealth, and Asset Management. He has led international programs for leading financial institutions and has a solid background in strategy and large-scale transformation. Araya has driven innovation in APAC, EMEIA, and the Americas while holding executive positions at Accenture, EY, and DXC Luxoft. His proficiency in data strategy, digital transformation, and trading architecture places him in a position to significantly influence how capital markets develop in the future.
- Arpan Dasgupta
Firm: Tredence Inc.
Title: Chief Business Officer & Head of Financial Services & Insurance
At Tredence Inc., Arpan Dasgupta serves as the Chief Business Officer and Head of Financial Services & Insurance. He uses scalable AI solutions, digital innovation, and customer experience to propel growth. Arpan assists financial institutions in transforming their operations for the future by emphasizing automation and analytics. He started his career at American Express and held executive positions at Booz & Company and Fractal before joining Tredence. Arpan, a published thought leader and patent holder in digital AI platforms, holds an MBA from IIM Lucknow and an IIT Madras degree.
- Stella Mendes
Firm: FTI Consulting
Title: Senior Managing Director
As the Senior Managing Director of FTI Consulting, Stella Mendes, CAMS, oversees the Financial Services division and focuses on regulatory issues, bank governance, and BSA/AML compliance. Having worked in the banking industry for more than 25 years, she has provided advice to various financial institutions on improving their risk frameworks, regulatory responses, and anti-money laundering initiatives. Mendes, a former president and COO of First National Bank of New York, is also fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, involved in professional associations, and has contributed significantly to regulatory examinations, operational audits, and significant bank mergers over her career.
- Sebastien Petsas
Firm: Kroll
Title: Managing Director
Sebastien Petsas, a Managing Director at Kroll in London, focuses on the regulation and compliance of financial services. He counsels international clients in a variety of industries, such as fund administrators, payment processors, and wealth managers, on recognizing and reducing regulatory risks. He has a background in law and a wealth of experience in regulatory and operational due diligence. He has provided commercially oriented advice on transactions in the US, UK, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Sebastien is qualified in law, finance, and compliance and was formerly an adjudicator at the Financial Ombudsman Service.
- Deepak Kollali
Firm: Oliver Wyman
Title: Partner
With more than 20 years of experience, Deepak Kollali is a Partner at Oliver Wyman, a New York-based firm. He advises big North American banks, broker-dealers, clearinghouses, cryptocurrency companies, and regulators. He specializes in capital markets and treasury risk management. He has experience with digital assets, market risk, stress testing, counterparty credit, liquidity, and balance sheet management. Leading industry surveys and publications on new risk issues have been spearheaded by Deepak. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in bioengineering and mathematics, and he is known for making a lasting contribution to the financial services industry.
In conclusion, looking ahead to 2025, leaders who combine a visionary approach to disruption with in-depth technical expertise are reshaping the financial consulting industry. The ten experts featured here are changing the rules of engagement by bringing creativity, compassion, and strategic vision to a sector that is changing quickly. Their work goes beyond conventional consulting, producing quantifiable benefits for both communities and clients. These consultants will be leading the way as finance continues to converge with technology, sustainability, and inclusivity, demonstrating that real influence comes from taking audacious, game-changing action rather than merely offering advice.
