The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: Matthew Fox

Age: 35

There's more than one way to end up in the consulting profession. For North Highland's Matthew Fox, that way was via a large bank, a tech company and a capital management firm. "I started my career at a large bank working on an ERP implementation. My working team had a few independent consultants who exposed me to the role of consulting," Fox says. "When I was ready for my next opportunity, I used that network to connect with my eventual manager at Oracle in their consulting group."

For a short period of time, he did move back to industry but found himself back in consulting soon enough with North Highland, where he has been for the past nine years.

"I am proud of how I have grown up in consulting and enjoy helping others do the same," Fox says. "I started out as a junior consultant with very little experience and have grown into a client leader. It has and continues to be a fulfilling journey. Mentorship in this industry is critical—it's important to me to pay that forward and am proud of the consultants and clients who I have helped develop."

And it's led to this Rising Stars of the Profession recognition for Excellence in Client Service.

Fox says he has been lucky enough to surround himself with colleagues and clients who have been catalysts for professional growth. "I have had the opportunity to work with and lead great teams of consultants and partner with amazing clients," he says. "My executives have invested time (theirs and mine) to give me the right opportunities to develop and be successful."

But you cannot do everything, he says. Don't sacrifice great to get to perfection. Pick the things that really matter and that you can impact. That was some great advice he received years ago and still lives to this day.

At the end of the day, "I am always energized about solving a new problem for my clients," that excites him about a career in consulting, Fox says. "We may not have all the answers and there may be a ton of work ahead of us, but I know that my team is going to be totally focused and that the right solution is out there. I get excited about navigating through that unknown."

Q&A: What does winning a Rising Stars of the Profession award mean to you?

Fox: "I was floored when my team gave me the news.  Being nominated by my peers and firm leadership was a humbling experience.  This validates all the hard work I've put in to grow myself, both personally and professionally."