The 2018 Best Small Firms to Work For: Argo

Consulting Service Lines:  Operations Management

This year marks Argo's 20th Anniversary and here's something—the firm's management team still includes its three founders: Fernando Assens, CEO, Diego Polo, Chairman, and Magda Jakubowska, Sr. VP of Talent. When it comes to priorities, the founders say that grooming the next generation of partners is one of the top priorities for 2019-2020, as well as continuing the strong profitable growth the firm has enjoyed over the last eight years.

That success has led to Chicago-based Argo landing on the Best Small Firms to Work For list for the first time in its 20-years in business. "We have spent thousands of hours thinking about Argo's strategy, and I believe that the 'strategic clarity' we have gained in the process has contributed immensely to our success," says Assens. "We know what Argo is truly good at, which industries we want to serve, and the services we want to provide." 

In this, our 20-year anniversary, it is a strong source of pride and motivation for our team to be recognized as one of the best consulting firms to work for," says Assens. "It validates the way our employees already feel about Argo, our culture, and the results we achieve for our clients. I believe this recognition reflects the quality of our people, which in turn, translates into great work for our clients. Clients like working with consultants who are enthusiastic about their jobs, ego-free, and truly dedicated to implementing long- term sustainable results. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, Polo says morale is at an all time high, and it is due to the type of truly challenging assignments, as well as Argo's growth. "Working on highly complex projects that profoundly transform our client companies for the long haul is extremely rewarding," Polo says. "Over 70 percent of our annual revenue is from repeat clients, which, over and over, trust us with improving their most pressing operational issues." 

What sets Argo apart from the rest? Well, Jakubowska says the firm's focus on operational transformation. "It starts with the people we hire, who are results-driven 'hands-on implementers,' many of them with over 20-plus years of experience," he says. "At Argo it's not about the color of your collar. It's about how far you are willing to roll up your sleeves."

For us, the fact that we have managed to build a team that works really well together is an extreme source of satisfaction, Jakubowska says. "We are still working with companies that initially hired us over 17 years ago, and we don't take their trust lightly."

When you look at the remainder of this year and 2019, what excites you?

Polo: "This year, our fastest growing industry verticals are: Chemicals; Private Equity; Product Value Management; and Medical Equipment and Life Sciences. We are looking to grow our team in all four verticals. Growth in Chemicals is driven by the industry's renewed focus on Operational Excellence, which with our track record, we have been able to capitalize on. Our Private Equity practice is growing fast due to the strong market recognition Argo has built in Operational Due Diligence and post-acquisition implementation. And our growth in Medical Equipment and Life Sciences is due to the industry realizing that, for a firm to succeed in the long term, great product innovation has to be followed by operational excellence."