The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: John Snow

John Snow ended up in consulting by accident… and with a little luck, he says. He studied mass communication at Louisiana State University, but interned with a management consulting firm, and after graduation entered the consulting field full time. 

"At the beginning of my career, I went back to LSU and earned my MBA, opening the door to work on some transformative projects in Louisiana and connecting with my future business partner," Snow says. "We both just had a passion for solving problems for our state and were looking to branch off… thus leading us to Emergent Method. We like to describe ourselves as a team of problem solvers," which is truly what he likes most about management consulting and why he's stayed in the field his entire career.

"Helping to grow our once-nascent consulting firm, from just a few people who liked working together and shared interest in the type of work we wanted to do, to the 100+ employee firm we are today, which is something we never imagined or really set out to do," Snow says. "In addition to the many projects we've been able to deliver on for our clients, first in Baton Rouge, then statewide, and now in several other states as well, we've been able to work on very meaningful initiatives and projects that will have lasting, positive impacts in the communities we serve for decades to come."

What's been the biggest factor to his success so far? Two things come to mind, he says. "First, being trusted to succeed and given an opportunity to fail," he says. "And second, being surrounded by people with shared values, work ethic, and commitment to our clients and community."

With the type of work the firm does, Snow has an opportunity to support positive, lasting change—whether that's helping a client build an operating model for triaging mental health issues, or building and implementing strategies that change the way communities interact with water and land on a statewide level, or helping design new service delivery strategies for preventing and fighting cancer. 

"There are many other examples about the type of work we do, but the common thread is that it involves work with impact," he says. "And to me, there's nothing more exciting than solving problems and supporting initiatives that will deliver that level of impact on that type of scale."

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

Snow: "It's an honor, but I view it less as a personal award and more validation that what I've been able to contribute toward our clients, firm, and team over the years has had a noticeable and lasting impact. It's also special to be a consultant who has spent my entire career in Louisiana, including becoming a partner at our firm that has grown from a team of two to one with 100+ employees as the 7th fastest growing consulting firm in the world."