Bhavik Mistry’s career reflects a series of deliberate steps toward building and transforming businesses—a path well-suited for someone who is a builder at heart.
He was raised in the multicultural city of Mumbai in a STEM-focused family that celebrated a mix of Indian cultures and languages. This inspired him to pursue an engineering degree, but with an openness to explore his other interests.
In particular, Bhavik was drawn to business. He read founders’ biographies and joined his college’s entrepreneurship club, where he organized talks with successful business owners. These experiences sparked a pivot in his career aspirations—from engineering to business transformation.
“I realized I was more interested in building and transforming businesses than in a narrow technical desk job,” he recalled.
Bhavik pursued practical business experience, turning down secure tech offers to join Acumen, a boutique consulting firm, where he helped family-managed businesses evolve from founder-driven to professionally run models, applying strategies in organizational restructuring, process improvement, and change management. Working with entrepreneurs who often had remarkable “rags-to-riches” stories, Bhavik developed a comprehensive, end-to-end understanding of the companies he served.
“Acumen taught me the value of understanding people at all levels, from the grassroots up to leadership, and to approach transformation with respect for each organization’s unique culture,” he shared.
This experience cemented Bhavik’s passion for consulting and cross-cultural work, leading him to Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. Through McDonough’s global curriculum and diverse community, Bhavik deepened his understanding of international business and appreciation for multicultural perspectives. For his next move, he sought a role with a global footprint.
After graduation, Bhavik joined Arconic, a Fortune 500 aerospace manufacturer, in an internal consulting role. Here, he worked across Arconic’s various business units and functions, allowing him to focus on projects long enough to see meaningful impact.
“I could work on a problem until it was truly solved. If something failed, they’d call you back,” he explained.
However, after three years, he began to miss the variety and entrepreneurial spirit of working with small and mid-sized businesses—particularly manufacturing companies—that external consulting offered.
“I loved the C-suite exposure, but I wanted to be on the ground, making change happen at the grassroots level,” he said.
Bhavik learned about AlixPartners through a former colleague.
“The people I interviewed with were comfortable in their skin, and they appreciated others being themselves too. The focus was more on substance, less on style,” he explained, connecting the firm’s culture with its turnaround heritage. “AlixPartners was known for rolling up its sleeves and working across all levels to drive real change.”
Today, as a Director in AlixPartners’ Manufacturing and Operations team, Bhavik’s role spans the organizational spectrum—from advising C-suite leaders and private equity partners on operational strategy to walking shop floors and directly engaging with factory operators. These improvements in factories located in rural and suburban America contribute significantly to strengthening the local economies of these communities.
“I enjoy advising executives, but I also love working side-by-side with operators at the grassroots level, wearing jeans and steel-toed shoes, to make sure solutions are implemented and sustained,” he said.
Beyond client work, Bhavik has embraced opportunities to build the firm’s capabilities. He has organized annual meetings for his practice, leads diversity and inclusion recruiting efforts, and hosts monthly global practice calls, with a focus on strengthening cross-regional collaboration.
These activities helped him build connections and tap into the firm’s multi-faceted support network.
“Having leaders who support you and let you be vulnerable without fear is empowering,” he shared.
And Bhavik is committed to paying their support forward. He bootstrapped a recruiting initiative at his business school alma mater and is passionate about mentoring new hires and creating an inclusive environment.
For someone who has navigated his career with such openness and intentionality, AlixPartners continues to feed Bhavik’s entrepreneurial and multicultural spirit. “What I hoped to get out of the firm and my initial impressions of the place are the same almost six years in,” he reflected.