Consulting: Where do you see those opportunities for growth?

Andrews: I think there's huge pent up demand in what I'd call 'growth companies' that are looking to grow rapidly through some type of capital event—it could be an IPO or a sale. There's demand for our services in that space, partly because companies are sitting on capital and partly because of the economy we've just been through. Secondly, I'd say there's opportunity with small and mid-sized companies that want to grow, but they've gone through a lot of cost alignment over the last several years. Now they are looking to differentiate themselves and drive better margins. The third opportunity for us is in our public sector space. Despite what you may hear about spending in government contracting, we're very confident in the growth prospects in that space.

Consulting: How do you preserve the firm's culture as you grow?

Andrews: It's mission critical for us to maintain our culture. It defines us; it's what we're about; it's why clients like us; it's why consultants join us. I was with Arthur Andersen for many years, and I'd have to say that was the best culture I've ever been around. I have a huge respect for culture. I think with orderly organic growth it's fairly easy to maintain your culture. It's more difficult when you bring in people through mergers or acquisitions. The bulk of our growth is going to be organic, and I think we can maintain that culture as we grow and become twice, or even three times our size.

C.E. Andrews: MorganFranklin's New CEO

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