2023 Top Consultants: Jim Barolak

Jim Barolak, a StoneTurn Partner, views risk management and compliance through the lens of sustainability with a focus on corporate social responsibility and ESG reporting. He offers nearly 40 years of experience as a trusted adviser, results-driven project lead and engineer. Jim provides practical, data-driven insights to public and private sector clients on compliance risks, troubled projects and complex business disputes across many sectors, including natural resources, environmental remediation, construction, technology and finance. A seasoned risk professional with extensive experience assessing corporate compliance programs, Jim has served as a risks and controls subject matter expert for the U.S. Department of Justice appointed Compliance and Business Ethics Monitor to a top-20 global bank, the DOJ-appointed auditor to a top-5 global automaker, and other large corporate monitorships.

In his personal life, Jim has a passion for the outdoors and building a more sustainable world. An avid believer in helping others achieve their full potential, Jim volunteers with several organizations, including: Sleep in Heavenly Peace (Montgomery, Texas), helping build and deliver 1,000+ beds to children, many of whom have never slept in a bed before; Catholic Charities of America; Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; and additional youth mentoring and educational activities.

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

In two words… PEOPLE and PURPOSE.

I have always been committed to driving positive change while developing close relationships with those that I work alongside. While I am naturally motivated to serve others that sense of service is magnified when I am facilitating a diverse team of trusted professionals who share a clear focus and an unwavering commitment to the task at hand, and to each other.

Most consultants will tell you they are motivated by opportunities to continually learn and grow both professionally and personally. Like many of you, I was told early in my career I should expect to re-invent myself every 3 to seven years. Well, I've been blessed with ample opportunities to do just that, as I have progressed from an engineer, a construction claims consultant, an intellectual property expert, to a risk and compliance professional. You cannot reinvent yourself if you lack motivation.

For me, the secret to staying motivated is finding purpose in every engagement. Passion springs from purpose. If you are profoundly passionate about your work, you are forever authentically motivated. My most recent consulting foray has been to help clients navigate risk and compliance concerns in the evolving ESG landscape. Those who know me understand that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a natural passion of mine because I view it as critically important to the greater good. It is incredibly gratifying, late in my career, to find myself authentically motivated because I am working with purpose and passion.

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

Before I answer this question it's important to first define success, which varies from person to person. For me, success is not strictly about generating revenues, expanding your practice, gaining recognition as a subject matter expert, or squeezing the maximum return for a client without regards to other stakeholder concerns. Rather, success is about delivering value to your clients while serving clients and colleagues alike with authentic respect, kindness and care.

I have progressed in my career by defining success in terms that are fully aligned with my core values and beliefs. The key is being true to oneself; if you measure success using someone else's definition, you are setting the stage for disappointment – in the result, or worse yet, in yourself. I work transparently, treating clients and colleagues with respect, honesty and integrity. If I stray off course due to client pressures or other forces, I mindfully acknowledge my shortcomings and work to realign my objectives with my values. If conflicts or disagreements arise, I respectfully agree to disagree, but never with ill intent.

Another key to my success is hard work and compassionate leadership. Consulting demands a strong work ethic. In the heat of battle, when everyone is under pressure and working their hardest, take special care to respect others. Never ask someone to do anything you would not be willing to do for them. Lead from the front, but always have your team's back!

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

There is so much that I enjoy about consulting and so many reasons consulting has been the right career for me. I enjoy the excitement at the start of a new engagement when questions and possibilities run fast and furious. I enjoy the growing confidence that I feel as details and chaos that once were overwhelming begin to make sense and align into logical form and structure. I enjoy the rush of creativity and inspiration when new ideas or concepts become visible, and answers and solutions start to come into focus. And I enjoy the satisfaction and closure at the end of a project, and the intrinsic reward of a job well done. The continuous learning, the travel, the sense of accomplishment – all these things fill me with adrenaline, charge my senses and bring me enjoyment.

But the thing I enjoy the most, above all else, is serving and developing others. I find great personal satisfaction investing in the professional development of those I work with. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing a teammate take on something bigger than they thought they could handle and successfully delivering the result to the rest of the team. Watching their transformation as they acknowledge newfound talent and bloom with confidence is truly the most rewarding aspect of my job and the thing that brings me the greatest joy.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

As I look back over my 40-year career and begin the transition to retirement in 2023, it is gratifying to reflect on a lifetime of achievements. But my proudest achievement is successfully balancing the demands of consulting with what matters most – a life well lived.

I recently reconnected with someone I worked with long ago who is now at that midcareer stage when work and life commitments clash most intensely. My colleague remembered the evening and weekend calls when I was vacationing with family or cheering on my kids at swim meets and baseball games, and he asked how I managed to transparently balance the demands of both work and family.

For me, the key has always been honesty, trust and transparency. Surround yourself in circles of trust – with clients and colleagues at work, and with family and friends at home – and be authentic with everyone who matters most. Sure, deadlines at work will inevitably pull you away from your trust circle at home. But when your friends and family see and trust you are giving it your all, they will support you. Amazingly, the same is true at work. When your clients and colleagues see and trust you are doing all you can, they too, will respect and support you.

After 40 years, I've built a lot of intertwined trust circles. I'm deeply honored to be recognized by many within those circles as a role model for integrity, hard work, and commitment to work-life balance.

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

Three pieces of advice have served me well for over 40 years:

A positive attitude makes hard work less hard (and can even make it fun). We've all pulled all-nighters, worked weekends, lost sleep working to keep personal commitments to family and friends. It can be incredibly hard.

Working with a trusted team can lighten the load, but nothing is more powerful than a positive attitude.

Find a mentor. Better yet, create a personal "Board of Directors" who serve as trusted advisors you can turn to for objective feedback, accountability, and a sounding board when actions and answers are not immediately obvious.

Be humble, but don't be intimidated by comparing yourself to others. Early in my career I was invited to present our firm's services to a prospective client in a head-to-head pitch against a competing firm. I was intimidated by the competition's boastful touting of their academic pedigrees and impressive CVs. They seemed to have all the answers and spoke boldly throughout the meeting. I left the meeting certain that we had lost. But my mentor offered kind reassurance: "Don't worry, the competition is educated far beyond their abilities." We won that engagement – not because we had the strongest qualifications or all the right answers, but because we listened and did not profess to know the fix before we heard the facts. From that point forward, I've not been impressed by CVs and I never underestimate the importance of authentic care and careful listening.

What does this recognition mean to you?

Simply stated, Consulting Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award is affirmation of a career well lived! But on multiple levels, it means so much more…

At a personal level, there is no bigger compliment than to be nominated for this Lifetime Achievement Award as I transition to retirement in 2023. It is incredibly gratifying to be recognized for simply living out my values in service to my clients and colleagues, alike.

At the company level, my nomination is a powerful endorsement of my firm's culture of integrity. I am extremely proud to have served my StoneTurn family – the smartest, most capable professionals I know, and truly the kindest and most authentic people you will ever meet – in a manner consistent with StoneTurn's core values.

Most importantly, at the industry level, my nomination for Consulting Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award validates the simple fact that consulting, at its core, is about serving others. That's the way I've approached my consulting career, and it is within that context that I am most honored to be recognized by Consulting Magazine for this Lifetime Achievement Award and to represent the consulting industry in its service to others.