Jean-Jacques Raoult / ZS
Excellence in Leadership
Jean-Jacques Raoult's father was the director in a retail store. Growing up, he says he'd often hear his father's team say that he was very demanding. But they always followed by saying how much they appreciated the way he pushed them to be more successful than they ever imagined. "It stuck with me," Raoult says. "Helping people become more than they believe they can be is a fascinating way to motivate teams. Showing them how they can surprise themselves helps build confidence."
And now, one might say Raoult manages in a similar way. "I work under the assumption that there could always be a better way—and I'm not satisfied until I find it. Asking 'Why not this? Why not that?' helps me connect the dots and open doors to new opportunities," he says. "That approach was born out of seeing that we had some limitations—that we'd sometimes get stuck in our consulting mindset."
Raoult, a Principal, has worked with ZS for 27 years with positions in the U.S. and in Europe. He is the global Client Service Lead for a top pharmaceutical company and is also leading the ZS Creative & Design Studio that works closely with the firm's consulting teams to bring together strategy & analytics with creative & design.
"I am lucky to have lived many lives in my 27 years with ZS," Raoult says. "ZS pushes boundaries to deliver specialized, unparalleled solutions. And that means constant innovation and change. ZS hasn't stopped evolving since I joined. That's incredibly motivating, and it keeps me on my toes. From our practices and specialties to our global footprint, everything's grown. It's humbling to have been a part of it all."
Recently, he is most proud of helping a key client through a series of major transformations across their sales, technology and R&D spaces. "Over the past year, we helped them put a ZS-developed cloud platform in place to dramatically improve the experience for their sales reps through a better designed interface while making insights readily available across their data," he says. "As impactful as that work was for the clients, it's also a testament to the ongoing evolution in how ZS approaches its client partnerships."
That's shown in how the firm continues to embed creative and design work into many of its practices, he says. On top of delivering the right decisions, this expands possibilities by transforming our client through powerful experiences. "That progression is leading to more exciting, meaningful engagements that motivate our team to make an impact for clients," he says.
As far as winning a Top 25 Consultants award, he says it's an amazing feeling. "I'm pinching myself. Ranking on this list is a true honor, Raoult says. "To look at some of the others from ZS and the industry who have been honored here is a testament to the amazing work that our teams are undertaking."
Q&A: What achievements are you most proud of over the course of your entire career?
Raoult: "No matter which part of the world or industry my client work with ZS has taken me, I've always had great opportunities to help the members of my team develop and grow. That's been exceptionally rewarding. Many people I coached through their careers are now principals at ZS. Giving back in this area and seeing them develop into leaders is incredibly motivating."
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.