Although you won't see Stephen Rohleder coding identification software or integrating databases for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program, he's not likely to stray far from the showcase project. Accenture won the coveted engagement as the leader of the Smart Border Alliance, which includes Raytheon, The Titan Corporation, and SRA International, Inc.
Rohleder, the newly appointed COO of Accenture and former head of the firm's government operating group, actively participated in the winning of the engagement as the firm's leadership sponsor, and he expects to remain closely involved as he continues to perform the role of executive sponsor of the company's effort to develop and implement the new entry/exit system to be deployed at the nation's more than 400 air, land, and sea ports of entry. It's a role he also expects to play in another high-profile Accenture account, the U.K. National Health Services project. Staying involved is central to his belief that consulting success "requires you to maintain focus in client service."
Rohleder may have started out on his career as a technologist, joining Accenture in 1981, but he soon realized that client service and team development were the most critical success factors. Although his technology skills have rusted a bit in recent years, he has had ample opportunity to hone his client service abilities. He finds the greatest satisfaction when immersed in client work, especially when he can open up clients to new opportunities and new ways of doing things. For instance, Rohleder helped lead an effort at Accenture to bring to government the kind of performance improvement initiatives common in the private sector but almost unheard of in the public one, through what he refers to as high-performance government. During his more than five years in leadership roles there, Accenture's government group has become the firm's fastest-growing operating entity.
When he isn't working, Rohleder skis and golfs — but mostly enjoys spending time with his family, a wife and four children ranging in age from 11 to 21 years old. Balancing family life with a high-powered consulting career is a challenge. He understood the conflicting demands and early on made a commitment to his wife that he would be there for the key events, that he would coach children's sports teams, and that he would be involved in things in their schools. Recognizing that any consulting job can easily be 24/7, he is adamant about carving out weekends and vacations and protecting that time from work intrusions. — A.R.
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