3. SEI (Systems Evolution, Inc.)
Headquarters: Cincinnati Number of Billable Consultants: 300 Client Industries Served: Communications and Media, Consumer Products, Financial Services, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Higher Education, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Telecommunications Consulting Service Lines: Strategy, Operations, IT
It was an incredible eight-year run for Cincinnati-based SEI (Systems Evolution, Inc.) on the Best Small Firms to Work For list. For this, its ninth year, SEI begins what one can only assume is a new run on the Best Firms to Work For list after the firm tops the 250 billable consultant threshold for the first time. And what a debut it is as the firm ranks No. 3 in its first year as a smallish fish in a bigger pond.
Bill Gallagher, CEO of SEI says as the firm continues to grow, it continues to emphasize and develop its culture of ownership, collaboration and accountability. "We want to be able to scale without adding hierarchy and be able to keep our employees happy and engaged," he says. "SEI continues to thrive because we all want to work with a group of people that we like, trust, and respect while feeling like our work is worthwhile. This has been our why for 27 years and continues to be the reason why we exist."
The morale at SEI is as high as it has always been, Gallagher says. "In my meetings and other communications with our teams at all levels, I always invite feedback and respond gratefully whether it is positive or critical, so I have plenty of opportunity to assess morale at all levels," he says. "Our consultants are excited to be a part of this team, working to build the business and continue our growth by bringing in new consultants—a very convincing sign of high morale."
After all, he says, who invites their friends to work at a place where they themselves are unhappy? Personally, Gallagher says he has not come to work a single day and not been excited about the future of SEI and where the firm is headed.
"The economy is good and business is good; our consultants and services are in high demand," he says. "We are looking to expand our footprint into new markets and are optimistic about growing our existing markets."
Meanwhile, Gallagher says clients give the firm rave reviews and referrals to other parts of their organization and to other companies. SEI is carving out a great reputation in several growing capabilities such as DevOps, data privacy remediation, design thinking, and data and analytics among others, applicable across multiple industries, he says.
As far as being recognized as one of the Best Firms to Work For, Gallagher says, "It is a tremendous honor for us to be recognized as a Best Firm to Work For. Achieving this award especially as a larger company shows our continued commitment to maintaining these standards for our consultants and clients."
What's unique about your firm? What sets it apart?
Gallagher: There are several unique aspects of SEI that set us apart from the rest. We operate as a network of locally owned firms that allows our consultants to stay off the road and spend more time with family and friends in the communities in which they live. We are also employee owned. Not a traditional ESOP, but a tangible stock program that allows us to reward our consultants and management team in a meaningful way that provides them with skin in the game. Employee ownership encourages our consultants to think and act as owners of the business and be invested in every aspect of the company.
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