Interviews
»One on One with KCRA’s Paul Gronwall
Perhaps no industry has seen more dramatic upheaval and uncertainty over the last few years than Financial Services. Though, through all the volatility, the sector has not only survived, but its thrived. But what's the status of the market now, and what does the future hold for consultancies in this sector? Those are the question answered in Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory's latest research report—Financial Services Consulting Marketplace: Key Trends, Profiles and Forecasts.
»One on One with Mission Measurement’s Pranav Kothari
One effect of the economic downturn has been a significant slowdown in the flow of public and private charitable dollars. Pranav Kothari, Managing Director of social impact consulting firm, Mission Measurement, says the firm helps clients quantify the outcomes of their philanthropy work.
»One on One with AlixPartners’ William Callender
Following its August acquisition of retail financial services consultancy, Mercatus, AlixPartners continues to broaden its footprint in the financial services sector, this time by hiring William Callender as a Managing Director of the firm’s Financial Services Practice.
»One on One with Cliff Consulting’s Robin Nasatir
Not many management consultancies can say they got their start during the Nixon Administration, but Cliff Consulting can. In 2012, Cliff will celebrate its 40th anniversary and President Robin Nasatir says the Oakland-based firm has big plans to celebrate the start of the firm’s fifth decade in business.
»One on One with UMS Advisory’s Rakesh Kishan
UMS Advisory is an Arlington, Va.-based firm focused on the real estate and facilities management market. The niche firm serves mainly the global Fortune 200, including Pfizer, Kraft Foods, Sprint, Morgan Stanley and Toyota.
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Cmag.com Exclusives
»Paradigm Partners: Is the IC-DISC Export Benefit for You?
What is an IC-DISC? An Interest Charge—Domestic International Sales Corporation (IC-DISC) is a little known, but increasingly popular, export
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»How to Achieve an ROI for Healthcare BI
As hospitals make significant investments in electronic medical record (EMR) technology, along with related updates to hospital billing, materials management, costing, and quality systems, they typically find that the promised analytics and reporting are not adequate. To tie together data from these disparate systems and even to optimize access to data within an integrated system, a Business Intelligence (BI) strategy is needed.
»Bold Predictions for 2012: It Will Not Be a Quiet Year
Will 2012 bring the end of days? The Mayans thought so, but I’m not convinced. The coming year is certain to see major events play out on the world stage that may forever alter our course in history. So what can we actually expect as we start this turbulent year and how will it impact our lives?
»Looking for 'Superstars' in All the Wrong Places
Many sales gurus and consultants suggest we study (for several hundred thousand dollars) how these superstars sell and then train everybody else to use the same techniques. But the average performers, no matter how many new sales techniques they learn, never produce even half as much as the superstars.
»Forecast & Pre-Empt Top Performer Defection Using Analytics
There is ongoing concern that consultants are leaving the consulting profession for industry roles. Analytics can provide critical insight into solving this difficult problem of losing consultants to industry.
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2011
»The 2011 Best Small Firms to Work For: 5) Infinitive
Infinitive has been a Best Small Firms to Work For stalwart—appearing on the list every year since Consulting starting ranking small firms in 2008.
It’s often hard to quantify what specifically builds a strong firm culture, but consider this example from Denis McFarlane, CEO of Infinitive: In the last company-wide meeting in 2010, employees voted on company initiatives that had been submitted to firm leadership, which committed to implementing the two that received the most votes.
The first initiative, a wellness program, is well underway and is being managed by a committee of employees, McFarlane says. Meanwhile, the second, a structured training program, is in the planning phase.
“ ‘Infinitivians’ ” as McFarlane calls employees “are telling us that including them in both the selection and development of new programs fosters buy-in and furthers team morale,” he says. “Our culture makes Infinitive unique and is introduced from the first recruitment call and is reinforced on a daily basis. We have a continued focus on our people.”
That focus on people extends to their enrichment and professional development as the firm expands its breadth and scope with three additional companies: Infinitive Analytics, which is focused on web analysis; Infinitive Federal, which supports the federal government; and Infinitive Insight, which provides risk management services. The firm is also building out CRM and Digital Media capabilities, thus providing new learning and growth opportunities.
McFarlane says it all boils down to three things he tells his employees to focus on every day—Kicking Butt for the Client, Helping Fellow Infinitivians, and Having Fun. “It’s important to enjoy what you do,” he says. “If someone’s not having fun kicking butt for the client and helping fellow Infinitivians, than something’s not right.”
—J.K.
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