2023 Global Leaders in Consulting: David Connolly

An EY Partner with over 35 years of global consulting experience, David serves as the Global Nexus Leader who spearheaded the development of this platform into a fully operational and financially successful product organization. He leads a team of over 2,000 EY Nexus developers and 30+ global leaders who drive innovation for leading companies across Banking, Wealth & Asset Management, Insurance, Health, Real Estate, Automotive, Manufacturing and more. EY Nexus has over 60 customers supported by Nexus spanning Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

David previously served as EY's Global Insurance Technology Leader. In this capacity, he lead a team of over 8,000 professionals offering clients a multitude of business-driven, technology-enabled offerings that both property and casualty and life and annuity carriers need to remain competitive. Prior to this, David led the EY Guidewire practice globally and successfully supported 160 implementations around the world.

David earned a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

EY Nexus is the manifestation of my life's work. It's been a challenging and rewarding experience to build a global team and develop a set of innovative industry products for our clients within the walls of a traditional Big Four firm.

What advice would you give a professional just beginning a career in consulting?

Given enough time and effort, most consultants can win their fair share of work via requests for proposals (RFPs). It is the rare consultant that can develop innovative solutions and win work without an RFP. Be that consultant. Challenge the status quo and think differently.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

Developing innovative business-driven, technology-enabled solutions that help clients transform in ways they did not know were possible. I have also enjoyed enabling companies to expand into new lines of business outside their traditional sector (e.g., helping a major auto manufacturer launch its own insurance business).

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

Think differently and challenge the status quo. Erase consulting jargon from your vocabulary. In business seek to structure deals where both the risks and rewards are shared. Build products that customers want to buy, not what you want to sell.

What does being honored as a Global Leader mean to you?

This award validates that I've made an impact in the market by creating better products and solutions for customers, and generating net-new revenues and market-differentiation for our clients. It reinforces the benefits of being bold, thinking big, taking risks and driving the innovation agenda regardless of what the skeptics say.