The 2022 Best Firms to Work For: Berkeley Research Group (BRG) LLC

Client Industries Served: Legal, Energy & Climate, Health Care, Financial Services, Capital Markets, Telecommunications, Media & Technology, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain & Digital Assets, Insurance, Construction & Infrastructure, Government Contracts, Retail & Consumer Goods, Higher Education

Consulting Service Lines: Financial Consulting, Strategy

CMAG: How would you say you've managed to stay among the industry's Best Firms to Work For amid these unprecedented times?

By staying true to who we are, what we do, and how we do it—and through maintaining open communications. Our connectedness and flexibility mean our people have adapted to new ways of working during the pandemic, and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in highly challenging circumstances. Of course, some of our employees and their families have experienced extreme hardship and distress during both the pandemic and recent international conflict, and we have provided more specific support to them wherever needed.

CMAG: Were there any specific programs or initiatives (internal or external) that contributed to you being a Best Firm to Work For?

We view any acknowledgment or accolade as a reflection of the general sentiments of our people and/or our clients. Some challenges the world has faced in recent times also brought our global community closer together and helped us build more diverse teams. We have focused on internal communication and conversation with our colleagues in a way that supports connection and well-being. Finally, I know how important it is to all our people that we have increased our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and the ways in which we can make a positive difference internally and externally.

CMAG: What's unique about your firm? What sets it apart?

Our people. This may sound trite, but BRG is home to some of the most talented, knowledgeable, and creative people in the world. Collegiality. Our focus on collaboration and removing barriers is very different than the realities of larger or more siloed firms. Entrepreneurialism. The entrepreneurial spirit of our founders is something we work hard to ensure remains, especially as we grow. This means checking ourselves on barriers to innovation and flexibility. Our clients tell us that our blend of deep expertise and rigorous analysis sets us apart. We have the best experts and professionals, backed by the most sophisticated data and analysis, and deep first-hand experience in our primary industry sectors.

We stress the concept of community, not corporation, at both a specific business area level and, collectively, as one master community. Because we take stewardship seriously, we're more focused on long-term than short-term results and can take a long-term focus.

CMAG: What's the top priority over the next 6 to 12 months?

People: continuing to ensure we are the best firm to work for in our field remains at the top of our priority list. We are recruiting across all areas and at all levels. Our focus on finding the most talented individuals, and making sure we provide the best environment for them to build their careers, has never been more important.

Equally important is making sure we understand—and help our clients navigate—the macroeconomic picture, which will continue to evolve over the coming months. This plays to our strengths as a firm whose foundations are in integrating data and expert insights.

Thought leadership also forms the bedrock of the way we build the profile of our brand and our experts and professionals. We will launch some exciting platforms over the course of the next year.

We strive to achieve the right balance in our working arrangements, giving people ongoing flexibility while ensuring we are all reaping the benefits of time in-person with our colleagues and clients.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2023, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your future?

The growth we are set to achieve—largely organically—while staying true to our values is exciting and rewarding for us all.

New issues and markets in spaces like cryptocurrency, blockchain, and digital assets, and the groundbreaking work our practices are already doing in these fields, are both educating and exciting!

Continuing to see more of my colleagues and our clients in person around the world after the separation we've endured over the past couple of years is important and brings great joy.

Obviously, we cannot avoid the fact that further disruption and uncertainty loom on the global economic front, but as a firm, we head into this with the confidence of having seen our people thrive through phenomenal change and ambiguity. We know that we are not only a leading firm in advising clients on these issues, but also seasoned in being able to weather these storms ourselves.

CMAG: What impact do you think being a Best Firm to Work For has on the firm? Employees? Clients?

I hope it reflects back to our colleagues the pride they have in the firm and the place they have made it. It's confirmation and affirmation and cause for celebration. It's an external acknowledgment of the things we know internally are special.

Clients want to know we share values and that we nurture and reward our people in order to continue to bring the best talent to their most complex problems. Accolades like this are an important reflection of those attributes.

CMAG: Thank you, and congratulations.