Your career will be wasted if you work in the ANZ geo at Valuelabs. The ANZ market is very mature when it comes to IT needs and is very different in engagement models and service maturity compared to the US market, where Valuelabs primarily operates.
The sad part is that, even after working in the ANZ market for 10+ years, the company has not realized the significant gap between what the market expects from an IT company and what Valuelabs is trying to offer. This lack of understanding has caused severe problems for everyone associated with the geo. Valuelabs continues to offer resources in the ETM model, while the market expects end-to-end solutions with complete project ownership. This basic gap has led to slow growth for those working in the geo and increased pressure when clients decide to move on to more mature IT service companies.
Another big issue is the lack of capable leadership and support systems. The geo always struggles to have the right DLT, all good leaders left the region as they know it’s not a focus market for company as they don’t know what is the potential and how to operate. The current DLT leader was appointed only because no one else was available. He lacks proper understanding of delivery - he just no staffing and isn’t an inspiring leader. Instead, he tries to project himself as a "cool guy" in forums, but no one respects him—neither the team nor the clients. He misrepresent geo in larger forum in company, always try to blame clients instead of openly telling that competency issue.
The Geo Head is living in his own world. He is busy in enjoying his personal time and is not ready to compromise or address critical issues. He knows the company depends solely on him, and he is not interested to know what is happening in projects. He seems to be disengaged and focuses on personal stuff as he realise that company current leadership is not going to listen to him and all voices are unheard so better to have a good time instead of trying to solve the problems.
Another frustration is that you will be forced to show the impact of AiDE, even though no one is using it effectively.
Consulting support is another weak link. They have assigned a Digital -SPOC who lacks practical project knowledge and relies on superficial, Google-based insights. Critical resources are leaving projects, and TAG is unable to hire replacements. This creates additional pressure on project managers, who are left to face clients without proper support.
As a PM, you can put in all the effort, but if others are not aligned or supportive, the client will eventually leave. In the end, you will be blamed, and your career growth will stall. Despite your capabilities and best efforts, there will be no promotions or recognition.