The 2022 Top Consultants: Richard Longstaff

A Managing Director in Deloitte's U.S. Government and Public Services practice, Richard leads Deloitte's Federal Climate Action team. His work focuses on helping federal, state, and local government clients develop comprehensive climate strategies, reduce emissions, increase resilience and drive inclusive growth.

Before his current role, and upon joining Deloitte in 2010, Richard was the LCSP of the DOE/EPA account and spearheaded the launch of the firm's U.S. Federal Energy Team across a variety of agencies, including DOD, DOE, DOI, DOS, EPA and USAID. Richard has also led a range of natural resources, power, and investment promotion programs across more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He has over a decade of resident experience in emerging and transforming markets.

Out of the office, Richard is an avid cyclist and can be found outdoors most weekends testing new trails and routes around DC. He also follows British football (soccer) although, as an Aston Villa fan, this tends to be a triumph of optimism over experience. Richard holds a bachelor's in Mining Engineering from Nottingham University and a master's in Business Administration from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

What has motivated you to excel over the course of your career?

Curiosity. I've always enjoyed trying to understand how complicated mechanisms, or processes or technologies work. I also enjoy working with people to figure out how to improve that process or technology or apply it in a new way. I still can't believe that I found a job where people are willing to pay me to do that for a living.

What has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

The people I work with. Nothing else comes close. If I'm the smartest person in the room, that's never a good sign. Fortunately, that rarely happens at Deloitte.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

• If you'd asked me this when I was a Consultant, I'd have said "Doing client work; solving problems and creating new ideas"
• If you'd asked me this when I was a Manager, I'd have said "Doing more as a team than we can achieve as individuals"
• If you'd asked me this when I was a Senior Manager, I'd have said "Winning work. Hunting in a pack"
• But, as a PPMD, I've learned that I don't have choose between those, anymore … I get to do them all at the same time. Mostly importantly, I get to help the people I work with develop new skills and grow into their careers; whether its five minutes or five hours doing that in any given 24 hours, it is always the best portion of my day.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

Well, this isn't exactly "my" achievement, but it certainly made me proud…watching someone who I have worked with continuously for over 20 years – I even hired them as an entry-level Analyst – make PPMD within the firm, and then a few years later become LCSP of one of our biggest accounts. It was her talents and hard work that made her career happen, but it was great to be able to watch the firm recognize those talents and that hard work in such a concrete way. Doing client work, or winning that work in the first place, is important and fun and a large portion of why I do my job; but watching how my co-workers evolve and strengthen over time to do amazing things is absolutely the best part of my role at Deloitte.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

"If you win your own work, you never need to worry about where the next job is coming from. And you always get to work with people and clients you like"

What does this recognition mean to you?

In this case, I'd really like to think that the recognition isn't so much about me as the amazing climate and energy team we have built up over the last several years – with a major acceleration of those resources and capabilities in just the last 12 months. The passion and commitment that our people feel on this issue is humbling; the process of channeling that enthusiasm into results for our clients is energizing; but seeing the impacts we create for clients, counterparts and communities brings a smile to my face (almost) every day.