The Top 25 Consultants 2014: Kevin Christ

He also has worked across various industries, including energy, manufacturing, retail, high tech and public sector. "At this stage of my career, I am energized by the opportunity to unleash the potential in the careers and lives of clients, consultants and students with whom I work," he says.

"My greatest motivation and inspiration comes from reinvesting myself as a mentor to enable others to thrive and grow."

Christ says he's successful only if he contributes to the success of his clients. In fact, A&M puts a premium on delivering results in the form of quality work and measurable value, he says.

"I work diligently to ensure that CIOs view me as a peer and trusted advisor who impacts business outcomes—not simply a provider of technical and project management inputs," Christ says. "Our consultants have never been hired to do 'the easy stuff.' We are called in when conventional approaches are not enough to accelerate results and drive growth. I embrace that challenge and feel privileged to have spent my professional life surrounded by high-performance teams and demanding assignments."

Christ says he's particularly proud to have helped clients address complex business issues, and in the process, improve employee engagement and morale.

As an embedded Interim Vice President in a client organization, he led a team that included client business and IT staff, contractors, vendors and consultants.

"We replaced processes and software that had caused major business inefficiency and marketplace disruption for over three years, and had severely demoralized business and IT staff," he says. "Despite the team's long hours and many nights spent on the road, the client IT function went from worst-to-first among departments in employee engagement scores." Further validation came, he says, when he was retained for a like role in a second division of the same parent company for similar work.

What does winning the Top 25 Award mean to you, your firm and your clients?

"I believe this is a team recognition that happens to be awarded to an individual. That team includes my colleagues at Alvarez & Marsal as well as the staff in my clients' organizations. The Top 25 Award validates our collective work. It is also a testament to our firm's unique approach to consulting and the tremendous momentum the firm is experiencing. To past and current clients, I hope the award resonates with their experiences. To future clients, I hope it opens doors to new, mutually beneficial relationships."