2024 Top Consultants: Rich Faltot

Rich Faltot is a Customer Director at Point B with over 20 years of experience leading enterprise retailers and multi-unit restaurants through complex business and digital transformations. His work his deeply focused on achieving critical outcomes for customers through the development and execution of strategies that improve performance, provide a better customer, and employee experience. He has extensive experience developing business strategy, M&A due diligence/integration, process design/optimization, business automation, technology implementation and Agile transformations. Rich served 12 years as an officer in the Texas Military Department (Army Guard) leading platoons, companies, search and rescue teams, the Officer Candidate School, and the civilian readiness program. He has an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. He's also a SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager, Advanced Scrum Master and Agilist.

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

I think I am motivated by a combination of things, including challenging myself in new ways, achieving results for the people I report to, and making sure that I can effectively take care of my family. These motivators have kept me focused on doing what is needed to excel in my customer delivery work, military career and personal life. However, when I became a father, I think that my greatest motivator has been serving as a good example for my son. I want him to understand what it means to honor your word, have a strong work ethic, to value relationships with others, to do the right thing, and always do his best.

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

I attribute so much of my success to a variety of contributing factors including my family, my time in the military, my education, my mentors, the books I have read, and the many people (both customers and employers) who took a chance on me.

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

I genuinely enjoy helping my customers solve mission-critical or strategic problems that allow them to achieve their goals. Along the way, I build relationships with these people, and they transition from being my customer to my friend. I have developed numerous C-level relationships at well-known firms and I have had the privilege of meeting their families, visiting their homes, attending personal events, and joining them for countless dinners and social events. For me, it is all about the human side of consulting. Building long-term relationships with people who call me when they need help but also call me to see how I am doing.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

My proudest achievement to date personally has been becoming a father. My proudest civilian achievement in my career has not been selling multimillion-dollar consulting deals, or delivering critical outcomes for global enterprises, or even developing new offerings for my firm. It has been the opportunities to coach and mentor numerous junior team members along the way. Investing in others has always been a passion of mine. I have been fortunate to have learned so much through amazing and challenging experiences that I always wanted to find ways to share my knowledge and experience with others who are on a similar path.

My proudest military achievements were graduating from Officer Candidate school and later being selected to lead the Officer Candidate School as the Commander for the state of Texas Military Department. That opportunity allowed me to teach, train, and coach countless enlisted personnel seeking to earn a commission as an officer in the military.

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

The best advice I've ever been given was something that I read in a book that my mom gave me by John C. Maxwell. "Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another." In the world of consulting, I believe that could not be truer. The success or failure of a project, relationship, or a new opportunity with a prospect is heavily dependent upon one's ability to influence another. I believe that what makes the work we do so successful is the approach we take. We don't do projects for our customers, we do them with our clients while leveraging our knowledge, experience, and most importantly our influence to guide the engagement to achieve the customer's desired outcome.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This recognition makes me feel honored just to be considered. I don't typically look back at all the people I have worked with, the engagements I have led, or the customers I have worked with and think about how meaningful it has all been, but I should. Being nominated by Point B has really caused me to reflect on what I have accomplished over the years, and I am proud of all that I have learned, the people I have met, and the journey I have been on. There are so many phenomenal consultants out there doing amazing work, just to be considered for this makes me feel an overwhelming amount of gratitude and pride. However, I have not achieved what I have alone, there are so many people who helped me reach this point in my career through their coaching, mentoring and guidance – I owe so much to so many. Finally, this recognition means so much to me because it allows me to serve as an example to my son and the junior associates within Point B.