The 2022 Top Consultants: Rodey Wing

Rodey Wing drives leading health organizations and retailers to change how they operate and engage customers to improve connection and health outcomes. He is a Kearney Partner and leads Kearney's Toronto Office and Proud, Kearney's LGBTQ2+ ERG. He has spent more than 17 years working with leading health companies and retailers as they grasp with the seismic shifts in the industry. Working with clients throughout the value chain has given Rodey unique perspectives on how retailers and suppliers can work together to drive value and succeed. A leading member of across both Health and Consumer practices, Rodey has worked with clients in both spaces to adapt to the consumerization of health and the opportunity that provides to truly revolutionize the definition of care and outcomes. Rodey graduated with a B.B.A. in 2005 from University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He joined Kearney as a summer business analyst in 2004, and he returned full-time in 2005. Rodey completed his MBA in 2010 from INSEAD and rose to Partner in 2018.

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

Mentorship. I have been blessed to work with so many great leaders and people developers, who have truly embraced the apprenticeship model that is at the heart of consulting. My mentors have coached me on both technical skills and bigger career choices. As I have progressed throughout my career, I have paid it forward, by mentoring those coming up behind me. What I have realized more fully over time is just how powerful the apprenticeship model is in building a team, followership, capabilities and ultimately success.

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

Changing things for the better. I love how in this industry we work on some of the most challenging problems, solve them, and drive positive change for our clients and the communities that we serve. I have had the privilege for working with a number of leading health companies, and in doing so, improved the quality of care, outcomes and efficiency of delivering care. The magic of consulting, as I like to call it, is bringing together really smart colleagues, expertise from clients and leading industry perspectives – focusing all of that on developing breakthrough solutions that truly make a difference, all while making friends along the way.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

Driving a change around LGBTQ2+ inclusivity within Kearney. When I took leadership of Kearney's LGBTQ2+ ERG, we were struggling to retain and grow LGBTQ2+ talent. Being gay myself, I had some inclination on the challenges, but I wanted to truly understand the opportunities we had around inclusion. I launched an anonymous global survey to assess where we stood, and what our LGBTQ2+ colleagues need. The survey results were clear. We had an accepting firm filled with allies that didn't know how to be allies. We also had LGBTQ2+ colleagues who felt accepted on the surface, but not fully and not celebrated.

I built a plan and took action. I got leadership buy-in and pushed them to champion the necessary changes. The ERG rebranded with a more inclusive name, launched a program to activate our allies, held a series of conversations about the challenges LGBTQ2+ colleagues face, and created venues to celebrate their stories. We also built new programs to support our LGBTQ2+ team members, including a comprehensive program to support Trans colleagues through transitioning, mentorship programs and community-building events.

This led to a dramatic shift in how it feels to be LGBTQ2+ at Kearney–a shift I can personally attest to. We now see higher retention among our LGBTQ2+ colleagues. It's been great to see how the ERG continues to further inclusion, and how this playbook has been leveraged by our Black@Kearney colleagues to build a similar community of colleagues and allies to drive racial equity and inclusion across our firm.