The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: John Tilow

When he was a kid, John Tilow said his mom and dad would always tell him to "be a leader, not a follower" and he took that advice to heart and it has served him well throughout his career. 

It's probably no surprise then that Tilow says he took the road less traveled into consulting. He didn't go to a target school, and he didn't start right out of university. "I jokingly tell people I snuck in the back door," he says. Tilow started working at EY in Cleveland and was the first analyst hired into a new group in the core business services function tasked with supporting the firm's advisory practice, helping project teams evaluate finance functions. 

"The pace, complexity and challenges that the client serving advisory teams dealt with was appealing to me as it presented an opportunity for rapid professional development," he says. Eventually, he moved full-time into the finance consulting practice in New York. That start has led him to where he is today—Partner and Head of Management Consulting for Clearsulting at only age 31. And a Rising Star of the Profession!

"I'm incredibly proud of the culture and success the Clearsulting team has been able to build over the past four or five years," Tilow says. While I'm being recognized as an individual on this list with other talented consultants, my personal success would not be possible without the incredible team that pushes me to be my best day-in and day-out at Clearsulting."

He says he's incredibly grateful and humbled by being named one of the Rising Stars of the Profession. "Being recognized as an individual validates that working hard, practicing servant leadership and doing the right things day-in and day-out can put you in position to be successful," Tilow says. "Being recognized while at Clearsulting validates that what we're building here is special."

What's been the biggest factor to his success so far? "Work ethic and support from family," he says. "Coming from a blue-collar family, my mom, dad and extended family taught me the value of hard work at a young age. Having gone through adversity as a young kid, I was forced to grow up earlier than most. The work ethic that I was able to develop as a result has proven to be a differentiator for me. I've never been the smartest guy in the room, I've always had to work harder than my peers to get the job done."

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

Tilow: "I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing team members at Clearsulting. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing our team members develop their skillsets and turn weaknesses into strengths. Clearsulting's future is in good hands."