The 2023 Best Small Firms to Work For: Level5 Strategy

Client Industries Served: Retail & Consumer, Lottery & Gaming, Education, Telco & Media, Tech, Insurance, Financial Services, Sports & Entertainment, Private Equity & Family Office, Public Sector, Pharma/Health Care/Biotech, Industry & Infrastructure

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy, Operations Management

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

We believe our people are our greatest asset. Regardless of the times, we have always maintained a deliberate focus on nurturing our culture by dedicating resources and energy to ensuring we stay close to the needs and aspirations of our team. Perhaps most importantly we strive to live our values of Openness, Collaboration, Caring, Integrity, Accountability and Ambition every day, and continue to reward behaviors that reflect these.

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

At Level5, we believe in the power of togetherness and community. Our culture is built on a foundation of respect, diversity and inclusion. We work hard to create a safe environment that cultivates inclusivity and fair access to opportunities, where diversity of thought, background, and lived experiences are celebrated and valued. We have several initiatives that help to hold us accountable to this goal including:

• Life@Level5 – a team dedicated to driving our culture calendar for the year by planning, organizing and facilitating firmwide events that bring our people together on a regular basis to connect and have fun
• Meaningful Impact – a team focused on driving our social impact strategy in areas such as youth, education, poverty and mental health with opportunities to get engaged through charitable giving, low bono services and/or volunteering activities
• DEI – a team comprised of individuals across every role at the firm as well as external subject matter experts, tasked with stewarding our DEI strategy and identifying improvement opportunities throughout the firm

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

Level5 is an insights-driven, boutique strategy and transformation management consultancy. What really sets us apart is more about how we do it, rather than what we do and that ultimately starts with our people. We are a team of entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and industry leaders, dedicated to delivering practical and actionable solutions by deploying a collaborative and constructive approach. We treat our clients' organizations like it is our own, balancing rich strategic thinking with precise execution. We are built on the belief that great brands embrace the value of a promise consistently kept which permeates throughout all our work.

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

Our top priority remains consistent with what it has always been: a dogged focus on our clients, our team and our community. We firmly believe in maintaining our purpose, to help our clients and each other grow and thrive, which has been the backbone of our firm since our inception over 20 years ago.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2024, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your markets?

We have built tremendous momentum over the first half of the year and believe this will continue for the foreseeable future. I am most excited by our team and believe we have what it takes to grow our firm into new service areas and markets as the needs of our clients continue to evolve. We thrive on the opportunity to be our clients' trusted business partner, supporting their own growth and transformation journey.

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

Being a Best Firm to Work For has a very positive impact on our firm on a number of fronts. For our firm and our employees, it is a testament to the deliberate effort we put into our team and culture, and a constant reminder for how important this work is to continue on a go forward basis. For our clients, it underscores our commitment to our team, attracting and retaining top talent, and our ability to ensure we bring the best of Level5 to every project we deliver. We are very proud to be recognized as a Best Firm to Work For and look forward to maintaining this status for years to come.