FTI Experts’ Hub: Fostering Success in CRE Through Education, Diversity

Asha Shettigar, Managing Director, FTI Consulting. Image courtesy of FTI Consulting

A first-generation immigrant, FTI Consulting Managing Director Asha Shettigar brought her Indian culture as a value-add to her company. She strongly believes that diverse thoughts, perspectives and experiences are key to business success. As a diversity ambassador leader for her local office in Roseland, N.J., she is involved in several initiatives that are geared toward helping women and other under-represented groups progress in their careers.

“An organization is only as good as its culture,” Shettigar told Commercial Property Executive Senior Editor Laura Calugar in the latest podcast episode from the series.

FTI Consulting has various programs and resources that create an inclusive environment for all employees, empowering them to reach their highest potential through career training, professional development courses, mentorship opportunities and networking. FTI WIN, for example, brings together female employees to help them develop leadership capabilities.

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The FTI Consulting Hispanic/Latinx Organization for Leadership & Advancement is dedicated to these specific communities within the company, universities, and the community at large. The Pride Network program was created to foster equality of opportunity for the LGBTQI+ community and provide a space for support and discussion. Additionally, the FTI employees who are part of the Race Identity Social Equity Network work closely with the Human Resources department to drive diverse recruitment, retention initiatives and microaggression trainings. FTI Consulting also has a designated internship program for female and diverse students in their second year of college to help them build their network and gain technical experience early in their academic and professional careers.

In this episode, Shettigar expands on how all these programs and initiatives help build a strong, diverse team that will ultimately push for growth. Among others, here’s what she covered:

• why diversity is so important to her (1:02)
• the evolution of FTI WIN, decade-old initiative (3:37)
• leadership skills that women acquire after completing the FTI WIN training (7:21)
• work-life balance at FTI (12:26)
• Asha’s favorite part about leading the diversity, inclusion and belonging initiative (14:34)
• mentors’ influence (17:00)
• training the junior staff (18:40)
• diversity in CRE (22:35)

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