One-On-One With CrossCountry Consulting's Erik Linn

Linn: Founded in 2011, CrossCountry Consulting is a leading provider of specialized finance, operations, and technology advisory services to Fortune 500 companies, emerging growth market leaders, and private equity sponsors. We offer a range of integrated solutions spanning accounting and risk, technology-enabled transformation, and transactions for the Office of the CFO and other corporate leaders.

With an unwavering commitment to provide a better experience for our people, CrossCountry is regularly recognized as a best place to work. Our unique culture enables us to attract and retain the best talent in the industry who, in turn, provide exceptional service to our clients. Our footprint has grown significantly over the past 12 years, with six offices across the United States and professionals located coast-to-coast and in strategic locations around the world. We have been featured for eight consecutive years on Inc. magazine's annual Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing private companies.

Consulting: Your specialty in the industry centers around meeting the needs of the future-ready CFO. To what extent has that role changed in recent years, and how do your services align with the demands of the modern marketplace?

Linn: The CFO position has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years, making it one of the most challenging and dynamic roles within an organization. CFOs now often sit at the center of strategic corporate initiatives, requiring increased collaboration with other functional areas. The most obvious example of this is the convergence of the finance and IT functions. As companies continue to push digital transformation at all levels of the organization, most corporate initiatives have at least some degree of technological relevance. As a result, many CFOs are now leading enterprise transformation strategies and execution for their companies as their duties are increasingly intertwined with those of the Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and other IT leaders.

We commissioned a study with Forrester Consulting about the state of enterprise digital transformation which showed that 95% of finance and IT leaders believe that for organizations to effectively evolve, strategic alignment between their departments is critical. At CrossCountry, we provide a suite of solutions designed to serve the ever-evolving and often tech-centric functions of the modern CFO, including responding to complex regulatory and reporting requirements, accelerating enterprise performance, and managing transaction lifecycles. With the AI evolution and budget pressures due to the macroeconomic uncertainty, it is now more important than ever that CFOs and their C-suite peers align to build competitive advantage and resiliency for the business and gain efficiencies from new innovative technologies.

Consulting: Earlier this year, you reorganized your core service offering around a "Future Ready" platform designed to prepare organizations for what lies ahead. Can you explain what this platform entails?

Linn: Over the past few years, the world has changed in a way that forever altered the corporate landscape. Today's CFOS are increasingly driving strategic enterprise-wide initiatives, in addition to leading a high-performing finance function that helps guide the future success of the business. Ultimately, CFOs and their C-suite peers need to promote agility across the organization and leverage innovative technology to drive new insights and efficiencies.

Our focus at CrossCountry has continued to remain on helping organizations create better business value through innovative solutions that result in profitable and long-term sustainability. So, to adapt to this ever-evolving landscape, we developed the Future Ready platform to create present and future value for our clients through tailored integrated solutions across three core domains: Accounting & Risk, Technology-Enabled Transformation, and Transactions.

Ultimately, in today's economic climate, it is imperative that companies operate efficiently while also understanding what transformational strategies, technologies, and risk-mitigation plans are required for long-term success. This evolution of our solutions is about helping our clients navigate today's challenges and prepare for what's ahead.

Consulting: As Co-Founder and Managing Partner, how are you positioning the firm for growth in the years ahead?

Linn: Over the past 12 years, we have experienced tremendous growth in the firm and have a clear roadmap for how we will continue that trajectory moving forward. We recently opened an office in Chicago, adding to our other markets in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle, and plan to expand further in the near-term. We continue to hire across the country and in strategic global locations in alignment with market demand to better serve the needs of our clients. To help grow the business, we also make targeted Partner hires and investments in sales and marketing, as well as in CFO-centric capabilities that will support the transformation and sustainability of the finance function amidst an ever-changing market.

Most importantly, we will continue to focus on our people who provide exceptional service to our clients every day. Our talented, cross-functional teams and unique, collaborative culture are what set us apart in the industry. As we grow, we will continue to evolve the ways we work together and foster a culture that promotes inclusivity, authentic engagement, and a better experience.

Consulting: How have client service demands shifted in recent years in light of an evolving technological, operational and regulatory landscape?

Linn: Clients are seeking responsive, strategic partners who deliver a multidisciplinary approach to today's unique challenges. Today's CFOs, in particular, need to lead a strategic, modern finance function capable of driving the future success of the business. They are looking for guidance on innovative technologies to manage new insights and efficiencies and automate processes. They are looking for partners that understand their need to serve in a broader role within the organization and lead enterprise-wide efforts, such as digital transformation projects, M&A, and planning. To help them navigate this growing portfolio of responsibilities, we partner with CFOs and their C-level peers to solve the challenges of today and prepare them for future success through our integrated solutions.

Consulting: How did you get started in the consulting industry?

Linn: Growing up, I always wanted to own my own business, and I knew I wanted to major in business in college. With the support of my advisors at James Madison University, I decided to focus on accounting. That led me to an amazing opportunity at a Big 4 consulting firm out of college and the exposure to the very clients and industries CrossCountry now serves. From that point on, I went full speed into my professional journey and never looked back. I started my first consulting company when I was 25 years old and sold it to Navigant Consulting (now Guidehouse) following five years of tremendous growth.

I co-founded CrossCountry Consulting with another Big 4 alum, Dave Kay, and we recruited other senior leaders from our prior firms. We maintained that we would always put employees first in what we call a "better experience" model and invested early in building an infrastructure that would support our consultants in their career journey. We are incredibly proud that we've built such an extraordinary firm.

Consulting: What are some of the key lessons you've learned over the course of your career?

Linn: One of the most important things I've learned is that no one should start a business alone. Having done so in my 20's, I can attest that it's a very solitary path. The toughest decisions and most stressful times are amplified without a partner. I was fortunate to be able to build CrossCountry with a great group who were in it from the beginning. We all worked very hard but could always find time for a laugh and never missed a chance to celebrate the milestones along the way. Being in it together has made the experience so much more fulfilling for each of us.

Also, everyone needs healthy outlets and personal time. Consulting work and scaling a high-growth company can be very demanding at times. For me, finding time to exercise, pursuing my passions like golf, and going on vacations with my family are critical. But equally important is working at a company with collaborative, caring colleagues who inspire and support you.

Consulting: Thank you for taking the time to share with our readers, and continued success in the future for both you and CrossCountry Consulting.