Christopher Petrini-Poli
HBR Consulting
Excellence in Leadership
Chris Petrini-Poli says his original career goal was to be a glassware buyer in eastern Europe for Crate & Barrel. His mindset on that changed as he was exposed to other financial and management areas while there. "I eventually joined Arthur Anderson to focus more on those areas," he says.
Today Petrini-Poli serves as the executive chairman of HBR Consulting (HBR), advising the executive team on strategic direction, thought leadership and the evaluation and incubation of joint ventures and acquisitions. He brings 25 years of experience delivering value to clients in executive search, financial, healthcare, professional services and legal services industries.
"Different stages of my career have presented all sorts of unique challenges. I like to look at those challenges as puzzles to solve," he says. "Each of those motivates me in its own way and requires creativity to solve. This is still what I really love today."
With a deep commitment to consistently exceeding client expectations, Chris formerly held the role of CEO for HBR Consulting and has held leadership roles at Hildebrandt Baker Robbins, Hildebrandt International, Thomson Reuters, Huron Consulting Group and Arthur Andersen.
Two significant events he's proud of thus far in his career include his role in the rebound and formation of Huron Consulting Group after the Arthur Anderson collapse and, of course, "the successful spin out of HBR Consulting, which I lead today," he says. "I am especially proud of the relationships I have formed over my career that remain strong to this day, particularly those that have spanned all of the iterations mentioned above. Those have contributed largely to who I am today."
It's no surprise then that he says it's all about the people when you ask him what he enjoys most about the consulting profession. "Whether meeting new clients or people within the firm, I get excited about what we can accomplish together." And he says four things have been the biggest factor to his success—relationships, persistent hard work, luck and a family that has supported my travel needs.
As for winning the Consulting's Top 25 Award, he says he's honored to receive the recognition. "I feel very fortunate to consult in an industry that continues to evolve (I like to think HBR plays a part in that), regularly brings new challenges and opportunities, and lets me work with some of the brightest and most collaborative colleagues and clients," he says.
Q&A: Professionally, what are you most looking forward to over the next 12 months?
Petrini-Poli: I'm looking forward to exiting COVID-19 and working to guide our legal industry clients and HBR Consulting as we collectively navigate the opportunities that will emerge in the back part of this year.
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