One-On-One With StoneTurn's Brad Wilson

Wilson: When I think back to StoneTurn's early days, under the leadership of our co-founders Simon Platt and Christopher Martinez, the world simply looked so much different. The far-reaching changes we've seen in the broader business, financial, and regulatory landscape have impacted the way we do our work, but the most important client needs are the same.

Because of the nature of our business, clients often turn to us in their most challenging moments when they are confronting significant litigation, allegations of wrongdoing that must be investigated, regulatory or law enforcement inquiries or cybersecurity breaches. At those times, clients need consultants who can rely on their deep experience dealing with similar issues to develop practical and bespoke approaches to each situation. And they want consultants who can respond with both urgency and integrity.

Clients want a team they can trust to be honest with them. We take pride in the fact that we are not capitalizing on any one opportunity for the benefit of a long-term relationship. At StoneTurn, we value the relationships we've developed over the years and believe that our quality of work and proven results, culture, and core values are reasons clients return to us again and again.

Consulting: Share with us the origins of StoneTurn, its growth and success.

Wilson: Twenty years ago, StoneTurn's founders set out to create a different kind of consulting firm. From the start, our leaders had a vision of a highly collaborative, people-focused firm. Over two decades of growth and evolution, we never strayed from that initial promise – a firm where people come first, the quality of work is paramount, and building and maintaining long-term relationships is key.

As we celebrate StoneTurn's 20th Anniversary, we continue to succeed with a unique "one-firm" approach: valuing our clients' needs, assembling world-class experts, and continuously adapting to meet evolving risks. Whether opening an office in a new geography, launching new practices, or investing in talent to build core areas of the business, it has always been StoneTurn's philosophy to put the needs of our people and our clients ahead of short-term trends.

Looking ahead, clients continue to turn to us as a trusted adviser because of our people and their expertise. StoneTurn is well equipped to help our clients respond to the challenges of the next 20 years and beyond.

Consulting: How is StoneTurn positioned to capitalize on these trends?

Wilson: StoneTurn prides itself on being nimble and flexible. We understand that no two scenarios are going to be exactly the same, and what might work to resolve an issue within one organization may not work for another for any number of reasons.

We are well-positioned to capitalize on emerging client trends by addressing the growing demand for specialized expertise, integrity, and a people-centered approach, all while staying true to our core. In an increasingly complex business landscape, clients seek trusted advisors with deep knowledge in specialized areas, from regulatory compliance to forensic investigations to complex disputes. StoneTurn's team of experts brings a wealth of experience in the public and private sector and industry-specific insights, enabling us to provide clients with tailored solutions to clients' most pressing challenges.

In a climate where transparency and honesty are paramount, clients are looking for firms that can deliver candid, straightforward advice. StoneTurn has built its reputation on trust and integrity—with our clients, with regulators, and with each other. This offers clients the clarity and transparency needed to navigate complex situations. This trust is a cornerstone of long-term relationships, and we invest in that trust with our actions each and every day.

Consulting: What unique qualities or capabilities differentiate StoneTurn from its competitors?

Wilson: StoneTurn's focus on people—both within the firm and in our client relationships—ensures that client engagements are grounded in empathy and understanding. By prioritizing human connections and fostering collaborative partnerships, our team at StoneTurn is uniquely positioned to adapt to changing client needs and provide value-driven solutions that go beyond technical or by-the-book expertise.

Our team is made up of highly skilled, global professionals with diverse expertise in forensic accounting, compliance, investigations, disputes, technology, and risk management, across industries and geographies. Perhaps most distinctively, StoneTurn ensures that our senior practitioners are not just overseeing work but are actively engaged in delivering results. Clients benefit from direct access to seasoned professionals who apply their years of experience to address complex issues, resulting in more informed, strategic advice and actionable solutions. This hands-on approach, combined with deep expertise, makes StoneTurn a standout partner for businesses navigating critical challenges.

As I mentioned before, StoneTurn has always leveraged a unique "one firm" model. Rather than operating in silos or relying on regional teams, we operate as a unified entity, allowing us to tap global resources efficiently and provide seamless support to clients, regardless of location. This integrated approach ensures consistency and depth of expertise across every engagement.

Consulting: Talent acquisition and development is one of the most critical elements of building long-term success. What is StoneTurn's philosophy/strategy for attracting and retaining top consulting professionals?

Wilson: Our talent acquisition strategy is comprehensive, assessing candidates on multiple fronts to ensure a good fit for our firm and our clients' needs. We evaluate technical skills, continuous learning initiatives, business development acumen, and alignment with our core values and culture. This comprehensive approach helps us understand how candidates can contribute to the success of StoneTurn.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion, actively seeking individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and work experiences. Whether they are recent graduates from colleges and universities or seasoned professionals from services firms, government agencies, or corporations, we value the unique perspectives each professional brings to the firm. Furthermore, we prioritize hiring individuals who are not only skilled but are also inquisitive and motivated in nature. We look for those who are eager to gain exposure to new experiences and opportunities as our "one-firm" environment encourages collaboration across different practices and geographies, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

By integrating diverse talents and fostering a collaborative environment, we aim to build a dynamic team capable of delivering exceptional results for StoneTurn's clients.

Consulting: What is your philosophy on growth, both for your clients and for your firm, and how do you balance short-term results with long-term sustainability?

Wilson: When it comes to expansion, whether into new geographies or new service lines, we respond to the needs of our clients and our people. What will help our team continue to enhance skills and expertise? Where are our clients facing new issues? Take, for example, our Singapore office. We knew for a long time that StoneTurn's clients were facing increased risk and opportunity in Asia, and it was a location we had our eye on as a place for expansion. But we needed the right person to lead that office. It came down to knowing we had found the right Partner, in the right geography, at the right time.

Over the course of 20 years, we've expanded into new services or deepened our capabilities in existing practices to better serve our clients and our people. To give an example here, early on in our history, we identified a need for data analytics capabilities, and thus built our Data Science and Analytics team. More recently, we've created a deeper bench in economics and disputes, energy, construction and real estate, investigations, cybersecurity and forensic technology-related services. At StoneTurn, we are purposeful in our expansion, leading with a very people-focused lens for both our clients and our team.

Consulting: Looking at the market broadly, what are some of the big consulting opportunities you're seeing that you're most excited to capitalize on?

Wilson: Over the last two decades, we have seen many "unprecedented" happenings—from the global financial crisis, to rising geopolitical tensions, to a pandemic that disrupted every facet of our lives. In between, there were micro-events that shifted the way business is done and risks that are top of mind for clients. All the while, we broke ground on new opportunities, including technology, which advances month to month.

As a result, StoneTurn has developed new capabilities to help meet our clients' evolving needs. We are consistently staying on pace with changing global regulations to help our clients meet expectations or remediate programs that are falling short. Our finger is on the pulse of the latest fraud risks and insider threats to help our clients safeguard their intellectual property. Our monitoring and intelligence services help inform better due diligence and risk management solutions. The team's use of data-driven insights streamlines investigations and enhances compliance efforts, while our cybersecurity and forensic technology offerings help businesses stay ahead of evolving digital risks. Our economics and disputes experts help on evermore complex business issues, finding new ways to address emerging problems. The list goes on.

All of this to say, StoneTurn is ready: not just to react to what is put in front of us, but to help our clients see around the corner for what's to come. With the right team, the right expertise, and a strong desire to continue driving our capabilities forward, it has never been a more exciting time to work at StoneTurn.

Consulting: What are StoneTurn's goals for the next decade and beyond?

Wilson: As I've learned by reflecting on StoneTurn's first two decades in business: 20 years is a long time, but goes by in the blink of an eye. The most critical lesson I have taken from those 20 years is the importance of relationships. And I think I would frame our goals over the next decade around relationships.

Our goals are to continue to grow the firm's team and capabilities so that we can continue to serve today's new client over the next 10 years and beyond as their own businesses and challenges evolve. Key to sustainable growth for a firm like ours is the continued development of our people. Thus, another key goal for 10 years out is that the new graduates who joined us this year are still with StoneTurn and have developed their own expertise, client relationships and are building the practices that will take the firm forward.

Our core values and our truly people-first culture have been StoneTurn's North Star since day one. We know that as long as we stay true to who we are at our core, we will continue to see StoneTurn succeed for 10 years, 20 years, and even further down the road. I can't wait to see what we do next.

Consulting: Thank you again for your time and congratulations on celebrating StoneTurn's 20th year. We wish you continued success in the years to come.