PwC India: Surfacing a Payroll Irregularity in the Aviation Sector
Identified and documented unauthorized pilot salary payments, built the data case, and presented findings to client CXOs
Saloni Kumari
Associate at BNP Paribas
From their time as
Analyst
PwC India • 2022 - 2024
Overview
Saloni spent two years at PwC India in risk consulting and internal audit, working across multiple client engagements. One of her assignments involved an aviation sector client, where she was responsible for reviewing the employment lifecycle area, including payroll.
The Story
Saloni spent two years at PwC India in risk consulting and internal audit, working across multiple client engagements. One of her assignments involved an aviation sector client, where she was responsible for reviewing the employment lifecycle area, including payroll.
During her review, she identified that pilots were receiving salary payments they were not authorized to receive. The amounts were material. Rather than flagging it informally, she built a documented case: she gathered sufficient data to demonstrate the pattern clearly, quantified the excess payments, and prepared a formal report.
She then presented her findings directly to the client's senior management, including CXOs. The presentation led to a structured recovery process: the excess amounts were deducted from the affected pilots' salaries in monthly installments. She followed up after the fact to verify the recovery had actually occurred, confirming the issue was resolved rather than simply reported.
This engagement gave her direct experience presenting sensitive financial findings to senior leadership and owning the outcome through to verification.