10) Kurt Salmon
After a three-year hiatus, Kurt Salmon re-emerges as a Best Firm to Work For in 2012 in the exact same position it was ranked in 2008. This time around, according to John Karonis, Deputy CEO of Kurt Salmon, morale at the firm has never been higher.
Since the merger of KSA and Ineum in January of last year, Karonis and his team have been focused on building something new while retaining a heritage of excellence, he says. And that's no easy task.
"Everyone is participating in that effort, which is very empowering," says Karonis, who took the reins at Kurt Salmon in January. "And both firms shared one essential value: a focus on doing the best possible work for our clients while creating a rewarding environment. The combination makes for an incredibly positive working environment."
To augment the effort, he says, Kurt Salmon kicked off its "Great Place to Work" program, which was designed "specifically to continuously improve our organization and support our greatest asset: our people. We invested heavily in enhancing our professional development programs." Karonis says.
And now that the dust has settled on the merger, Karonis and Kurt Salmon will more keenly focus their efforts on growth. Karonis is quick to point out that 2012 and 2013 are times of tremendous change and transformation for all of the markets Kurt Salmon serves. He points to the retail and consumer products space, where clients are grappling with a tenuous economy and changing consumer preferences.
In addition, the healthcare industry is figuring out how to respond to reform and a new emphasis on value over volume, while banking reforms and a troubled economic climate continue to shape the financial services industry.
"So 2012 and 2013 will bring significant change for our clients, but we see that as a tremendous opportunity to help guide them through these changes," he says. "Internally, this will bring about a continued focus on delivering dynamic client work in a collaborative, engaging environment." And that "collaborative, engaging environment" no doubt is the biggest reason Kurt Salmon is back as a Best Firm to Work For in 2012.
"Being named one of the Best Firms is a great honor, and it's also an acknowledgment that we—all of us at Kurt Salmon—are succeeding at building the culture we want, a culture of excellence," Karonis says. "We are proud of the work we are delivering to our clients and proud of one another's accomplishments."
Q&A: What sets Kurt Salmon apart from its competitors?
John Karonis, Deputy CEO, says: "Clients tell us that they value most the combination of our unparalleled expertise, implementation focus, and ability to help senior leadership navigate complex and evolving business challenges. Unlike some of our larger competitors, we can't let a single client or project slip. So we are all deeply committed to the long-term success of every client we have. Clients know this—and they keep inviting us back because of it. Our culture is also truly unique in the consulting industry. We emphasize teamwork in everything we do. Our performance appraisal processes and reward structure support this, ensuring that we're motivating the "right" behaviors in our people."
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