Meet the Founder
Patel Consultants has now become synonymous with quality consulting and has been partnering with a number of Fortune 100 companies throughout the east.
MAHENDRA “MAC” PATEL
Mahendra “Mac” Patel was born in India in 1939 and spent his formative years in the state of Gujarat. Mac’s intensity and commitment to excellence both in the classroom as well as on the athletic fields earned him numerous awards during his high school and college years. In 1957, the then President of India, Dr.Rajendra Prasad, awarded Mac a gold medal of distinction in recognition of his accomplishments as a true scholar athlete while matriculating at Bhavans College in Bombay. Mac graduated with honors from Gujarat University in 1960 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.
After graduation Mac left for the United States to further his education and hopefully plant the seeds that would eventually provide his siblings with similar opportunities. Mac was admitted to Yale University and a year later received his M.S. in Structural Engineering. While at Yale Mac was introduced to the budding computer technology revolution and found that he had an affinity for designing, programming and debugging computer systems.
After a brief stint with a New Jersey Civil Engineering Company, Mac learned that IBM was interviewing past and present Yale Alumni, and as they say, “the rest was history.” Mac worked for IBM from 1962 through 1966 with the same energy and commitment that has been the hallmark of his career. In 1965 IBM recognized Mac’s abilities and selected him and seven other IBM employees to develop the Attached Support Processor (ASP). In 1965 the ASP idea was then a drawing board concept which eventually became an industry accepted standard for the efficient maximization of dual processors for business applications.
After the successful launch of the ASP project Mac accepted a position with ACT Corporation, one of the earlier and well known consulting firms. In this consulting capacity he was responsible for the design of simulators and emulators for IBM’s S/360. Mac remained with ACT until 1969 when Wells TP Sciences tapped Mac for a technical position which took him to the Vice Presidency of this well known firm within three years.
In 1973, amidst an economic downturn and a decision in corporate America to increase the ratio of permanent hires to consultant, Mac started Patel Consultants Corporation. Starting with less than $10,000 Mac was able to build Patel Consultants into a vibrant company with more than 150 employees and an excess of 20MM in revenues. Patel Consultants has now become synonymous with quality consulting and has been partnering with a number of Fortune 100 companies throughout the east.
On weekends, Mac can be found entertaining large and small groups alike with wonderful renditions of American Country and Folk Tunes in addition to beloved Hindi-Gujarati Bhajans, Gazals, and Film Songs. In November 2001, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh visited the United Nations and met President Bush and other world leaders. After their meetings the Indian American community hosted a lavish affair in honor of the distinguished guests. At this memorable event Mac entertained the audience with his own composition for one of the poems about “world peace”, penned by Prime Minister Vajpayee in the early 50’s.