The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: Raph Casadei

As Raph Casadei was finishing his master's degree in Melbourne, he had the opportunity to do a six-month internship at an Australian boutique consulting firm. He worked on various projects and liked consulting immediately. "Then I took a year off to travel and surf and eventually returned to this firm in Melbourne as a full-time consultant at the end of my travels," Casadei says. "I am forever grateful for that first opportunity to enter the consulting world."

Today Raph Casadei is a Solution Principal with Slalom Consulting. "Looking back, I am proud of having built lasting and trusted relationships with numerous clients through great delivery and doing the right thing," he says. "I am also proud of supporting team members I work with in any way I can."

Meanwhile, he credits his diverse and international experience acquired from having lived and worked in four different countries with having taught him to quickly adapt to change. "This is why, I strive working in fast-paced and ever-changing environments, where dealing with ambiguity is a crucial aspect to work effectively and deliver results," he says. 

Ask him about the biggest factor to his success so far and he'll say "being passionate about what I do, curiosity and thirst to continuously learn, and being surrounded by amazing mentors and team members," Casadei says. "I love solving problems. Throughout my global career, I have applied my tenacity, passion, and curiosity to help business and technology executives boost operational and business performance to reduce costs, drive growth, and strengthen organizational health. Whether it's helping a global company to design and launch their business transformation, assisting an energy retailer to reduce customer churn, or developing a business case to productize a technology that protects the power grid against cyber-attacks, I have been able to quickly break down complex problems to develop and implement solutions that deliver tangible and lasting outcomes."

Casadei says he is passionate about working cross-functionally to drive the strategy and implementation of transformational programs to support the execution of strategic goals. "This is what I have done for client organizations," he says.

He got some good advice along the way: Always choose the hardest option, whether a consulting engagement, a job, or a personal decision. "You always learn and grow more if you decide to take on the most challenging option, even if you fail." 

And as far as winning a Rising Stars of the Profession award? "I am honored and thrilled," he says. 

Q&A: What excites you most about your consulting career? 

Casadei: "Many things but if I were to outline the main ones it would be: The ability to constantly reinvent myself professionally as industries, technology, and consulting evolve; Helping team members grow and find meaning in what they do by solving challenging and interesting problems; and, continuing to learn and have fun."