The 2018 Rising Stars of the Profession: Devin Rochford

Devin Rochford joined Alvarez & Marsal last year from EY to lead the build out of the firm's business modeling and analytics service offering. Since arriving he has: Been instrumental to securing key Modeling and Analytics wins in multiple geographies; Lead the marketing rollout of the Business Modeling and Analytics offering; Co-lead the development of a ML based debt rating model, which is currently testing at 97.7 percent accuracy; Lead a redesign of the tools and processes associated with how the firm values private loans; and, Trained 12 staff in business modeling and analytics techniques over a three-day training course.

He's accomplished a lot, for sure, especially at a new firm in less than a year. But ask Rochford about his greatest achievement thus far and he says: "More than anything, it's the people and teams that I have helped to develop. There is nothing more rewarding than watching people that you hired and trained grow into great consultants. It's not an easy thing to get right but it's worth it," he says.

Rochford says he's been very lucky to work with some incredibly talented colleagues, clients and bosses who have both challenged and taught him throughout his career. "I can talk about hard work, creativity or any other platitudes, but the fact is had I not been surrounded by truly remarkable people from the start of my career, I never would have been a successful consultant," he says.

When he looks at the future of consulting, he says it will be summed up by one word: change. "If consultants from 1998 could look at what consultants—particularly financial consultants—in 2018 are doing, they'd probably be a little underwhelmed," he says. "The foundation of the work is disappointingly familiar, but I don't think that trend will continue."