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The Cognizant consultant who made it to MasterChef Australia’s top four

a person wearing a white apron

Casper Kenworthy, Consulting Manager, was at a dinner with his colleagues when he learned that he had been shortlisted for MasterChef Australia. He applied on the final day, almost as a formality without any professional culinary experience. Six months later, he finished fourth in the competition. Here’s how it all began.

Discovering my passion for cooking

I never grew up wanting to be a chef. Food was always present at home, but it wasn’t the centerpiece of my childhood. The shift happened when I left for university. I got tired of eating the same three meals on rotation, so I started teaching myself. 

What began as basic survival cooking slowly turned into a way to experiment and a way to build friendships around a table. Gradually, it became one of the most consistent parts of my life.

Experimenting with food

a person pouring a pan over a plate of chicken wings
Cooking in my kitchen

During COVID, with more time on my hands, I began experimenting with new culinary techniques. Around the same time, I moved back in with my parents and took over much of the household cooking, which pushed me to broaden what I was making well beyond what I’d grown up eating.

Then I moved into a shared house with a rotating cooking roster. Cooking only once a week for a full table changed my approach. I treated it as a chance to try something ambitious rather than just get dinner done.

A long shot at MasterChef Australia

I had never auditioned for anything like this before. I applied on the last day before the entry window closed, because I figured I had nothing to lose. I knew it was a long shot. I didn’t expect to hear back, let alone win an apron.

When I got the news, I was at dinner with my colleagues. My team’s reaction was instant support, not hesitation. That mattered more than I expected, because what followed wasn’t a weekend commitment. It turned into nearly six months away from work, and I didn’t know any of that yet when I said yes.

Taking the leap, with my team behind me

With My Colleagues After Winning The Apron
With my colleagues after winning the apron

I initially used my vacation time because I wasn't sure how far I'd go in the competition. Once I won an apron, that leave turned unpaid, and I was away for nearly six months. My manager was incredibly understanding about the time away and worked with me to make it possible. My team also checked in throughout, not out of obligation but genuine interest in how it was going.

I made it to the final week of the competition and finished fourth. When I returned to work, the transition back was seamless, as if I’d never left. That continuity meant I could take the leap without worrying about what I’d be coming back to.

“Breaking down a big and intimidating challenge into smaller, manageable steps is something I do every day at work, and it’s exactly what helped me approach unfamiliar dishes under a ticking clock.”

Casper Kenworthy

Consulting skills showed up in the kitchen too

With Fellow Contestants From Masterchef Australia
With fellow contestants from MasterChef Australia

The pressure of the competition wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. Breaking down a big and intimidating challenge into smaller, manageable steps is something I do every day at work, and it’s exactly what helped me thrive. Structured thinking, evaluating options quickly and staying calm when things don’t go to plan—these are consulting skills that I’ve built throughout my career.

Being on camera also pushed me to get more comfortable speaking under pressure and thinking on my feet in conversation, which has only made me better at client-facing work since I’ve been back.

Lessons from Casper’s journey
Behind Casper’s success on MasterChef was more than culinary talent—it was the composure, adaptability and problem-solving skills he built through his consulting career. His journey is a reminder that when you stay open to new opportunities, your skills can take you further than you ever imagined. 

If you're ready to discover where your own journey could lead, join us at Cognizant.

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