The 2018 Rising Stars of the Profession: Collin Burdick

In just three-and-a-half years, Collin Burdick has grown from a project manager to Slalom's most impactful client lead, even though he is the youngest of his peers. In his first year as a Client Service Leader, he achieved well over his revenue target, propelling his account to become the biggest in the San Francisco office.

Burdick says he rarely focuses on one big achievement as a measure of success, but rather believe daily actions and habits make one successful. It's those daily actions and client feedback that ultimately lead to successful projects that provide an ultimate benefit to the client's business. "I look back on the culmination of everything my team and our firm has delivered and am so proud," Burdick says. "There is no better feeling than a jubilant—and sometimes, astonished—client at the end of an engagement."

It's probably a good thing that Burdick finds the constant change and challenges the most exciting part of his job, he says. "There is a thrill to the work when you first understand the problem, struggle to find the perfect answer, and finally envision the solution to execute," he says. "The dynamic environment fuels my curiosity."

That "constant curiosity," he says, is one of the biggest factors to his success. "Business dynamics shift constantly and an agile mindset is critical for success," Burdick says. "Each engagement is unique in its own way, and as consultants we must be inherently motivated by curiosity and the challenge to continue learning."

Another piece of advice from Burdick says to take ownership. "The more accountability you take on, the quicker you will grow and learn the intangibles behind team building, relationship building, and strategic decision making," he says.