The 2019 Rising Stars of the Profession: Brian Kostek

Brian Kostek

Protiviti

Excellence In Financial Services

Director, Risk and Compliance Practice

Age: 34

Two factors have been critical to Brian Kostek’s success at Protiviti. The first is having the trust of leadership to learn, make decisions, and more importantly, make mistakes. Second, being transparent with his clients about successes and challenges. Being upfront and honest about where things are allows for a trusting relationship and drives long-term success in growing relationships with key accounts, Kostek says.

One of his most important accomplishments, he says, is those relationships with clients, as well as the ones he’s built internally at Protiviti. “Internally, the people we have developed, and the progression of our staff over the years is a direct result of the success we have had, and the corresponding growth in my career,” Kostek says. “Externally, our clients’ requests to continue to support them in new and different ways validates that we as a team are doing the right things to support their needs, while building ongoing trust.”

Kostek says he’s also very proud of the work Protiviti has done across various risk domains within the firm’s third-party risk management solution offering. “The programs we have supported across industries, geographies, and client types—while creating process efficiencies within challenging environments—is something that never gets old as a consultant,” he says. “It’s exciting to be able help solve challenges on a real-time basis. The best feeling at the end of the long day is knowing you’ve helped someone exceed their goals within their own organizations.”

As far as being a Rising Star of the Profession, Kostek says it validates that he made the right career choice. “I started my career as a regulator with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; however, I felt my frustrations as a regulator—with not being allowed to fix the issues identified—would translate well into consulting.”