5. Slalom Consulting
Slalom Consulting is quickly becoming on the perennial powerhouses on our Best Firms to Work For survey. Since 2010, the firm has finished in the Top 10 in the rankings every single year.
The firm's meteoric rise is even more impressive when one considers the growth trajectory the firm has been on the few years. Back in 2010, the firm had 850 billable consultants. Today, that number is 2,000 and John Tobin, Slalom's Co-founder and President, North America, says Slalom's not slowing down at all.
He says 2013 is shaping up to be another "tremendous year" for Slalom and expects that the firm will continue its 30 percent growth year-over-year. Market expansion will continue for the firm's planned office openings in Minneapolis, Houston and Phoenix, as well as its first international market expansions to Toronto and London over the next few months. By the end of 2013, Slalom will be more than 2,400 consultants, Tobin says.
"Our growth provides amazing opportunities for our talented people," he says. "With our growth and success, our purpose remains rooted in creating a differentiated consulting experience. Slalom was founded back in 2001 on the principal of always doing the right things for our clients, he says. "It's at the core of who we are, and every Slalom consultant relishes this," Tobin says. "We will never stray from that."
Being named a Best Firm to Work For is a testament the unique culture the firm, Tobin says, one that enables its people to produce amazing work for clients. "We are proud to receive this honor and believe many consultants seek us out because of it. We celebrate success—both our own and our clients'—together, so this award validates the trust our clients put in us every day."
From a leadership perspective, Tobin says the award serves as a reminder for the firm to stay true to its core values as it grows. Those core values, he says, are centered on Slalom's local model backed by national teams—now more than 250 professionals strong—and its commitment to a "no unwanted travel" policy that has helped to create a unique and rewarding work environment.
It's one of the reasons, of course, Slalom continues to excel on the survey's work/life balance category.
"Our consultants are and always will be our company's greatest asset," he says. "Slalom strives to provide a supportive and flexible environment where employees are empowered to do incredible work and live the life they want. Our work-where-you-live policy is groundbreaking and means no unwanted travel and more freedom for our consultants."
WHAT'S YOUR TOP PRIORITY OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?
John Tobin, Slalom's Co-founder and President, North America, says: "In the next twelve months, Slalom will open three new offices in Minneapolis, Houston and Phoenix. We are also investing heavily in our national delivery capabilities that will enable us to increase the scale of local delivery by leveraging a series of onshore solution centers. We're taking an innovative approach to building our 2015 and 2020 strategic plans by pioneering a custom collaboration tool and process invented by Slalom. We are excited to see the results of this internally and plan to share it with our clients as well."
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