Rising Stars of the Profession 2021: Nicholas Catanzaro

Nick has been delighting clients and colleagues by delivering successful digital solutions since joining Buck in 2016. He handles multiple large projects for clients including Edward Jones, LVMH, Verizon, Caleres, Johns Hopkins.

Nick is a "go-to" person for winning and making Buck known in the marketplace. In his role, he partners with a team of professional communicators, including writers, graphic and UX designers, web strategists/developers and others to create compelling and innovative solutions, including new product offerings.  His efforts contributed to Buck winning an International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Award in 2019, as well as multiple Communicator Award of Distinction and Hermes Creative Awards.

How did Nicholas become a consultant? "My career did not start off as a consultant. After many years in the nonprofit industry, I was looking for a change and was seeking advice from a mentor that was working at Buck. She encouraged me to apply for a position at Buck, as she knew my skillset would apply and saw my potential to grow as a successful consultant. At the time, I was reluctant, because I didn't know much about the HR industry, let alone working as a consultant. After much consideration, I applied and that's how I became a consultant."

Nicholas notes an achievement he is especially proud of this year, "I was selected as one of 20 members consultants for the Buck Future Leadership Program. That itself is an honor, but what I found most rewarding is the feedback I received from my colleagues. As part of the program, a survey was sent to several colleagues for their input and evaluation of my performance, specifically as a leader on projects, but also their perception of me as a person at Buck. I was overwhelmed with the responses and how my colleagues saw me as a strong leader. Having only been with Buck for a little over 5 1/2 years, I have many colleagues who already see me as a leader and an up and comer within the Engagement practice and at Buck overall."

He attributes dedication to his success so far, "Being dedicated to myself to work hard, to challenge myself, to never settle, to learn, and to be better than I was the day before. Dedication has pushed me to achieve goals and succeed in my personal life as well as my professional life. Being dedicated to Buck by representing the company to the best of my ability, supporting my colleagues, and work hard to achieve company goals. Being dedicated to my clients by providing first-rate service and delivering the best Buck client experience to help them achieve their goals and support their employees."

Bobby continues, "I feel there are no limitations as to what I can do with my consulting career. The skill sets that I have developed and the experience that I've gained as a consultant can transfer to many industries and subject areas in life. Specifically, at Buck and in my role, I get to work with a variety of companies and individuals every day to enhance employee engagement and better support their workforces."

What's the best advice—personal or professional—you've ever received?

"Be open to opportunities. Take the time to listen to others, think before making decisions, research, weigh the pros and cons, and listen to your heart or your gut, whichever speaks louder, to help decide."