2023 Top Consultants: Wade Kruse

Wade Kruse is the national managing partner of Advisory Services at Grant Thornton LLP. He is responsible for the effective execution of the firm's strategy within the Advisory service line and has direct oversight and responsibility for the service line's operations, financial performance and quality. He is also a member of Grant Thornton's Senior Leadership Team. An experienced leader in transaction services, Kruse has served at the firm since 2003 and most recently led the Strategy & Transactions practice within its Advisory service line.

For more than two decades, he has supported growth strategies for his clients by advising on hundreds of transactions, including leading acquisition and divestiture projects for clients focused on growth, enhancing value and mitigating risk. His experience also includes sell-side support for investment bankers and their clients; carve-out divestitures; identifying working capital requirements and negotiating positions; structuring consideration, and value capture through integrations.

He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and is a certified public accountant in Georgia.

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

Simple. My family. I've been blessed to have dedicated parents, an incredible and loving spouse and three beautiful children. They've supported me as I've advanced throughout my career. Whether it was sticking by my side during late nights working through financial diligence, allowing me to travel weeks at time for client meetings, or simply having to hear me drone on about the latest and greatest client or project on which I was working; my family's tireless support has remained steadfast — they're the reason behind everything I do and I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for their words of encouragement and thoughtful advice.

I'm also a firm believer that the more you love something, the more you'll pour into it, and the more success you'll have at it, reinforcing how much you love it. That's exactly what I've done over the past 20 years after finding what I was passionate about — initially M&A. They say if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. Well, I guess I'm still awaiting my first day of work.

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

I think my ability to truly understand the needs of my clients has been critical to my success so far — it's been my north star on every client engagement throughout my nearly three-decade long career. Consulting is a client-service business. To succeed, you must take care of your clients, which in turn takes care of your people — and that all starts with getting to know your clients' businesses inside and out. But it's also more than that. It's getting to know their industry, asking the right questions, doing the research, and developing relationships so you can become a trusted collaborator and reliable advisor. If you don't understand their business wholly, you won't be equipped to provide proper guidance that will help grow their business. And that's exactly what we're doing at Grant Thornton. We're a client-centric business that focuses on understanding the needs of our clients. It's a core part of our strategy. If we do that, our clients, our people and our firm will all succeed together.

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

It's hard to pick just one thing, but I thoroughly enjoy the variety. One can work with many different clients and work in many different industries. The types of projects can vary day to day and year to year. One can even have different careers within the same firm! I tell college students and younger professionals all the time that the beauty of a career in consulting, especially early in one's career, is that one can continue to aggressively move their career forward while still keeping their options open. That's hard to achieve in the corporate world outside of consulting.

Along with variety, the consulting industry is constantly evolving, which makes our jobs even more interesting. Clients face an ever-changing business landscape and it's up to us consultants to help them navigate each problem and opportunity with sound advice and a strategic plan that keeps core business priorities top of mind. The marketplace is also experiencing a profound impact from disruptive technologies, regulatory changes and an onslaught of risks. The opportunities for clients are endless and I look forward to addressing their needs head on with my team. In short, the possibilities of the consulting profession are infinite — and exciting.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

I have quite a few proudest achievements in my consulting career. It's every time I promote someone to partner. In fact, this is the highlight of my career, each time I do it. It takes a lot of work to hire, develop, advocate for and ultimately promote someone to partner. That's because it's not a promotion. It's a transaction. One in which I'm helping someone convey the value they bring to the partnership such that the other owners are willing to sell a piece of their business to this person with the confidence they will make it better. And of course, there's the joy in the eyes of the person I promoted. The expression of sincere gratitude makes all of the hard work and effort over the years, on both of our parts, well worth it. I look forward to it every time.

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

"What will you be famous for?" That question was asked to me my first week as a new partner by Grant Thornton's then-Chief Operating Officer Lou Grabowski. What he was saying there was not encouraging me to seek fame, but rather asking me to focus on becoming very good at something. I had already found what I loved at that point, so it was easy to take that to heart. I strive to be known for great client service and great leadership of our team. After all, if I'm the only one providing great service, it won't be enough for our clients. I need the full team to be doing the same. So, I hope I'm becoming as "famous" for my team leadership as I am for my M&A skills and client service. Actually, more so I hope.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This recognition means many things to me personally, but, most importantly, it is a reflection of my incredible team here at Grant Thornton. Our professionals have been able to service our clients and add a ton of value. Proof of that is seen in the growth of our Advisory practice. It's thanks to their hard work and strong ability to identify and address critical challenges in a rapidly evolving business landscape that Grant Thornton is where it is, and I am where I am. I'm honored to work with such a talented and dedicated group of professionals — any awards I receive are their awards, too.