In this episode, Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska sit down with Anand Pallapalayam, VP of Enterprise Data Protection at LPL Financial, for a conversation that blends technical leadership, service philosophy, and human-centered consulting. With over a decade of experience in professional services before stepping into his current enterprise role, Anand shares lessons learned from both sides of the client/vendor relationship—and why viewing everyone as a customer fundamentally changes the way you work.

Anand challenges the “get in, get out” mindset that still dominates some professional services cultures, arguing instead for a more thoughtful, outcome-driven approach. He shares how his teams have leaned into design discovery workshops to break down complex client needs, and how “agree to disagree” is sometimes the best place to start when trying to shift enterprise thinking. Throughout the conversation, Anand keeps it real with stories of early training missteps, leadership lessons, and how small moments of humility and humanity can forge deep client loyalty.

This episode is packed with sharp insights for anyone balancing the tension between standardized solutions and tailored services, especially in technical and security-heavy environments. Whether you're leading a PS team, trying to evolve how your organization sees services, or just someone who wants to keep learning (and keep your ego in check while doing it), this one’s worth the listen.

Anand’s style is equal parts service-minded, hands-on, and people-first—a reminder that deep technical knowledge means very little if you can’t connect with the humans across the table.