The 2022 Top Consultants: James H. Roth

Jim Roth has served as chief executive officer of Huron since July 2009. Jim was elected to Huron's board of directors in November 2009. He served as Huron's president from March 2011 until February 2019.

Before his tenure as CEO, he led Huron's health and education consulting segment. He also led Huron's higher education business, which he grew into one of our largest organically grown practices. As a founding member of Huron, Jim guided and grew the higher education business to a position of preeminence in the industry. He has more than 40 years of consulting experience working with many of the premier research universities and academic health centers across the U.S. and abroad.

Under his leadership, Huron has been named one of Forbes' Best Management Consulting Firms, Forbes' America's Best Employers and by Consulting magazine as one of the Best Firms to Work For.

In 2014, Jim was appointed to the board of Shorelight Holdings LLC (d/b/a Shorelight Education), a U.S.-based company focused on partnering with leading nonprofit universities to increase access and retention of international students and boost institutional growth. Previously, he served on the board of Aviv REIT, a self-administered real estate investment trust specializing in skilled nursing facilities from March 2013 until April 2015, when the company merged with Omega health care Investors Inc. and on the board for AdVenture Interactive Corp. (d/b/a Keypath Education, formerly PlattForm), a leading provider of comprehensive marketing and enrollment management services to colleges and universities.

Additionally, Jim serves on the board of Gift of Adoption, a nonprofit organization focused on providing initial financial support for families that are pursuing adoption. He also serves on the board of Lurie Children's Pediatric Anesthesia Associates. He received a B.A. in political science and economics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

While I am proud of the growth of the company and our financial performance, I am most proud of the culture we have built at Huron. Earlier in my career, I knew culture was important, but I now know how truly important a strong culture is. It sets the stage for how we work together, how we set our personal and professional aspirations, and it creates the environment into which we recruit and retain the most talented people. Without a strong culture, we are nothing but a place to work. I am proud to have set the stage for having a strong culture, but I owe all of the credit for creating the culture to the talented people that have called Huron home. What advice would you give a professional just beginning a career in consulting?

There are several pieces of advice that I would offer. First, no matter which stage of your career you are in, do everything you can to stay relevant. That means being a continual student of your business, your clients' businesses, and major events that are occurring in the world. We spend much of our time helping our clients manage through change, and there is no reason to believe that we are somehow exempt from understanding how business and other macro events are changing the business and economic environment that we are working in. The more narrow your focus, the harder it is to become a trusted advisor to your clients.

Second, and very much related to the first, recognize early that you need to continue to learn and grow. While there will always be internal programs to help you with that, most of the onus is on you to make sure that you are building toward being a knowledgeable and trusted business partner. If you have the right mindset, consistent reading of business and world events will make you a better consultant, and you will also become a more interesting person.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

There are three aspects of consulting I love most. First, is the impact we have on our clients and their businesses. I have found the relationships I have built with clients over my career are incredibly rewarding.

Second, I have thoroughly enjoyed helping our people grow professionally and personally. I often remind our leaders that their job is to help develop the next leaders of our business, sponsoring and mentoring our people throughout their career.

Third, I am honored to have been part of and led such an incredible organization. Watching our business grow along with our clients and our people has been one of the greatest joys in my career.

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

Some of the best advice I received is to find a career where work and enjoyment are often intertwined. Not every day, but most days. One of my favorite quotes starts by saying that "a master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play. To him, he is always doing both." I think this idea of truly enjoying work is what has continued to fuel my passion over the decades.

What does being honored as a Top Consultant mean to you?

This honor is a recognition of the entire Huron team and those who have supported our business, our team and me personally. This award would not be possible without all of them. I am incredibly grateful for their dedication to our clients, our communities and to one another and for continuing to help make Huron an even better place to work.