insights success august 2016 the 50 fastest growing consultant companies

The way of business solutions

www.insightssuccess.inwww.insightssuccess.com June 2016August 2016

What Google LearnedAbout Teams

(and what leaders cando about it)Patty McManus

Interaction Associates

Emerging TechnologiesFrom Microsoft:

Remove The Limits onYour Business

Kris Nanda

V.L.S Systems Inc.

Predictions for Q3 &Q4, 2016

Andy Tabisz,

WorkSmart

50 FASTEST GROWING

The

CONSULTANT COMPANIES

The

ConsultantConsultantCompanies

Stumbling BlocksBefore

ManagementConsulting Firms

Industry Outlook

Editor’s Pick

StaffAugmentation

Editor’s Opine

Effective TalentManagement

Building Tomorrow’sWinning

Organizations

5050Fastest GrowingFastest Growing

Companies

The

he IT consultants industry has performed a fabulous job Tsince last five years, in the challenging economic climate. Ardent performance from large markets, like Financial

Services and Insurance Providers has entitled the IT Consulting Industry to expand.

Last year, the US Consulting Market has experienced a very well growth. And the same is expected in this and coming year too. For the last couple of years, it has been observed that, Finance and Risk Management lead the growth, followed by Technology Consulting.

With the recovery of the economy and improving business sentiment, and corporate profit levels are expected to drive industry performance to the higher level. The condition of the IT Consultants Industry is expected to get much better in the near future, too, like five years more. Aggrandizement in M&A activity in other industries is expected to trigger demand for IT Consultants and, with more mergers, companies will need assistance in the integration of accounting, information storage and other systems.

According to the experts, the IT Consulting Industry has a very low level of capital intensity. As per the survey, for every dollar spent on labor in 2016, industry operators are predicted to spend just $0.02 on capital.

Notwithstanding, some segments within the industry may assemble and market enterprise systems that needs expensive hardware, the industry as a whole is a very labor-intensive, service-oriented industry. The big share of revenue committed to labor costs reflects the service-oriented nature of IT consulting and the high level of education needed for personnel.

When we look at the larger firms in the industry, it is clearly visible that they are more labor intensive, the reason is, these larger firms employ more high-skilled staff and tend to invest more funds in research and development.

Editorial

IT ConsultantsIndustry Expected

to Perform it's Best

[email protected]

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal

Art & Design Director Victoria

Picture Editor

Amol

Managing Editor

Co-designer Alex Noel

Visualiser David King

Business Development Manager Mike Thomas,

Database Management Steve

Technology Consultant Vishal More

Circulation Manager Robert

Research Analyst Jennifer

Business Development Executive

John,

David, Peter,

Brian

Ariana LawrenceSenior Editor

Co-Editors

Sonal Burghate

David Smith

Charlie Gupta

Mary D’Souza

Stephanie Andrews

,6

Insights Success Media and Technology LLC

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August, 2016

Art Editor

Mayur

Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd.

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Marketing Manager Chris

Nick Adams

Archana Ghule

Sugandha Sharma

Andy Tabisz

WorkSmart

Kris NandaV.L.S Systems Inc.

44

56

CXO

Editor’s Pick

StaffAugmentation

Editor’s Opine

Effective TalentManagement

Building Tomorrow’sWinning

Organizations

Stumbling BlocksBefore

ManagementConsulting Firms

Industry Outlook

Patty McManusInteraction Associates

34

1032 58

CONTENT

Acceleration Partners

Robert Glazer

Founder and Managing Director

AngelouEconomics

Angelos G. Angelos

Principal Executive Officer

BeCloud LLC

James L. Phipps Jr.

President & Owner

Beyond the Arc

Steven J. RamirezCEO

Bluewolf, an IBM Company

Eric Berridge

CEO

20

21

22

23

24

Bryant Consultants, Inc.

Dr. John Bryant

President

Chasse Consulting: Sales Strategies, Inc.

Beverly Chasse

Founder and CEO

Coalfire Systems, Inc.

Larry Jones

CEO

Digital Consulting KC, LLC

Alex Mikhael

Founder and CEO

Peter Sidenius

Managing Director, London

Edgar, Dunn & Company

25

26

27

28

29

30Galt & Company

Scott Gillis, Lee Mergy and Joe Shalleck

Co-founders and Senior Managing Directors

Intelysis Consultants, LLC.

Bill Pletch

Founder

Leshinsky Finance

Michael Leshinsky

Founder

Matisia Consultants

Kristina Roth

Founder

Metcalf & Associates

Maureen MetcalfCEO

Miro Consulting, Inc.

Scott Rosenberg

Co-Founder & CEO

NetLZ Consulting, LLC.

Moshe Zchut

Founder and CEO

31

38

39

40

41

42

NextNet Partners

Phil Calzadilla,

Founder and CEO

Nexus Global Business Solutions, Inc., USA

Larry Olson

Chairman, CEO and President

PQ Media, LLC

Patrick Quinn,

President and CEO

Shamrock Consulting Group, LLC

Paul Cooney

Founder and CEO

St. Charles Consulting Group, LLC

Phil Davis

Founder & Managing Partner

43

48

51

52

50

49

RAS & Associates

Rob Swanson

CEO

Strativity Group Inc

Lior Arussy

President

Aman Sachdeva

President and CEO

Synergy Consulting

TechSage Solutions

John Hill,

President and CEO

The Rothschild Corporation

Susanne Rothschild

Founder and CEO

The Spear Group, Inc.

Jessica Liu

President

TOP Step Consulting

Jodi CiccPresident & CEO

53

54

60

61

62

63

Most leading organizations ranked best in both efficiency and effectiveness

by intensive emphasis on talent management, and having a deep understanding of what skills required to develop or acquired in order to attain the success for their business. These businesses primarily focus on talent processes such as planning, development, management, engagement, and retention in such a way that they operate at 23 percent lower cost per employee than typical companies, and function with 32 percent less staff.

Most of the global leaders use analytics to obtain high ranking business insights from the employee data. What would be the perfect solution over this? Yes, the best HR software can give this type of comprehensive picture. For best ranking companies, effective talent management is not an additional feature; it is a basic element that is an essential need for the company’s continual growth.

Here we are giving you some best practices which will differ you from your competitors and makes your company’s productive growth.

Aligning Organizational Goals with Clear ExpectationsIf there is no clear understanding of work expectations, employees will get confused. Each individual of the team should know about his exact work what he is responsible for, the goals he is working towards, and how his success will be contributed against expected goals. They also need context

in order to recognize where they well suited into the company and how they help to its overall success.

Don’t waste time and start understanding your workforce and agree with the company's basic business goals. The company's mission helps to create context for projects and work activities at the department level, which gives your employees a better context for their contributions.

Do not Forget, business priorities can change rapidly. Always review goals frequently to make sure they reflect the company’s current priorities.

Need of Consistent Support and Improvement Cycle For reviewing past achievements, current challenges, set goals, and skill development you can go for regular performance appraisals. It is also helpful for the communication over skillsets, career aspirations, and development plans that address performance gaps. Also, keep in mind once the annual performance appraisal is delivered, it doesn’t mean the feedback ended.

To increase performance, managers must provide mentoring, coaching, and support on an ongoing project. Employees require regular, quality feedback with particular guidelines on how they can improve.

Developing Leaders’ SkillsOnce performance gaps are recognized, employees come to know exactly which skills they need to enhance in order to progress in their respective area. To help them take

action and improve their performance, a firm commitment to developing new capabilities in existing staff is required.

Although, developing skill for workforce planning and succession management is a real challenge for businesses. To fight with this, organizations should examine implementing a learning management system. These programs offer interactive, on-demand content to help you prepare employees and develop a talent pool of high-potential workers that can fill available roles as they emerge. Organizations that give learning based on performance reviews, 37% improved engagement and have 62% more positions with identified and willing successors.

Enhance Talent Management with AnalyticsMeasuring the improving talent management with analytics is the most important factor to consider. Top- Notch organizations gaining higher levels of self-service and process automation by investing 8% more on technology than typical companies. Also, analyze HR data to identify supply and demand trends, assess risks, and uncover opportunities. In addition, they are more likely to depend on common platforms and toolsets for progression and workforce planning.

Finally, the conclusion is your workforce is your greatest asset which will drive the success of the organization and will keep you ahead from your competitors. Give priority to your workforce and make the effective talent management. Investing in your workforce, you are investing in the success of your organization.

Editor’s Opine

Effective Talent Management Building Tomorrow’s

Winning Organizations

Effective Talent Management Building Tomorrow’s

Winning Organizations

`

10 | August 2016 |

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Consultants Industry: ‘Putting theRight Talent at the Right Place’

ompanies always seem to want more, when it comes to hiring the best talent for the company. As one can

Cobserve, the consulting industry has been on a sustained growth binge for well more than a decade. When it comes to Consultants Industry, the product really is the people, and companies compete on the basis of who

is the smartest and the hardest working.

Resultantly, every single company wants to hire the best and the brightest of all. This is why Consultants Industry has grown to such a massive size. Consultant companies of today are contributing their best when it comes to serving their clients. They are improving the client’s business by executing changes in response to the client’s analysis. Consultants have to play the toughest job of all, which involves convincing the client to accept your recommendations, often in the face of opposition from client executives who resent outsiders overshadowing them with the boss or resistance from company employees who have something to lose from change.

Observing this need of the best consultants in the industry, we have shortlisted the most dedicated and reliable 50 consultants companies in this issue of The 50 Fastest Growing Consultant Companies. These companies are providing the best consultants services to satisfy their clients. These 50 Fastest Growing Consultant Companies are the ones, who have excellent people skills and the ability to put together the best.

While it comes to selecting the best talent for your company, what works in one industry may not work in another. That is the reason, we have come up with this issue of The 50 Fastest Growing Consultant Companies, who strive to know all, inside and outside of every single industry to best serve their clients. These companies are having people who are experienced, real-world professionals who will provide you practical perspectives and solutions. With the help of these, you can avoid pitfalls, minimize risk and gain an edge.

50 FASTEST GROWING

The


Management BriefCompany Name

Acceleration Partnersaccelerationpartners.com

Robert GlazerFounder & MD

Acceleration Partners is an award-winning digital marketing firm focused on online customer acquisition for growing

consumer and e-commerce companies.

Advanced Management Services

amsconsulting.com

Phil VentrescaFounding Partner

Advanced Management Services, Inc. (AMS) is a global Management Consulting firm focused on improving clients'

business performance by developing people, enhancing process and enabling technology.

AngelouEconomics specializes in economic development and site location.

Angelou Economics angeloueconomics.com

Angelos G. AngelouPEO

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause bakertilly.com

Alan D. WhitmanChairman and CEO

Baker Tilly is a full-service accounting and advisory firm with specialized professionals who connect with you and your

business through refreshing candor and clear industry insight.

Barkawi Group barkawi.com

Karim BarkawiFounder & CEO

Barkawi Management Consultants help clients improve supply chain,

operational efficiency and operational results for their primary product

business as well as the aftermarket service and parts unit.

BeCloud becloudit.com

James L. Phipps Jr.President & Owner

BeCloud LLC is a technology management, consulting, and outsourcing company.

Beyond the Arc beyondthearc.com

Steven J. RamirezCEO

Beyond the Arc is an integrated agency recognized as a leader in helping companies transform customer experience.

Bluewolf bluewolf.com

Eric BerridgeCEO

Bluewolf, an IBM Company, is a global consulting agency and proven Salesforce strategic partner that builds digital solutions

designed to create results. Now.

Bryant Consultants geoneering.com

Dr. John BryantPresident

Bryant Consultants is an engineering firm specialized in Field Testing & Observatons, Soil-Structure Interaction Investigation, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Laboratory Testing, Permitting &

Platting.

CEB cebglobal.com

Tom MonahanChairman & CEO

CEB is a best practice insight and Technology Company, delivering innovative solutions that help you unlocks your full

potential.

Centric Consulting centricconsulting.com

Centric Consulting provides full-service management consulting services.

Dave RoseveltCEO

CFO Consulting Partners cfoconsultingpartners.com

David P. DeMuthCo-founder &

Senior MD

CFO Consulting Partners LLC provides interim and part-time CFO services to small and midsized public and private companies, M&A

sell-side preparation and post-merger implementation, technical accounting, risk management, and financial process improvement

services.

50 FASTEST GROWING

The



Chasse Consulting is a leading provider of sales performance advisory services, partnering with the world’s leading organizations to generate,

execute, and bring to market inventive sales solutions that improve selling performance and increase revenue.

Chasse Consulting chasseconsulting.com

Beverly ChasseFounder & CEO

Clarkston Consulting clarkstonconsulting.com

Tom FineganCEO & Co-founder

Clarkston Consulting provides management and technology consulting services for life sciences and consumer products

companies.

Coalfire Systems coalfire.com

Rob SwansonCEO

As the cybersecurity expert and leading provider of IT advisory services, Coalfire has more than 15 years in IT security and is

an approved scanning vendor (ASV) since inception.

Computer Sciences Corp csc.com

Mike LawrieChairman,

President & CEO

CSC provides leading-edge private and hybrid cloud management solutions, including CSC Agility Platform.

COPC copc.com

Cliff MooreCo-founder & Chairman

COPC Inc. is a global consulting, training and certification company that helps organizations improve their customer

experience operations.

CSRA csra.com

Lawrence B. Prior IIIPresident & CEO

CSRA delivers a broad range of innovative, next-generation IT solutions and professional services.

Cumberland Consulting Group

cumberlandcg.com

Brian CahillCEO

Cumberland Consulting Group is a national technology implementation and project management firm serving the

healthcare industry.

Denison Consulting denisonconsulting.com

Dan DenisonChairman &

Founding Partner

Denison Consulting help organizations improve business performance by focusing on culture and leadership

development.

Digital Consulting KC mywebkc.com

As a Web Design, Graphic Design, SEO, and Internet Marketing Company, Digital Consulting KC offers a variety of

options for building a lasting and effective website.

Alex MikhaelFounder & CEO

Edgar Dunn edgardunn.com

Peter SideniusManaging Director

Edgar, Dunn & Company is an independent global financial services and payments consultancy, acting as a trusted adviser

to its clients, providing a full range of strategy consulting services, expertise and market insight.

Edgeworth Economics provides economic, financial, and quantitative analysis - including expert testimony - for legal

disputes and a variety of business matters.

Edgeworth Economics edgewortheconomics.com

Mr. Patrick ByrnePartner & COO

EDR Group edrgroup.com

Glen E. WeisbrodPresident

Economic Development Research Group (EDR Group) is a firm dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art in measuring

economic development performance, impacts and opportunities.

Engility Corporation engilitycorp.com

Lynn A. Dugle

CEO & Board Member

Engility Corporation offers a wide range of capabilities that support the current and future needs of the U.S. government.

50 FASTEST GROWING

The



Experian experian.com

Brian CassinCEO

Experian is a leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to the clients around the

world.

FTI Consulting fticonsulting.com

Steven H. GunbyPresident & CEO

FTI Consulting provides critical thinking at the critical timeTM. They combine unparalleled expertise with innovative thought

leadership to address critical challenges, in both event-driven and long-term scenarios.

Galt & Company galtandco.com

Scott Gillis, Lee Mergy & Joe ShalleckCo-founders &

Senior MD

Galt & Company works with top management to develop the strategies and organizational capabilities needed to achieve and

sustain superior performance in the customer market and superior returns in the capital market.

Intelysis Consultants intelysisconsultants.com

Bill PletchFounder

Intelysis Consultants is a company providing solutions for IT services, Application Development, Project Management and IT

Federal Contracting.

Jabian jabian.com

Brian BetkowskiPartner & Co-Founder

Jabian Consulting enables its clients to exceed their corporate objectives through the efficient and innovative application of

strategy, technology, and process.

Leshinsky Finance leshinskyfinance.com

Leshinsky provides the most valuable discipline - managing money the most efficient way possible, finding the optimal solution within a feasible region, they raise capital and the

lowest cost of capital.

Michael LeshinskyFounder

Mage mageusa.com

Jeffrey S. DavisChairman & Founder

Mage provides emerging companies and family businesses with a broad range of consulting and organizational services

that optimize individual, team and organizational performance.

Matisia provides localized delivery of customized consulting solutions across

four primary service lines (BI, ERP, Project Leadership & Product

Management, and Organizational Change Management) to help clients create

value, reduce operating costs, and mitigate risks.

Matisia Consultants matisia.com

Kristina Rothfounder/CEO

Metcalf & Associates metcalf-associates.com

Maureen MetcalfCEO

Metcalf & Associates have proven results across a range of services from leadership development, team development and

organizational transformation.

Miro Consulting miroconsulting.com

Scott RosenbergCo-Founder & CEO

Miro Consulting specializes in Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Adobe in software audit defense, contract negotiation and

license optimization and management.

NERA nera.com

Dr. Lawrence WuPresident

NERA Economic Consulting is a global firm of experts dedicated to applying economic, finance, and quantitative

principles to complex business and legal challenges.

NetLZ Consulting netlz.com

Moshe ZchutFounder & CEO

NetLZ is a company specializing in Digital Marketing including custom web

and graphic design, web development, search engine optimization (SEO) and

marketing (SEM), paid campaigns, eCommerce, social media optimization,

social marketing, etc.

NextNet Partners nextnetpartners.com

Phil CalzadillaFounder & CEO

NextNet offers “next generation services” in four main practice areas: Collaboration, Customer Collaboration, Converged

Infrastructure/Cloud and Core Networking.

50 FASTEST GROWING

The



Nexus Global Business Solutions

nexusglobal.com

Larry OlsonChairman/President

& CEO

A company offering a unique brand of comprehensive APM business solutions throughout its Global Network.

PQ Media pqmedia.com

Patrick QuinnPresident & CEO

PQ Media the leading provider of global media econometrics and pioneer of emerging media research.

PwC pwc.com

Tim RyanSenior Partner & Chairman

PWC help organizations and individuals create the value they’re looking for, by delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory

services.

RAS & Associates rasandassociates.com

Rob SwansonFounding Partner

& CEO

RAS & Associates is a strategy and management consulting firm headquartered in Denver.

Shamrock Consulting Group

shamrockconsulting.com

Paul Cooneyfounder & CEO

Shamrock Consulting Group is the leader in formal RFP (Request For Proposal) engagements unparalleled in Design,

Legal Concessions, and Savings.

St Charles Consulting Group

stccg.com

Phil DavisFounder

St. Charles is known as a leader in the learning and performance arena and specifically for delivering solutions that are innovative, integrated, and highly effective in realizing the

client’s business objectives.

Strativity Group strativity.com

Lior ArussyPresident

Strativity Group is building businesses by creating new value for customers, promoting excellence in customer interactions, and fostering a lasting commitment to exceptional customer

experiences.

Aman SachdevaPresident & CEO

Synergy Consulting, an independent international financial advisory services company.

TechSage Solutions techsagesolutions.com

John HillPresident & CEO

TechSage Solutions provides technology solutions for business requirements focusing on providing Simplified IT Solutions for small to medium sized businesses. Look for John’s new book

titled Simplify Your Technology in August 2016.

The Rothschild Corporation

rothschildcorporation.com

Susanne RothschildFounder/CEO

The Rothschild Corporation is a company that is focused on improving company and employee performance with

recruiting; leadership, soft skills, and computer skills training; and project and change management services.

The Spear Group speargroup.com

Jessica LiuPresident

The Spear Group, Inc. provides state-of-the-art owner’s

representation, project management, project controls (planning,

estimating, scheduling, cost engineering), and program management

professional services in support of delivering our clients’ projects.

TOP Step Consulting topstepconsulting.com

Jodi CicciPresident & CEO

TOP Step Consulting offers PSA focused solutions such as Business Efficiency Assessments, PSADeployments, and

Virtual Administration.

Synergy Consulting synergyconsultingifa.com

Q

50 FASTEST GROWING

The


exceptional track record in increasing revenue and profits for fast-growing consumer businesses. In demand by top brands and investment firms, he has extensive experience in the Consumer, eCommerce, Retail, Online Marketing, and Ad-Tech Industries. He is a contributing author with over 100 published articles on Performance Marketing, Strategy, Leadership and Entrepreneurship including monthly columns for SteamFeed and Entrepreneur.com. Robert is also working on his first book that is projected to be published in the first quarter of 2017. He is a sought-after speaker having presented to large global audiences at over 20 conferences including adTech, Internet Retailer, DMA and Shop.org.

Delivering 360° Performance MarketingAcceleration Partners is a true hybrid of a consulting firm and a marketing agency, providing clients a unique combination of strategy and best-in-class execution.Their expert-led management teams have a low client-to-manager ratio, therefore they are able to allocate more resources and provide a high-level of engagement to their clients.Their teams are strategic, tactical, and proactive in looking for issues and opportunities before they arrive, rather than just responding to client requests.“We are committed to innovation and improvement which allows our clients to reach their goals. No matter what we are doing, we are always staying true to the client’s brand”, says Robert.

Acceleration Partners offers an approach referred to as 360° Performance Marketing. From understanding the client’s brand and marketing goals, to developing an

aligned program strategy driving the best possible results and ROI, they come full circle with how they manage their client’s programs. Their team is always looking out for the client’s best interests and taking measured risk to drive value.

Carving their Own Path to SuccessAcceleration Partners believes in performance marketing done the right way-efficiently, profitably, and always with the integrity of the brand in mind. They put quality first with a laser- focus on ROI, and full transparency.

Robert shares, “In scaling Acceleration Partners, I had a vision of helping our clients grow sustainable marketing programs with a focus on ROI. I believed that a performance-based model was a better solution because that way we were managing our client’s money as if it were our own.” Although this was uncommon at the time, it has become more standard now and as a result over 90% of their business comes from referrals.

Helping companies grow while maintaining brand integrity is at the heart of Acceleration

Partners. They have assembled a team of the best and brightest to develop customer acquisition programs that deliver real profits. A cross between a consulting firm and a marketing agency, they bring high-quality performance marketing programs to life whether through affiliate marketing, organic search or other channels.Their employee-focused culture ensures that your performance marketing programs are continuously managed by experts who are committed to your success.

Acceleration Partners is a leader in digital and performance marketing programs combining high-level strategy and tactical implementation. They manage programs that deliver measurable, sustainable growth for clients through transparent, high-value tactics.Their range of services include affiliate marketing, paid marketing (paid social and paid search), display/retargeting, SEO, and digital strategy.

Customer Acquisition SpecialistRobert Glazer, Founder and Managing Director of Acceleration Partners, is an award-winning customer acquisition specialist with an

Acceleration Partners:Growing Your BusinessWhile Respecting Your Brand

50 FASTEST GROWING

The


Robert GlazerFounder & Managing Director

20 | August 2016 |

““

Carving my own path and being

consistent with my values and what I

believe in is extremely

rewarding and has allowed my

company to thrive and avoid a lot of

ups and downs

planning but also in policy, public-private-partnerships, entrepreneurial accelerators, marketing, and communications strategies.

Focused on producing customized economic and operational strategies that bring the clients measurable results and success, the team of AngelouEconomics brings together experts with extensive multidisciplinary expertise. They utilize their expertise to develop unique, original strategies customized to the client’s local context.

Major corporate clients of AngelouEconomics include Fortune 500 companies such as HP, Dell, Seton Health, The Cleveland Clinic, Dimension Advisors, GE, Oracle, Exodus Communications, Intel, Oracle, Sun Micro Systems, AMD, SEMATECH, CITGO, Bloom Energy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and ConocoPhillips; international clients in countries such as Portugal, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, Austria, Republic of Malta, Alberta, Canada, Parana, Brazil, Vietnam; as well as countless domestic clients including major public-sector clients include Texas Lottery Commission, Texas Workforce Commission, and the State of Texas (Governor’s Office) for the Public Policy Strategic Plan and First Tech Strategic Plan.

Angelos G. Angelou, Principal Executive Officer of AngelouEconomics has completed his B.A. Economics and Political Science, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, M.A. Economics and Management, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas and a Ph.D.

coursework in Economics, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

Angelos, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in economic & business development and site location consulting, is also the Founder and Chairman of the Board of the International Accelerator in Austin, Texas, which is focused exclusively on foreign-born entrepreneurs and launching their technology startup businesses in the US. Angelos is an angel investor in half a dozen startups in Texas. He is also a founding member of the Site Selector’s Guild, the top site selector consultants group in the world.

AngelouEconomics is a leading economic development consultancy in the US. The firm has an impressive list of clients in both the private and public sector and has conducted over 650 economic development strategies, 150 economic impact studies, and has sited over $18 billion in capital investments projects throughout the world.

Prior to starting AngelouEconomics, Angelos spent 12 years with the Austin Chamber of Commerce as Vice President of Economic Development & Chief Economist. During his time at the chamber, Angelos was responsible for the recruitment of 800 technology companies and 70,000 employees.

Reflecting on the question of AngelouEconomics’ future, Angelos says, “While our reputation is stellar, we refuse to rest on it. We combine continuous innovation, candid advisement, and unbounded creativity to deliver measurable and intangible value for our clients.”

Firm believer of ‘every business should focus on what it does best’, AngelouEconomics,

focuses on economic development, public-private-partnerships and site selection-three practices. This multidisciplinary expertise of AngelouEconomics provides their clients valuable insights in competitive intelligence, best practices and analytics.

AngelouEconomics guides their clients in creating globally competitive economies. Over the past 20 years, AngelouEconomics has developed over 650 strategic plans working hand-in-hand with towns, cities, counties, regions, states, countries and private sector companies to develop visions, strategies, and implementation plans to advance success, growth and prosperity.

Unique Expertise in Strategic Economic Development PlansAngelouEconomics combines unique expertise in strategic economic development plans (primarily public sector clients), economic impact studies, SWOT analysis, strategic plans, and site location (private sector clients). They have an ample experience in not only strategic

AngelouEconomics:

Specialized in Economic

Development & Site Location

50 FASTEST GROWING

The


Angelos G. AngelouPrincipal Executive Officer

21 | August 2016 |

can offer specialized services and care not attainable from the largest providers. Cloud solutions represents the foundation for future technology, and BeCloud help their clients navigate the “what, when and how” cloud solutions can be utilized to better predict technology cost and provide scale. BeCloud also help their clients utilize technology in a more efficient manner by removing the daily maintenance of solutions so that customers can focus on core business strengths.

BeCloud operates in a domain where change is always happening at a fast clip. There are always new challenges, products, services and updates to keep up with. BeCloud has a diligent team of professionals that constantly read, study and test new technologies to keep up with changes. The BeCloud team’s dedication to great service, professionalism and client satisfaction is a major differentiator. They are committed to the small and medium-sized forward-looking businesses across all verticals. This diligence, dedication, and commitment drives the rapid growth BeCloud is experiencing.

James L. Phipps Jr., President & Owner of BeCloud LLC, has a background, experience and leadership which comes from over twenty years of practical work experience in technology. His past military service is where James polished his leadership skills and garnered a love for teamwork. His continual teaching and mentoring of young adults in Software Programming and Information Technology continues to be his passion

and keeps his outlook fresh. James’ most challenging but rewarding position demands that all of his experience, degrees and certifications be brought to bear. It is leading the world class team of astute

professionals at BeCloud LLC to provide Information Technology Consulting Services that are second to none.

Reflecting on the question of the future of Cloud Providers, James says, “The future for Cloud Providers is bright, because there are many opportunities to provide web, email, server and application hosting for clients. The rapid and continued growth of Internet based technologies continues to cross borders and barriers of doing business World Wide. But, customers need a trusted, informed, and dedicated partner to navigate the many cloud provider solutions. Welcome to BeCloud we are that trusted technology partner!”

Founded five years ago to provide detailed, professional, customized Cloud and

Managed Service solutions to customers around the globe, BeCloud LLC is a boutique that provides highly Customized Dedicated Servers, Virtual Private Servers and Technology Solutions for clients. With a motto “affordable, efficient and scalable IT”, Becloud designs custom solutions based on the client’s needs including: exposure, security specifications, risk tolerance and budget requirements.

BeCloud uses many combinations of technologies such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Cloud Solutions, and even custom built hosted solutions in their own datacenters or on customer premise to match the right tools and services for clients. After implementation, BeCloud offers managed services for solutions utilizing their flagship service “Complete Care”, to make sure that services continue to be maintained, monitored and operate at peak performance.

Boutique Services Offered by BeCloudBecause BeCloud is a boutique they

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22 | August 2016 |

BeCloud LLC:

Specialized Services and Care Not

Attainable From Even the Largest Providers

Our clients are able to

benefit from having a

single point-of-contact

for the entire IT

environment

“

“

James L. Phipps Jr.President & Owner

skills, and evolve digital experiences

to delight customers.

Customer Communications

From small projects to large-scale

transformation, BTA specializes in

communicating complex technical

topics in plain language that customers

understand. The BTA team has written

and edited over 15,000 customer

communications and represented over

300 million customer touchpoints.

Brand Strategy

BTA believes that thoughtful brand

execution and activation are critically

important. By providing many tools

such as reference guides, online and

classroom training and model

language, BTA brings brand strategy to

life.

Customer Analytics

BTA’s expert data science team uses

structured and unstructured data to

gain actionable insights, driving the

value of businesses. As an IBM

business partner certified in IBM SPSS

Modeler, they specialize in predictive

analytics, text analytics, social media

analytics, and analytics training.

Training

BTA’s customized client training

builds alignment and drives success

for key initiatives. Through engaging,

thought-provoking learning

experiences, BTA gives businesses a

solid understanding of what customer-

centric success looks like and how to

achieve it.

Future Panorama

While reflecting on the future, Steven

says, “Predictive and text analytics are

combining to create amazing new

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. By

applying machine learning, devices of

all types can begin to adapt to a user’s

preferences, without the user having to

spell it out. When combined with the

Internet of Things, we see a world of

connected devices, and greater

information and convenience. We’re

on the doorstep of an exciting new

period.”

Taking advantage of

technology has been a Bay

Area agency’s approach to

help their clients reach success.

Beyond the Arc combines big data and

analytics with strategic skills to help

companies create richer, personalized

experiences for customers.

Steven J. Ramirez, CEO of BTA has

set the vision and strategy by

developing technical solutions, as well

as the training and culture change

needed to make new initiatives

successful. With new technology

constantly reframing the way we do

business, the BTA team helps

companies effectively and profitably

manage business insights gained from

new technologies to create more

valuable customer relationships.

Expertise Services

Customer Experience Strategy

BTA’s Voice of the Customer program

uses strategy, text analytics and

communications to help companies

find and fix their pain points at the

moments that matter, build a customer-

centric company culture, optimize

communications and sharpen team

Beyond the Arc:

Enhancing Client’s Customer

Experience

Steven J. Ramirez CEO

We help clients apply data science for insights

to enrich customer

experience, improve

operational efficiency and

grow brand loyalty

“

“

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consulting agency Bluewolf, holds an MBA in Entrepreneurial Finance from New York University, and a BA in English from UC Berkeley. As CEO, Eric drives the strategic direction of the firm, working with his executives and their teams to deliver extraordinary customer moments.

Eric’s vision and commitment to superior digital experiences and customer engagement has helped thousands of organizations globally to get closer to their customers and drive profitable growth. Prior to Bluewolf, Eric held executive positions at Interworld and Oracle.

ExpertiseBluewolf has expertise in Salesforce, Digital Marketing, Quote-to-Cash, Analytics, Change Management & Learning, Public & Private Training, Cloud Integration & Development, Mobile and Cloud Governance.

Bluewolf’s suite of consulting services span the entire customer journey with Salesforce-from strategy and planning, to design, implementation, and ongoing innovation. The company helps align disparate functions between sales, marketing, customer service, and IT by focusing on cloud technology strategies that enhance the client's customer engagement.

Effectively Delivering the ServicesWith eyes on driving results from day one, Bluewolf’s experts embed themselves within clients’ business for a series of strategic activities that drive organizational alignment, prioritization, solution design, and success criteria.

To effectively deliver a smart, frictionless customer experience,

organizations need a partner who can deliver a mix of customer experience strategy, technology implementation, and design execution. This is Bluewolf’s “sweet spot”- the blend of technical subject matter experts, management consulting, and a digital design agency.

Shaking hands with IBM iXThe Salesforce market is significant and growing. As the proven Salesforce strategic partner, Bluewolf is satisfying demand by finding and onboarding talent outside of the ecosystem to close the resource gap and further support its customers.

A significant part of Bluewolf’s strategy will focus on rapid growth across the U.S., UK, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.

On future strategy, Eric says, “Combined with IBM iX, we will be able to create more transformative experiences for clients through an advanced portfolio of offerings.”

Nearly two decades ago, there were only a few organizations that realized the importance of

digital solutions as a key driver in achieving business outcomes. Bluewolf not only pioneered cloud consulting, but also has emerged as a global strategic leader in today’s cloud marketplace.

Bluewolf, an IBM Company, is an award-winning global consulting agency that builds digital solutions designed to create exceptional customer and employee experiences. As Salesforce’s longest standing partner, the company has logged more than fifteen years of transformative work for companies around the globe.

In 2000, at the peak of the dot-com bust, Bluewolf was born. Despite economic turbulence in the tech sector, the emergence of cloud computing sparked a new wave of innovation and flexibility. There was immediate potential for the cloud to change business and technology infrastructure for the better. Eric Berridge recognized an opportunity to leverage cloud, social, and mobile technologies to help companies become more agile and better engage their customers.

The Driving ForceEric Berridge, CEO of the global

Bluewolf:Welcome to a New Era ofDigital Transformation

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Eric Berridge

CEO

24 | August 2016 |

Using our proprietary technical

methods, we create a roadmap for the future of

your business

“

“

design services, field testing, observation, geotechnical engineering, soil structure interaction investigation, structural engineering, permitting, platting and laboratory testing.

Geo-Engineer:Dr. John Bryant, President of Bryant Consultants, is the principal in charge of all engineering operations including forensic, geotechnical, geo-structural and geophysical modeling and testing. Dr. Bryant is a fourth generation Aggie. His passion has always been to seek the truth and he applies that philosophy in solving complex Earth Science problems. He is an Engineer and Geologist by trade, however his valued Clients consider him the fore-leader in forensic engineering.

Geoneering by BCIGeoneering™ is a multi-disciplinary approach using geoscience and engineering to evaluate risks, solve soil structure interaction problems, and mitigate the effects of site anomalies. This “geoneering” approach has been the basis for the development of their patented Limited Site Investigation™ process for homebuilders in order to systematically identify and delineate the gross anomalies and higher risk areas of a site associated with soil-structure interaction phenomena. The Limited Site Investigation ™ process combines soil boring, ground water sampling and resistivity analyses in a patented combination to evaluate subsurface anomalies with the state of the art accuracy.

They also provide…..Bryant Consultants provides proprietary solutions through the utilization of exclusive techniques and disciplines developed by its world-renowned research and development

team. These solutions include an in-house laboratory facility, state-of-the-art geophysical methods such as electrical resistivity (GMMIR)™, ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic surveys (EM) and seismic refraction as well as other field exploration techniques.They also provide Field Testing & Observations, Geotechnical Engineering, Soil Structure Interaction Investigation, Structural Engineering, Permitting & Platting and Laboratory Testing.

Successful and Proficient in BusinessAlthough their operations are based in the North Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex) area, their firm maintains a staff of five licensed professional engineers which, all together, are licensed in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Employing licensed professional engineers with extensive education, design, analysis, and forensic experience in geotechnical and structural engineering enables their firm to fully understand soil-structure interactions and its capability to cause damage/distress to structures.

Engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials before initiating any

site construction plays the most important role in the building procedures, materials, lifespan of building, risks involved, etc. Geotechnical and Geoscience Engineering uses principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics to investigate subsurface conditions and materials.

Being unique in its own industry, Bryant Consultants strives to provide its clients with the most accurate description of the subsurface, surficial and structure conditions at the site using the state-of-the-art technologies and analysis so that a realistic evaluation of the site’s present state is provided. Their Geoneering TM approach is multi-disciplinary, utilizing geoscience and engineering to evaluate risks, identify and solve soil structure interaction problems, and mitigate the effects of the site anomalies.Bryant ConsultantsBryant Consultants Incorporated (BCI) Headquartered in Carrollton Texas, are Civil, Structural, Geotechnical Engineers and Geoscience and Forensic Consultants. BCI offers comprehensive geotechnical and geoscience consulting expertise to help assess, identify and reduce risks for clients during the site development process. The company also offers

Bryant Consultants:Helping Assess, Identify andReduce Risks for Homebuilders

Dr. John Bryant

President

25 | August 2016 |

“

“

We are changing theface of Engineering

TM by combininggeoscience and state

of the art engineeringtechnology and

methods to solve themost complex Earth

System problems

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spanning numerous technology platforms and media with the capability of reaching any audience, anywhere.

Committed to delivering end-to-end sales performance solutions, Chasse Consulting enables their customers to address their toughest business obstacles so they can continue to compete and thrive into the future. Throughout numerous industries-from high-tech, to office retail, to hospitality, to oil and gas-their customers have seen benefits ranging from increased revenues to more efficient work streams achieved through a partnership with Chasse Consulting, highlighting one client who saw a 400% increase in net new sales over two quarters. Beverly Chasse, Founder and CEO of Chasse Consulting, a passionista for sales and bold thinking, implements her 30-year industry experience to advise companies in the areas of enterprise sales, enablement strategy, professional training and development, global events, digital enterprise solutions, mobile technology, and end-to-end sales experiences.

Since 2002, Beverly has led her award-winning company recognized for accolades such as the RecognizeGood Foundation’s Ethics in Business and Community Award and Austin Business Journal’s “Best Place to Work” three years running. When not aiding Fortune 500 companies increase revenue by outlining and implementing sales strategies tailored to global audiences,

Beverly participates in various local and national philanthropic efforts as well as international goodwill mission trips promoting causes such as health living, sustainability, and water purification. In 2016, she plans to take this focus on mission further with the launch of the company’s new cause-focused app: #KickAss4Good.

Soon to be launched, #KickAss4Good is seeking to enable everyone to contribute to their community without necessarily having to donate money to do so. KickAss4Good will issue fun and immersive challenges to the users which, once completed, will result in Karma Points that users can apply to a cause or charity close to them. At the end of each point period leading charities with the most points will be recognized for greater awareness. Delving into the mobile app environment, Chasse Consulting is excited to venture on an endeavor that allows them to extend their philanthropic mission to a larger audience.

Our goal is to be exceptional

business partners, colleagues, and

citizens of humanity-to be

good to our customers, our coworkers, and our neighbors

Focused on developing end-to-end sales solutions encompassing content, tools,

training, and technology, Chasse Consulting is making solutions actionable for clients. While defining an organization’s sales strategy, Chasse Consulting maps it to the mission and goals of the company-ensuring cross-departmental alignment as well-along with the means to propel that strategy towards success. A diverse team of writers, designers, and creative-thinkers make up Chasse Consulting, all of whom revel at the prospect of helping clients solve their biggest business challenges through creative and unique approaches.

Top Class Sales Performance Advisory ServicesChasse Consulting is a leading provider of sales performance advisory services, partnering with the world’s leading organizations to generate, execute, and bring to market inventive sales solutions that improve selling performance and increase revenue. They know that revenue performance is directly linked to the strategy an organization has in place. Together with their in-house translation team, they engineer global business solutions

Chasse Consulting:

Perfect Strategy & Execution for

Global Business Solutions

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“

“

Beverly ChasseFounder & CEO

26 | August 2016 |

documentation is reviewed and meetings with the customer are held. Sampling and Testing, during this phase, Coalfire’s security professionals work onsite with their customers to collect additional information related to the security and control environment to help understand the security maturity. Submission, includes the review of work papers and documenting the final report along with quality assurance reviews. Coalfire leverages standardized project management processes in support of these unstructured engagements to support the development, tracking and status of various milestones to meet the customers requested services. Coalfire uses a solution that was developed in house, the CoalfireOne Platform. Coalfire makes the often complex and daunting process of compliance easier with the CoalfireOne Platform.

The Key DifferentiatorsClient FocusedCoalfire gets to know their clients’ businesses and industries. With this knowledge, they select the right people, process and technology to help them understand their vulnerabilities, close security gaps, comply with regulations, and reduce risk.

Comprehensive ApproachUsing a combination of advisory, assessment, and technical testing services, Coalfire looks at all aspects of a client’s environment to provide a complete picture of possible vulnerabilities, threats, and gaps that could impact their business.

Deep ExperienceCoalfire draws upon more than 15 years of in-depth expertise across a wide spectrum of regulations, technologies, and customer specific challenges, to deliver solutions appropriate for their clients and their industries.

Risk Management RootsBeing an IT risk and security services provider, Coalfire knows what’s required to stay secure in this ever changing environment.

Larry Jones - CEO of Coalfire, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in computer sciences in 1975 and earned his MBA from Boston University in 1980. Mr. Jones has more than 25 years of experience building, operating and growing public and private companies in the business process outsourcing, marketing services, enterprise software, smart-grid, information and IT services industries. He has a proven track record as the CEO of six companies and has served as director of 13 private equity, public and VC-backed companies and executive chairman of two others. Also, Mr. Jones currently serves as a director of Diligent Corporation (NZX: DIL) and Essential Power, LLC. Mr. Jones says, “Our deep understanding of our client’s business, coupled with our expertise, enables us to create the shortest path to accurate and complete cybersecurity measures at a competitive price, and with minimal disruptions to the business.”

Today, enterprises depend upon information technology as an essential tool for meeting their

business objectives. But they also need to balance safeguarding their intellectual property, financial information and the company’s reputation, amongst others. Founded in 2001 with a simple idea, ‘cyber threats are increasing, compliance mandates are getting more complicated, and a well-designed cyber risk management program is your best line of defense’, Coalfire has been rethinking cybersecurity.

Security Consulting Coalfire’s services include both Structured and Unstructured Consulting Services. For example, their assessment related services are considered a structured service and follow a standardized methodology that is referred to as the PASS methodology. The PASS methodology consists of four phases including: Pre-Assessment, includes kickoff, setting expectations and beginning to collect preliminary information about the customer. Analysis, includes additional information requests, policy and procedure review and starting to define the assessment in more detail as

Coalfire:Elite Cyber Risk Managementand Compliance Services

Larry JonesCEO

27 | August 2016 |

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a website redesign or new design, this can be the single largest component for determining how much your web site will cost. Also, they offer website re-design too.

Search Engine Optimization, to get your site better rankings and increased traffic in no time, Digital Consulting KC offers Local SEO, Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing.

Graphic Design, Digital Consulting KC provide graphic design services including logo/ branding design, print and online ad design, digital graphic artwork and more.

Email Template Design, custom

email template designs so good, your

customers won’t help but to open

them! Digital Consulting KC offers

Content Marketing and Blogs

services, which includes:

Custom Infographic Design, which is

an effective and unique way to get

your message across send a message to

your website visitors.

Website Copywriting, Digital

Consulting KC’s website copywriters

with the expertise, talent, and skills to

craft website content that increases

new organic website traffic and

increases your online revenue.

Blog Creation, based on your current

site, your brand, your target audience,

and your goals, the blog designers will

develop a blog look that strengthens

your company’s online presence.SEO Audits, an overall analysis of

your website to assess the actions

needed in order to best optimize for

search engine rankings.

Alex Mikhael, Founder and CEO of

Digital Consulting KC, is a graduated

from Kansas State University in 2010

with a Business Marketing Degree.

Alex began his digital marketing

career in 2011 at a start-up mobile

application company in Kansas City.

Alex gained knowledge and

experience about the importance of

tracking clients digital marketing

efforts, importance of reaching clients

customers through mobile and web.His past work is comprised of Graphic User Interface designs for Mobile Apps, individual magazine ad designs, and multiple websites with CRM Integration, SEO Optimization, eCommerce development, email marketing campaigns, and complete web traffic and analytics across all digital marketing platforms.

Elaborating the future aspect of the company, Alex says, “There is no limit to the amount of opportunity that the digital world has in store for companies like Digital Consulting KC, LLC. There is a bright future to digital consulting specialist in tomorrow’s digital market place.”

Labeling itself as “The small business owners’affordable in-house digital marketing team”,

Digital Consulting KC is thoroughly focused on responsiveness and attentiveness to the client’s needs. Digital Consulting KC was founded on the sole purpose to help small to medium size businesses with their digital solutions.They provide a way to maintain company’s presence online and keeping up with the ever changing technology we call “The Internet” so that the clients can focus on what really matters, running their day to day operations.Digital Consulting KC is moving forward with a mindset that, a company should have an ability to receiving outside advice and seeking out others opinions, which will lead to successful business go from an A rated company to an A++ rated company.

Offering Variety of Options for Building a Lasting and Effective WebsiteAs a Web Design, Graphic Design, SEO, and Internet Marketing Company, Digital Consulting KC offers a variety of options for building a lasting and effective website. As their Web Design Services, Digital Consulting KC offers the following services:Website Design, if you are looking for

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Alex MikhaelFounder and CEO

28 | August 2016 |

Digital Consulting KC:Helping Create ALasting & Effective Website

We truly careabout our clients need

to grow and have asuccessful return oninvestment when it

comes to their websiteand their presence

““

analysis and recommendation that is solidly grounded in experience and know-how.

The approach to consulting is client-centered, with each assignment tailored to meet the specific client needs and objectives. Projects are structured for client participation and transparency- a collaborative approach that leverages internal knowledge and develops client ownership of both the issues and the final recommendations. Directors are actively involved in each assignment and experienced in taking the Senior management perspective -which enable them to put issues and solutions into a broader context. They also develop a point of view on the subject in hand that goes beyond analysis.

Edgar, Dunn & Company supports clients in addressing the most significant management challenges by providing deep payments experience in the following areas:

Advisory Services. Edgar, Dunn & Company provides market research, strategic analysis and critical business guidance to executives across all parts of the payments value chain, as well as due diligence services and acquisition target identification.

Industry Forums and Roundtables, which create a unique forum for the constructive exchange of new ideas and best practices in the payments industry.

Law Firm Support. They support law firms in regulatory reform and

competition authority challenges, expert witness/litigation matters, and transactional support activities.

Peter Sidenius is Managing Director of Edgar, Dunn & Company. He holds a Master’s of Science from Denmark’s Technical University and a Masters of Philosophy in Management Studies from Oxford University. In addition,

Peter leads their London office. Peter has over 25 years of experience in strategy consulting to a variety of leading industry clients in financial services, with wide geographical experience. He is a regular conference speaker and Chairman at events concerning the cards and payments business.

Reflecting on the future of the company, Peter says “Technology and innovation are driving changes in the payment world at increasing speed. With the arrival of new technologies and greater regulatory focus the payment space will be changing substantially over the coming years. For a consultant, there has never been a better time to be in payments.”

Edgar, Dunn & Company is a financial services consultancy, with a deep expertise in

payments. Established in 1978, they have advised their clients on many of the industry’s most significant issues, including payments strategies, customer profitability / retention, credit / fraud risk, payment process optimisation, leveraging innovation and assessing new market / product opportunities.

Founded in the United States, Edgar, Dunn & Company has expanded geographically to meet the needs of an increasingly global client base. Today, they have served clients in more than 50 countries on six continents from offices in Frankfurt, London, Paris, San Francisco and Sydney. Their clients include Financial Institutions, Card Issuers, Merchants, Acquirers, Processors, Technology Providers, Payment Schemes and Regulators.

An Independent Strategy Consulting FirmEdgar, Dunn & Company is an independent firm owned by its directors. They are seasoned professionals, who take a pragmatic approach to client issues and deliver

Edgar, Dunn & Company: Translating Adviceinto Action

Peter SideniusManaging Director

29 | August 2016 |

We offer bespoke advice rather than

standard methods and

solutions

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firm solely dedicated to helping its clients achieve and sustain superior shareholder returns and the only firm whose clients, on average, achieve sustainable shareholder returns 50% greater than their industry peers.

According to the firm’s founding partners, Scott Gillis, Lee Mergy and Joe Shalleck, “We measure our results by the shareholder returns our clients deliver, relative to their industry peers, over time. That clarity of objective and explicit measure of success has been the cornerstone of our enduring client relationships and success.”

Galt has global operations with offices in New York, Chicago, London and Singapore. The firm’s clients span multiple industries, including Consumer Products, Food & Beverage, Distribution, Financial Services, Retail, broad-based Industrials, Chemicals, Aerospace & Defense and Healthcare.

The success and loyalty of Galt’s clients are evidenced in their client results and comments:

The members of Galt & Company led a process with my team at Clorox, to create the strategies, capabilities and incentives that have driven excellent results - over the last three years our total shareholder returns have been 45% vs. 10% for the S&P 500 Don Knauss, former Chairman, CEO, Clorox

“Jim Kilts, Chairman and CEO is a friend of mine who has turned around several companies. I asked him how

he did this and he mentioned that he used a particular firm, Galt & Company. Last fall we hired Galt & Company to look at our overall strategy … their insights were non-intuitive and highly impactful.” John Allison, former Chairman and CEO, BB&T and former Chairman of CATO Institute

“Galt & Company partners are different from other top management advisors -- they deliver results, not just recommendations. They have had a tremendous impact on our results and an enduring impact on our organization’s capabilities.” Travis Engen, former CEO, Alcan and ITT Industries

Almost every chief executive wants to deliver superior returns for their shareholders;

however, only a few corporations have been able to do so on a sustainable basis. In fact, over the last thirty years only two percent of Fortune 500 companies have been able to deliver shareholder returns in the top quartile of their industries for five consecutive years. Galt & Company has supported a number of these top-performing corporations.

Galt & Company works with Fortune 500 companies to develop the strategies and organizational capabilities needed to deliver superior shareholder returns. The firm designs and implements broad-scale, top management-led, performance improvement programs that impact corporate and business unit strategy, resource allocation and performance management. Most importantly Galt & Company helps management institutionalize the capabilities and governance disciplines needed to sustain superior performance over time.

Galt & Company’s DifferentiationGalt & Company is the only advisory

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30 | August 2016 |

“

“

Galt & Company:

Delivering Superior

Shareholder Returns

We are the only advisor that helps management build the strategies and business decision-making disciplines

needed to outperform

competition in both the

customer and capital markets

Veteran in the BusinessBill Pletch, Founder of Intelysis Consultants, attended the University of New England and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology and Chemistry and then went on to obtain his Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Science in Leadership. Bill has recently retired from a long and distinguished Military Career as a Senior Field Grade Officer from the US Army. Bill’s career spanned over three decades service and included Enlisted and Non-Commissioned Officer Field Combat Medic and Medical Laboratory time and then over 20 years as a Commissioned Officer in the distinguished Corps of Engineers Regiment. Bill had served in a distinguished manner in three named combat operations and many national and international humanitarian aid and disaster recovery efforts. His last federal deployments were to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom Afghanistan as well as the recovery efforts in Iraq in Operation New Dawn. Since returning from these operations he has developed Intelysis Consultants to provide IT services to serve businesses with full spectrum IT services.

Providing High Spectrum of ServicesIntelysis is proficient in providing IT services, Application Development, Project Management and IT Federal Contracting. Their IT services includes Network Management, User Management, Data Management, Management Information Systems, Systems Management, Data center Monitoring and Management, Server Management and Monitoring, Cloud Hosting and Management, Data Backup, Data

Security Management, Data Storage Service, Data Recovery / Business Continuity, Information Services Backup, Managed email security and Help Desk/Service Desk.

Future VistaTheir specialist IT knowledge coupled with the unique approach to customer service has earned them an enviable reputation. Having a truly flexible resource model and limited-to-zero overheads results in very cost conscious pricing models. They have not only the IT Project Services and Management team; they are also working on Net Management, User Management, Data Management, Management Information System, and System Management also. Intelysis Consultants is a VA Certified Service Disabled Veteran owned company providing transparency of operations. Already tasting the success, but believes that it still has a long way to go. They plan to deliver Business continuity, best in class service, personal and professional caring service while expanding their business on domestic and international level.

Hiring third party to take care of one parameter of company is very popular in big sector

companies. However, making sure that the party contributes as a catalyst instead of becoming a burden on the company. Intelysis consultants whereas contributes its services to the IT sector of companies, to make them more reliable and more productive. Providing end-to-end solutions makes Intelysis, an Information Technology Service Provider to look for.

Provider of Cost Effective and Integrated SolutionsIntelysis Consultants is a management and information technology consulting firm that partners with the government and private clients to address some of today’s most complex business problems. Their program management experience, expertise and extensive industry experience allow them to collaboratively work with their clients to plan, develop and deliver innovative and integrated solutions. Positive business impact and measurable return on investment is their number one objective on every client engagement. They look for ways to develop solutions that will have the largest effect on clients’ business or agency to drive measurable improvements in business performance and cost management.

Bill PletchFounder

31 | August 2016 |

Intelysis Consultants:A VA Certified Service DisabledVeteran Owned Company

“

“

We will look for ways todevelop solutions thatwill have the largest

effect in your business oragency to drive

measurable improvementsin business performance

and cost management

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Staff Augmentation

Business owners and managers may need to think innovatively when filling up employment needs. Recruiting new staff isn’t always feasible and there

may be times when you need a different solution. And in these days of economic recession and insecurity about the future, companies have been forced to reconsider the way they do business. To meet their recurring business challenges, many organizations have been forced to reduce their staff and/or stop hiring. Yet, they still need to do the same or more with very less resources and staffs. Staff Augmentation, here could help you increase the staff when you need to without making any permanent hires.

Staff augmentation in simple terms can be defined as an outsourcing strategy which is used to run a project and respond to business objectives. This technique consists of appraising the current staff and then ascertaining which added skills that are required. One possible benefit of this

tactic is that it may leverage current resources as well as hire outsourced services and contract workers. Employing temporary workers allows you to avoid the hiring process and the worries of additional payroll duties.So many companies have turned to staff augmentation to fill the gaps in their workforce, endure the declining economy and maintain a competitive edge. Using workers from service providers, mostly in nearshore locations, organizations are able to supplement their staff with the workers who have the skills necessary to meet the requirements of their businesses.

Why Staff Augmentation Services?

Experience MattersAugmenting your staff with qualified professionals at the peak of their careers permits you to allocate projects and tasks with confidence. Accomplished mid-career

Editor's Pick

32 | August 2016 |

professionals are not interns and so will not require much training or support. Merely assign projects and tasks as needed and an augmented staffer or team will be able to deliver the results you need right on time. An experienced professional brings his own significant set of skills to your project, and frees up your time letting you to focus on the big picture.

Cost EffectiveThere’s no point in paying for extra employees all year round if you only need them for a very short time. With staff augmentation, you're paying for the task to be done, when you need it and only for the accurate skills at the right times. By not paying regular wages year-round, you’re saving a lot of money in both the short and long term.

Risk MitigationAnother situation where augmentation is reasonable for companies those are in a situation where it is unclear if they are going to welcome growth or if they may have to deal with reducing the staff size. A company tackling this difficulty may still have a demand for increased recruitment for the short term in order to get dire products to the market. Hiring permanent employees under those conditions can be very tricky both from a financial perspective as well as public relations.

FlexibilityStaying flexible in business is possibly more important than staying powerful. The capability to adapt is what keeps the company at the forefront and with staff augmentation you can upgrade the passion of your staff's work output whenever needed.

ControlBy using staff augmentation, you can maintain a complete and overall control over who is doing the important work, who gets assigned to minor tasks and who is leading your most important and crucial projects. Maintain control, the final product and every single step along the way.

A motivated and balanced workforceBecause consultants are hired to embark on specific projects and meet firm deadlines, they tackle the tasks with accuracy and concentration. Their goal is to warrant the client’s success. Since they aren’t concerned about promotions or office politics, they can provide a neutral and direct opinion from an unbiased point of view.

AccessibilityFinding, recruiting, training, reskilling, and preserving employees take time. With staff augmentation you get speedy access to skilled and experienced talent to meet needs that can grow suddenly or more rapidly. You are protected against possibilities such as a team member proving to be a bad fit for the project, management style or the company culture.

Other Benefits Staff Augmentation offersIn addition to the huge advantages described earlier, the staff augmentation model also offers other benefits over other outsourcing models. One of the most apparent is that outsourced resources work with the current employees. This means that contractors will take commands from your administrators. Leveraging company leadership to supervise contractors improves the assimilation with the existing teams and increases the knowledge of what is expected of these temporary resources.

Editor's Pick

33 | August 2016 |

focus was to use data to uncover meaningful patterns for what makes a great team. Project Aristotle is a fascinating undertaking that was detailed recently in The New York Times.

Ironically, the Project Aristotle team got nowhere fast. They hit one brick wall after another as their hypotheses kept proving wrong, despite robust team observations, surveys, and analysis. Just because a team was made up of high IQs, big achievers, or nice guys didn’t mean they could come together to produce good work. Even

the classic suspects - structure, roles, and goals - proved necessary but insufficient to predict the highest levels of success.

But they knew something was there and they kept digging until they uncovered one factor that stood out above all others, despite numerous other variations - a culture characterized by psychological safety as a key determinant of the most effective teams. Psychological safety, according to Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, is “the shared belief that a team is safe for personal risk-taking…that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up.”

The researchers at Google describe two factors that seem to make the biggest difference in creating psychologically safe environments for collaboration:

1. Relatively equivalent air time among all team members in their discussions

2. A high overall level of social sensitivity

Translation: Everybody on a highly performing team could expect that they would be heard if they had something to say and that their concerns, positive or otherwise, would be attended to by the team. These findings were borne out consistently

Team members at Google are challenged in much the same way as nearly everyone else in

corporate life. To get things done, they need to come together fast and tackle complex tasks that have no easy solutions. But Google loves to take on huge challenges (driverless car, anyone?) and a team of Google researchers recently set out to find the workplace equivalent of The Holy Grail: a perfect team.

Google called the effort Project Aristotle and the researchers’ primary

By Pa�y McManus

What Google Learned About Teams

(and what leaders can do about it)

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despite variables such as a team’s goals, process, or even the style of its leader.

Safety Starts with LeadersIn a recent blog post, I explored the approach that animation giant Pixar takes to creating a safe environment for break-through story telling. In his 2014 book Creativity Inc, Pixar’s CEO Ed Catmull demonstrates his belief that a big part of his job is fostering that condition.

In one telling example, Catmull describes a deal he made with his co-founder Steve Jobs: Catmull would commit to stay at Pixar if Jobs would agree to forego attending the meetings where unfettered truth-telling was essential to the success of their films. Despite his brilliance, Jobs was known as the last leader on earth you’d look to for creating a safe environment. Catmull knew he had to protect against the risk of Jobs’ larger-than-life style overwhelming people’s need to speak the hard truths. While Catmull didn’t use the term, he was describing psychological safety as an essential ingredient of success for Pixar’s film makers. If you’re a leader like Catmull looking to adopt the same practice for your teams, special care and attention are required.

Here are three essentials for leadership that make a difference:

Develop clear goals and ground rules.People in teams need enough common focus to feel competent to do the work at hand--hard to find in a world that is always shifting under their feet. Whether it’s stated outcomes for a last-minute meeting, short-term milestones on a project path, or high level objectives in a charter, effective teams share a common view of what they are trying to accomplish. Period.

Psychological safety cannot exist in an on-going state of ambiguity. While they may not know what the future will look like in a month or a year, they can be clear about the nature and scope of what they are working on right now. If it needs to change, so be it-and that requires a discussion, some decision-making, and a collective reset.

Setting the team up with ground rules, as clearly stated norms, goes a long way to creating mindfulness about

individual actions. Despite our best intentions, not everyone is naturally inclined to set aside their positions to hear what others are thinking. Pressure, timelines, and politics just compound the challenge. Getting a team’s agreement on simple ground rules, such as “Equal access to the air waves” or “Listen before you give an opinion” can shift team members’ inclinations. Keep ground rules spare and specific, revisit them often. And, most especially as the leader: Hold the line when someone crosses it.

Actively commit to creating psychological safety.Google is hardly packed with touchy-feely types who expect to be talking about emotions at work. However, one leader described the value of having actual data that demonstrated the importance of paying attention to the subtle or even blatant barriers to people’s experience of safety on a team. The most common: Members getting shut down without a hearing on a controversial opinion, or being marginalized because of stylistic differences. These and other issues like them need to be noticed, named, and resolved as soon as they appear-and if the leader doesn’t start, who will?

But it doesn’t stop there for leaders. In her research on teams, Stanford Professor Maggie Neale (2) has demonstrated the potential of diversity - when and if a team can take advantage of each member’s perspective. Neale emphasizes the importance of actually managing diversity so that the team creates an inclusive culture that enables healthy dynamics and solid results.

Even if no one else does, leaders need to keep the importance of psychological safety front and center, especially about their own actions. If a team has ground rules about equal access to air time, yet the leader repeatedly does most of the talking or lets the two high status members take over, the team faces not only a loss of safety but the cynicism that results when a leader says one thing and does another. Which brings me to the third essential for team leaders…

Take a hard look in a good mirror.Having the ability to see their impact on others is the place to start. A leader may truly believe in the power of collaboration, understand the importance of psychological safety on a team, AND continue to act in ways that create the opposite effect. I am continually astounded by how hard

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it can be for well-intentioned people to change their habits and patterns.

One of my favorite insights in the last year came from a book entitled Immunity to Change by Kegan and Lahey (2009). The authors describe many of the barriers to change that reside in both organizations and individuals. Given the complex psychological challenges when taking on even the most obvious changes, they recommend that individuals focus on one area, and start by asking a few individuals the following question: “What is one big thing I could do to improve…?”

If you talk to a few people who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth, you’ll probably start to hear a theme or two. Then take on one change and one change only-and make it concrete and specific. “Be a better listener” is way too vague. Try something as specific as “asking two questions before giving my opinion” or “looking around to see who hasn’t had a chance to weigh in.”

As the Project Aristotle findings began making their way

into the popular press, the world around Google-up, down, and around Silicon Valley-seemed to let out a collective “duh!” Or maybe it was a sigh of relief. So many of us have known the agony of being on a team that not only felt unsafe but couldn’t deliver on its promise. The hard part is knowing what to do about it. Fortunately, even though leaders can’t create psychological safety on their own, small but intentional shifts in their mindset and actions can set the tone for better things.

About Patty McManusSenior Consultant Patty McManus develops leaders who are equipped to embrace both the responsibilities and the potential of their roles. She works at the levels of values, skill development, and motivation to support leaders’ and organizations’ success. Patty is a frequent blogger and podcaster on interactionassociates.com and author of the popular ebook, “The Little Book of Big Change”. She is also a sought-after presenter, speaking most recently at the American Library Association's National Conference.

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raise capital and the lowest cost of capital.

Wise Strategic and Financial SolutionsLeshinsky Finance, at a high level create pro forma, valuations, financial statements, sensitivity analyses, review key performance indicators, raise capital via their network and experience, assist in mergers and acquisitions, be retained by banks and other lenders for underwriting, and companies that need a value on their business among other things, like real estate valuations, feasibility studies, etc.

Michael Leshinsky, Founder of Leshinsky Finance, started out after undergrad buying and building franchises up and down interstate 95 in MA when he noticed a bubble was forming and sold them for 200% return on investment. The trick is to continuously reviewing cap rate or yield. NOI/Value and when the yield is below a certain threshold you sell. In the meantime he was in grad school, getting his MBA concentration Finance Modern Portfolio Theory Investment Analysis.

Michael took the proceeds from the sale of the businesses and invested it in real estate at a 50% discount due to the housing crash which today is up 100% from purchase price on his balance sheet. As buying real estate decided to go for second masters in real state valuation, finance and underwriting, while holding the real state he worked at an accounting firm that transferred to an incubator in Boston called MassChallenge. He worked with

Harvard grads that wanted to start their own business; his practice grew and now works with bigger clients in terms of annual sales. He also still invests in real estate, does real estate development, and created a small hedge fund.

While recalling his experience of the foundation of Leshinsky Finance, Michael says, “We followed the key values like, Brand recognition, our vast network, impeccable work, 100% success rate on raising capital, among knowing powerful politicians and private equity players globally.”

Further he adds, “We don’t have a strategy, we haven’t found a company that can provide the same quality of work, with that said, we should have a strategy. I am sure there are other companies that do compete.”

Reflecting on the future of Leshinsky, Michael asserts, “We want unlimited growth potential done correctly and meeting and helping all the different types of companies and people.”

Diagnosticating the importance of wise strategic and financial choices at all phases of

business-from the contemplation stages to the maturation and sale of the business, Leshinsky Finance has designed the service to take the frustration and uncertainty out of the key decisions needed allowing the clients to focus on the business. Providing services to the cities like, Providence, Rhode Island, Boston, Massachusetts, New York, and Palo Alto, California, but Leshinsky Finance is always happy and excited to assist anywhere globally.

Leshinsky Finance knows that the biggest mistakes come at times of transition, when people neglect to put the right processes in place to ensure their present and future success; they threaten the efficiency of their business and survival. They also know that most entrepreneurs and small business owners get consumed by daily operations and can neglect their optimal financial performance.

Knowing this fact, Leshinsky Finance provides the most valuable discipline - managing money the most efficient way possible, finding the optimal solution within a feasible region, they

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Leshinsky Finance:Following the Right Processes toEnsure Present and Future Success

Our focus is on helping businesses

improve their financial

performance and

operations

and Tableau) to implementing multi-terabyte data warehouses.

ERP Systems, practice enables clients to envision roadmaps, plan investments and successfully deliver on complex business transformation initiatives, supported by deeply experienced consultants.

Project Leadership & Product Management, helps clients organize, plan and deliver unique goals and objectives, achieving an optimal balance between scope, schedule, and budget. Product Management services span the areas of eCommerce, Web Self-Service, Marketing, and Call Center technologies.

Organizational Change Management, Matisia partners with clients to develop, launch and manage tailored, multi-faceted change management strategies to help their most valuable assets - their people - let go of the familiar and welcome the new.Matisia helps ensure their clients stay relevant and informed in an ever-changing environment. They always do what is best for the client and help organize, plan, motivate and deliver on their clients’ unique goals and objectives. Matisia doesn’t believe in a one-size or one-solution-fits-all approach. They draw from their experience and leverage best practices and, in tandem, customize the solutions for clients.

Kristina Roth, founded Matisia Consultants in 2006. She has nearly 20 years of experience in consulting and previously worked for IBM and PwC, focusing on improving efficiencies,

increasing profits, and implementing change through technology and business process improvements for a multitude of clients. She has grown the Matisia business and brand across multiple office locations, including Washington, California and Minnesota.

“Being a client centric firm,” Kristina explains, “our focus on our clients begins with strong capabilities and seasoned leaders from across industries. We provide innovative, customized consulting solutions to greatly improve our clients’ performance and profitability. We help our clients stay informed and relevant in an ever-changing environment.”While talking about Matisia, Kristina says, “Our biggest assets have always been and continue to be our passionate, driven and deeply experienced consultants. The most important core values that have helped us overcome growth challenges are: Always putting our people first, continuously improving, and never compromising our unique culture.”

Matisia understands the importance of investing in the community. Kristina adds, “We engage our employees, bringing together our collective resources to improve our world. We do this through investing in organizations like Communities Schools of Washington, Cure 4 Type 1, Jubilee Women’s Center, The Seattle Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care Fund and many more.”

Throwing light on its future Kristina says, “With constant change comes opportunity… this is what excites us most about the future and what we do.”

Focused on inspiring clients and getting them to think and act differently, Matisia works with

a level of commitment, expertise and enthusiasm that is unmatched. Matisia Consultants strategizes and moves the companies they work with forward, giving them the power to grow at the speed of change.

Matisia provides highly skilled consultants with an average of 10 years of consulting experience. Their localized delivery of consulting services deepens the connection and trust with their clients. Matisia provides a transparent, simplified all-inclusive pricing model, which is widely appreciated by clients.

Customized Consulting SolutionsMatisia provides localized delivery of customized consulting solutions across four primary service lines or centers of excellence, on both a project delivery and technical resourcing basis: Business Intelligence, ERP Services, Project Leadership & Product Management, and Organizational Change Management.

Business Intelligence (BI), the BI professionals handle projects of all sizes, spanning the development of impactful dashboards (e.g. Power BI

Matisia Consultants:Top-Notch CustomizedConsulting Solutions

Kristina RothFounder

39 | August 2016 |

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sustainability. In addition to working as an executive advisor, Maureen designs and teaches MBA classes in Leadership and Organizational Transformation. She is also the host of an international radio show focused on Innovative Leadership for VoiceAmerica, and the author of an award-winning book series on Innovative Leadership, including the Innovative Leaders Guide to Transforming Organizations, winner of the 2014 International Book Award for Best Business Reference Book.

Maureen is a valued board member of several organizations, and served on the board of trustees for Urbana University. Before founding Metcalf & Associates, she worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Accenture across a broad range of industries, building strong business acumen and consulting skills. She has worked with a number of Fortune 100 clients, delivering a wide range of significant business results, including increased profitability, cycle time reduction, increased employee engagement and effectiveness, and improved quality.

Metcalf, Offering a Holistic Approach to Creating LeadershipMetcalf helps leaders at all levels evolve their capacity to innovate, inspire and achieve thriving organizations. They follow certain tenets:

Evolve Leadership - Metcalf offers comprehensive programs that enable executives and their teams to advance their leadership capability over time, from emerging leaders, through the leader and executive leader ranks. Their approach is based on prominent

research in the field, made practical for busy leaders. Programs include executive advisory services, assessments, workshops, on-line development programs, and leadership and management coaching.

Build Vibrant Teams - With the ever-increasing complexity of organizations, leaders must rely on others inside and outside the company to deliver results. Team vibrancy is critical to organizational success. Metcalf & Associates assesses and advises teams to achieve or improve this essential element using an approach that is based on research by noted adjunct Harvard University researcher, Jim Ritchie-Dunham.

Create Thriving Organizations - Metcalf advises leaders and their organizations as they implement complex, enterprise-wide change. They offer a structured approach to organizational transformation involving executive advisory services, consulting, assessments, innovative approaches, and structured processes.

While reflecting on Metcalf’s future, Maureen says, “In this time of such dramatic change, we have a greater opportunity to make a global impact than any other time in history.”

We help leaders at all levels evolve their capacity to innovate, inspire

and achieve thriving

organizations.

Dedicated to helping leaders, their management teams, and their organizations implement

the innovative leadership and business practices needed to create market differentiation, Metcalf & Associates, Inc. is an executive advisory, executive development and management consulting firm.

Metcalf’s approach is based on prominent research in the field, made practical for busy leaders. They offer executive advisory and leadership development services, team effectiveness coaching, and organizational transformation consulting.

Maureen Metcalf, CEO of Metcalf & Associates, is a renowned executive advisor, author, speaker, consultant and coach who brings 30 years of business experience to provide high-impact, practical solutions that support her clients’ leadership development and organizational transformations. Recognized as an innovative, principled thought leader, Maureen combines intellectual rigor and discipline with an ability to translate theory into practice in all of her work. Her operational skills are coupled with a strategic ability to analyze, develop and implement successful strategies for profitability, growth and

Maureen Metcalf

CEO

Metcalf:

Innovating Leadership Capacity

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negotiation, license optimization and license management. Since 2000, Miro has helped hundreds of clients worldwide to optimize their total cost of ownership and has overseen over $1.5 billion in licensing transactions.

Software audits are on the rise. Being prepared for an audit is essential to an organization’s success. By quickly controlling the audit conditions, Miro can help mitigate risks and obtain a mutually acceptable outcome.

Miro Consulting’s software license audit defense is comprised of analysts with decades’ worth of software vendor audit experience. Their analysts work with clients as trusted advisors throughout the audit defense process and, in many cases, sit beside them during the vendor audit and contract negotiation period.

Miro Consulting provides on-call Subject Matter Licensing Experts (SME) who can devise an overall game plan that leverages their deep knowledge of the Oracle / Microsoft / IBM licensing process, engages in best practices for flexibility, and integrates the client’s specific current and future initiatives/directions.

Scott Rosenberg, Co-founder & CEO of Miro Consulting, earned an Industrial Engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Rosenberg is responsible for creating and driving the vision of the company, which he founded in August 2000. With more than 25 years of engineering and operations experience, Mr. Rosenberg’s leadership has

fostered significant company growth. Today, Miro Consulting has over 500+ clients across North America and has overseen more than $1.5 billion in Oracle and Microsoft transactions.Prior to Miro Consulting, Mr. Rosenberg was a founding principal and driving force behind Cintra, a highly successful Oracle consulting company with over $20 million in revenues.

Frequently quoted by media outlets such as Computerworld, CIO and InformationWeek, Mr. Rosenberg is considered an expert in Oracle licensing and software asset management, as well as Microsoft

licensing. Mr. Rosenberg is also an active member of IAITAM and is a Certified Software Asset Manager (CSAM).

While talking about the future of Miro Consulting, Mr. Rosenberg says, “The IT industry has long been an exciting place to be a part of. With the Cloud very much in the transcendent, our clients continue to turn to us for answers to the complex problems they face, and so it’s exciting that they want us around for that journey.”

Since 2000, Miro Consulting has leveraged its experience and expertise in the software license

management space, to help its clients save money, ensure compliance, and create a baseline that can be used for future planning and budgeting. In order to understand the particular challenges that a client faces, Miro Consulting is focused on enabling them to make the best decisions for their organization's needs.

Miro Consulting is always looking to develop long-term relationships with their clients, instead of just doing short term engagements. Miro Consulting’s strategies are positioned to address the client's needs while ensuring they understand any challenges in their plans for the future. They are focused on helping clients gain a solid understanding of their options, to maintain the most cost effective licensing footprint that is defendable from vendor audits, and to best position their organization for future changes and needs.

Master of License ManagementMiro Consulting specializes in Oracle, Microsoft, IBM and Adobe software license audit defense, contract

Miro Consulting:A Software LicenseManagement Expert

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One of our keyvalues is to ‘do

right by ourclients’ and to

‘knock our clients’socks off’ with thevalue and support

we strove to deliver

Scott RosenbergCo-founder & CEO

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Before they start they do research the industry of clients for competition, market size, keywords and more. As the web site is the first impression a potential customer gets about any business! NetLZ makes sure to build the best one for you. NetLZ offers a full digital campaign which includes web design, optimization, blogs, articles, press releases, social media and much more. They tailor a Web Marketing Campaign to each customer to maximize web presence and benefits.

Hands behind the FoundationMoshe Zchut, Founder and CEO of NetLZ Consulting, has college degrees in engineering, math and computer science. For over 20 years he has been working in the R&D of high-tech companies in Design, Programming and Engineering of high-tech systems. Since the inception of the web, Moshe has been working on web development and more recently on digital marketing. The experience and intellect of Moshe are the base reasons behind the success of NetLZ.

Full Spectrum of Web ServicesNetLZ offers all the aspects of digital marketing with technical experience under one roof. Most digital marketing companies/agencies do not offer such wide area of expertise and understanding.

Services provided by NetLZ includes, Web Designing- Designing a website with collection of pages of text, images, audios, and videos that make up a company or organization's online presence, Conversion Optimization, Social Media Marketing- To reach out more people and to interact with the audience in real time,

Web Development, Search Optimization-A process of improving the quality volume and quality of traffic to a website, Video Marketing- which has recently became an undeniable force in online marketing. With compelling content and a professional looking video NetLZ can use video to bring different ideas together in an innovative way, Mobile Development- The widespread deployment of Web-enabled mobile devices to make them a target of

choice for content creators, Pay Per Click and Email marketing.

Molding with the Technology Experience and understanding of clients’ needs, implementation of customized solutions and full support in every step (including constant communication and progress reports) are the key-values that have helped NetLZ to overcome all the roadblocks and hurdles.

Moshe believes that with the arrival of new technology there will be increase in demand of new services which will guide the company in the future.

Today, the change has morphed into complexity. Every business entity wants to

establish their brand into market. Everybody wants to grow, capture maximum market share, maximum reach into the market. But without strong marketing arms, it cannot be done. Proper market research- development into brand, brand audit, competitors’ area, marketing that all required in form of agency, a smarter growth engine for you.

Digital Marketing has been evolved as the best strategy to reach to the audience as the presence of internet has pierced all the limitations. But presence of your company with the competitors' space on web also leads to another type of competition. NetLZ Consulting is a dynamic company specializing in web development and digital marketing which claims to keep you before your competitor on the web.

The Missing Piece in Your Marketing Campaign NetLZ combines many years of experience in digital technology, search engines and web industry with young and modern vision. It's current list of clients includes businesses from different markets and industries.

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Our Clients are our Biggest Sales Force! Many of our

new clients are referred to us by our existing

clients

NetLZ Consulting:Spreading The Word,Through Viral Marketing

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standards, while executing pro-actively to make sure the client’s business is always available. With services custom built for clients needs and resources that can be local or remote. Cloud/Hybrid Consulting, NextNet Partners’ transformational consulting methodology gets cloud, mobile and other next generation technologies under control.

ArchitectureCore Networking, Networking is their “core” business, NextNet Partners has an extensive background and experience connecting people to interactions using a secure, scalable and stable network foundation. Collaboration, NextNet Partners can project manage or create strategies for a variety of large-scale collaboration projects such as video conferencing, Telepresence, instant-messaging, call center and general unified communications. Converged Infrastructure, NextNet Partners develop platforms for their client’s most crucial applications, networks and storage. While serving the best to the clients from the beginning, NextNet Partners’ core values have been ‘a rock in the storm of growth’. Some of the key core values that helped them to overcome the roadblocks/challenges the company faced were: People First, Candor, Empowerment, Frugality, Teamwork, Giving Back, Fearlessness, and Growth/Results Driven.

Phil Calzadilla, Founder and CEO of NextNet Partners, recently named ‘One of the Most Admired CEO’s of 2015’, is committed to client satisfaction and building an empowered and diverse culture of

customer-focused teams at NextNet Partners. Phil is an industry veteran with a strong background in leadership and growth. Since the company’s founding in October 2011, Phil has passionately led NextNet Partners through multiple stages of growth. Under his leadership the company has developed a very strong team culture, while seeking to create ‘raving fan’ clients and doubling sales revenue year after year. Prior to starting NextNet Partners, Phil worked for Cisco Systems for 14 years, progressing to regional leadership positions over enterprise, retail, healthcare and state, local, and education (SLED) teams in the Southwest. In his last three years at Cisco, Phil was an Operations Director leading the services team for Cisco's SLED team in the South and West areas of North America. Prior to Cisco, Phil was consistently a technology sales leader with roles at Microtest, Automatic Data Processing, and MicroAge. He is a member of various boards and councils, including Cisco Partner Advisory Board, Comstor Partner Advisory Board, Tech Data Direction of Industry Council, PEN-Phoenix (Parents Education Network of Phoenix), ASU Center for advancing business through IT (CABIT), AZ Eagles, and the AZ chapter of ACT! (Autism Care and Treatment). Talking about the future of NextNet Partners, Phil revealed, “There are endless opportunities in the information technology business due to the lack of resources and importance of technology for businesses’ today. Solving business problems for our clients, using the best technology coupled with the best people in the business is very exciting.”

NextNet Partners is in the business of making clients more successful by bringing

them the best technology and brightest people in the industry. NextNet Partners was founded in 2011 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. An IT Consulting Company, NextNet Partners diffentiates through an innovative approach while focusing on providing business outcomes for their clients using next generation network technologies partnered with the best people in the industry.

‘The Next Generation of IT Consulting’NextNet offers “Next Generation Services” in four main practice areas: Collaboration, Customer Collaboration, Converged Infrastructure/Cloud and Core Networking. NextNet Partners has developed multiple frameworks that are business focused to deliver business outcomes to clients. They offer services in the areas of:Consulting, NextNet Partners has developed a transformational consulting methodology that delivers the business results their clients need. Transofrmational, in that they take clients current non digital processes and transform them into the digital age. Consutling is NextNet’s heart and soul of the business. Managed Services, NextNet Partners help clients increase their uptime and operationalize their

Phil CalzadillaFounder & CEO

NextNet Partners:In the Business of Making ClientsMore Successful in the Digital Age.

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Remaining on top of technology trends is a critical concern for entrepreneurs

and professionals. Skill sets come and work at a breakneck tempo, and it’s important to remain in front of the curve in an effort to predict the next hot spots of technology to keep ourselves relevant in our always-shifting universe.

IoT is about devices that are connected to the internet to perform the processes and services that support our basic needs, economics, health and environment. Cloud computing acts as a front end to access IoTs. Cloud computing has now been a more popular service that arrives with more characteristics and advantages. In reality, cloud computing is based on users who perform the computer tasks using services delivered entirely through the Internet.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more. For businesses today, It is believed that the Internet of Things (IoT) represents not only the next major wave of computing, but also the next competitive advantage. Harnessing signals and untapped data from existing and new devices unlocks powerful insights.

Explore The Possibilities of

management system in IT is shifting.

The traditional data warehouse was designed specifically to be a central repository for all data in a troupe. Disparate data from transactional systems, ERP, CRM, and LOB applications could be cleansed-that is, extracted, transformed, and loaded (ETL) -into the warehouse inside an overall relational schema. The predictable data structure and quality optimized processing and reporting. Nevertheless, preparing queries was largely IT-supported and based on schedule batch processing.

The Microsoft data warehouse is built on symmetric multi-processing (SMP) technology. With SMP, adding more capacity involved more powerful hardware and then fork lifting the prior data warehouse into it. This was necessary because as the warehouse approached capacity, its architecture experienced performance issues along with a scale where there was no room to add incremental processor power or enable synchronization of the cache between processors.

Nevertheless, data volume is expanding tenfold every five years. A lot of this new information is driven by devices from the more than 1.2 billion people who are linked to the Internet worldwide, with an average of 4.3

Microsoft Cloud PlatformIT today is under more pressure than ever before to deliver resources faster, support new business initiatives, and maintain pace with the challenger. To handle these demands, commercial enterprises need a pliant and resilient infrastructure that is easy to handle and easy to scale.

With Windows Server, Microsoft System Center, and Microsoft Azure, you can transform the datacenter. You can get advantage of innovation across the datacenter and the cloud to simplify your infrastructure and rapid delivery of services to the business. Enterprise-class virtualization and unified management give you a foundation in your data center, while hybrid options provide you admission to the boundless capacity of the swarm. Hold open your business competitive with the Microsoft cloud platform.

Microsoft Data Warehousing and Big DataThe traditional data warehouse is under pressure from the growing weight of increasing volumes of data, the expansive variety of data types, and the real-time processing velocity of how information is being used to develop and operate the line. Data warehousing has made the most important tipping point since its origin. The biggest, possibly most elaborate information

EmergingTechnologiesfromMicrosoft:RemovetheLimits

onYourBusiness

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connected devices per person. Devices including smart phone also offer documentation for remote monitoring sensors, RFID, location-based data, transactions and more.

Microsoft Upgrades a New Standard for WearablesOnly lately, Microsoft filed a patent for a wearable smart bracelet, but it’s unlikely the patent was lodged for this updated device. In the patent, the company explains the device is comprised of “interactive smart beads” attached to a connecting element, and spreads out the possibility for interaction with toys-to-life franchises. Microsoft Band offers an impressive set of characteristics, including built-in GPS, call-screening, the ability to scan incoming e-mails and texts, a fully-synced calendar, a heart rate monitor, and more. But the key to getting the most of Microsoft Band is Microsoft, Health, an ambitious and superbly organized wellness app, which

provides a full selection of wellness and fitness tools.

The Microsoft Band has been designed to function with all smart phones. Whether you’re a disciple of the Windows Phone or not, the Band will sync with Android and IOS devices as well, then no need to worry if you’re not a Microsoft dedicated. Tracking your heart rate, your steps taken, your calories burned and sleep patterns, the Microsoft Band tracks your daily physical activity and allows you to go over your stats with a bare glimpse at your wrist.

With a GPS Run Mapping system, you can map all of the paths that you've run, cycled or hiked and save your most challenging or your preferred roads. Including email previews, calendar alerts, incoming call notifications and text messages, the tracker carry a 48 hour battery.

Microsoft: 2016 Will Be the Year Of AIMicrosoft is applying artificial intelligence to create detailed maps illustrating population density and the access to the internet across the world. This should help Microsoft bring internet to parts of the globe that are without access. Microsoft has analyzed 20 countries and 21.6 million square kilometers amounting to 350TB of data.

Microsoft is also reported to be creating deep learning AI which aims to recover out what matters to Microsoft users. Microsoft is definitely not new to the AI game. In 2010, it introduced facial recognition technology that could distinguish people in photos, and in 2013, Microsoft dedicated a lab to AI research and also recruited deep learning experts to set up the AI headquarters. Microsoft says its design for AI is to personalize what matters to each user, populating timelines with things they genuinely care about rather than people and places they’d opt not to look.

Microsoft has determined to leverage Artificial Intelligence in order to enable better offline translation for the Translator app to be changing the way we communicate with the machines and also the way machines learn from our slipway. Cortana has been a fine piece of example when it comes to artificial intelligence, making things more comfortable for us and now Microsoft has leveraged the technology to bring about some worthwhile improvements in the Translator App. The best piece of the new AI inclusion is the very fact that it will bring in a much more potent and reliable offline

Kris NandaPresidentV.L.S Systems Inc.

CXO Standpoint

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translation, the caliber of which can be compared with the online translation.

The new AI feature will be the world’s first Deep Neural Network powered offline engine for Android. All you need to do is download language packs and get near online quality of interpretation.

A Microsoft Perspective: To Be Successful, Organizations Must Be Strategically AwareToday’s organizations have to deal with dynamic and uncertain environments. To be successful, organizations must be strategically aware. They must see how alterations in their competitive environments are opening. They should actively look for chances to exploit their strategic abilities, adapt and seek improvements in every area of the business, building on awareness and understanding of

current strategies and successes.

Directors who made long-range plans generally assumed that better times put down in front. Future plans were simply extensions of where the organization had been in the yesteryear. But a bit of environmental shocks undermined this approach to strategic planning: rapid technological developments, the maturing or stagnation of certain grocery stores, increased international competition.

By now, you will see that Microsoft was making a rather unique resource. Its approach to software “componentization” allowed the firm to leverage intellectual property across multiple product lines. And it likewise made it attractive for third-party firms to leverage Microsoft’s platform, equally opposed to others.

But how did this allow the firm to react effectively to technical change? Foremost, it received an established foundation of knowledge that could be brought to bear on new emerging opportunities. Second, it possessed a well-defined process through which new intellectual property could be codified and integrated into this knowledge base in a manner that ensured compatibility with its living elements. And third, its established processes evolve this knowledge home to ensure it reflected changes in the broader technological context.

All in all, Microsoft believes that the pursuit of an effective entrepreneurial strategy is mainly through information. Keying out the competitive advantages has to be represented through the aggregation and analysis of data from existing experiences.

CXO Standpoint

46 | August 2016 |

A Unique Brand of Comprehensive Business SolutionsHeadquartered in Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA, Nexus Global takes pride in offering a unique brand of comprehensive Asset Performance Management (APM) business solutions throughout their Global Network. Nexus Global’s offerings include Consulting, Coaching, Training, Software and Manpower. With operating locations in North America, West Africa, Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe and South America, we can assist clients with their everyday business management needs as well as major project support. Nexus Global’s various locations, in addition to their diversified subject matter expertise, have enabled them to support many industries, including Oil and Gas, Petrochemical, Utilities, Mining, Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Pulp and Paper, Pharmaceutical, and Education. Companies everywhere turn to Nexus Global because of their extensive history of hands-on maintenance experience and proven track record of working from the boardroom to the shop floor. A wealth of technical knowledge and a highly-trained staff with the ability to relate with real life issues at the point of execution has helped Nexus Global stand out from their competitors in the field of Asset Performance Management. Larry Olson, Chairman, President & CEO of Nexus Global Business Solutions, for the past 30 years he always had an obsession/passion with creating and owning various types of businesses. Larry says, through his past experience as business owner and being an entrepreneur the wheels never stop turning. Therefore, when he entered

the consulting profession in 2004 there was an aspiration shortly thereafter to be an owner or partner in a consulting firm. The opportunity presented itself in late 2010 to foster the idea into a reality, hence leading to the formation of Nexus Global Business Solutions, Inc. Through his vision and passion along with the creativity of the people Larry surround himself, they are and will continue to be the “Best” APM solutions provider in the market.

While talking about the divergent strategies followed by Nexus Global, Larry says “Be personal, be consistent, act with integrity, and most of all provide rapid results! This is my philosophy for creating a vibrant company and gaining the trust with our clients. Executives in which Nexus Global work with will need to understand how to develop a structured, disciplined approach that includes context and content with proven sustainability and this is what Nexus Global takes pride in delivering.” Reflecting on its future panorama, Larry asserts, “Nexus Global continues to be on a progressive growth curve which has allowed us to diversify our APM solutions across multiple industries.”

Recognized globally, across various industries, for delivering sustainable

solutions that optimize both an organization’s assets and processes to yield a ROI of 10:1 or greater, Nexus Global Business Solutions (Nexus Global) is recognized as a worldwide leader in asset performance management and maintenance consulting, coaching, training and software. In one instance, Nexus Global partnered with a client in an effort to improve their work management process with the focus on process adherence which incorporated design, development, and implementation. The assignment also included aligning the use of their computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) and in-house training which was developed by Nexus Global. As a result, the client achieved 90 percent maintenance schedule compliance, and 98 percent preventive maintenance compliance, this up over 20% higher than previously achieved. Additionally, maintenance workforce productivity improved from 30 percent to over 75 percent and resulted in increased production output of 18 percent. Nexus’ long-term success of client partnerships is based on its responsiveness in the market and delivery consistent results.

Nexus Global Business Solutions:

“Connecting Knowledge

and Excellence”

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Larry OlsonChairman, CEO and President

48 | August 2016 |

We have creative and

innovative software

and solutions

providing bottom line

value to our clients

““

research reports on emerging media, which have received global recognition, particularly the annual Global Media Intellicast Series™, a three-report bundle that examines the entire media ecosystem, including advertising & marketing operator revenues, consumer spending on media and consumer media usage & exposure. While working with clients to develop and deliver custom consulting services, PQ Media starts with their proprietary econometrics system of databases, opinion leader panels, algorithms and methodologies. Their system gathers, analyzes and synthesizes data on key industry drivers - demographic, psychographic, economic and technological, among others. The result has been consistently accurate forecasts regarding industry revenue, spending, growth and consumption patterns worldwide in an era of great reset in the media economy, accelerating transformation and massive restructuring of the traditional advertising and marketing ecosystem. PQ Media’s Core Consulting Competencies lies in Emerging Media & Markets (size, structure, history, forecast), Forecasts (spending & consumption), Due Diligence (company profiles/competitive landscape), Scenario Development (proactive “what if” planning), Growth Sector Identification (investment and expansion opportunities), Market Share Analysis (growth/expansion recommendations), Research Protocols (planning, measurement, development & execution), End-user Perception Research (qualitative/quantitative), andProject Management (all types related to media, entertainment &

communications). Patrick Quinn, President & CEO of PQ Media, founded the firm in January 2003 following a distinguished career as a media consultant, market analyst, and award-winning journalist. Mr. Quinn has launched, edited, and managed numerous print and digital publications covering the media industry, and is a respected source of information for leading news outlets such as Advertising Age, CNN, Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, Times of London, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Quinn also served as Editorial Director of the Veronis Suhler & Stevenson Communications Industry Forecast. Reflecting on the future Mr. Quinn says, “PQ Media is helping clients navigate the changing media landscape through a plethora of options by providing actionable strategic intelligence on the entire media ecosystem, including our Global Media Intelligence Series, is what excites us most.” In addition to the Global Media Intelligence Series, PQ Media recently released the first ever report on Brand Activation Marketing, which was funded and in partnership with the Association of National Advertisers. It analysed all six brand activation marketing platforms, including relationship marketing, influencer marketing, promotional marketing, content marketing, experiential marketing and retailer marketing, as well as 32 brand activation channels, such as customer service & telesales, word-of-mouth marketing, promotional products, incentives & premiums, product placement, consumer events, and in-store mobile marketing.

Pioneers of emerging media research, PQ Media is the leading provider of global

media econometrics. PQ Media’s industry-leading predictive econometrics system serves executives charged with advancing strategic initiatives in the rapidly changing media, entertainment and communications industries. Quickly understanding client’s needs, PQ Media develops products and services to meet the client’s objectives. They also make customer service a high priority, including a detailed needs assessment when first approached for a project, being nimble to accommodate client requests, particularly relating to deadlines, and offering options to clients in determining a deliverable that matches the project’s scope and within defined budget range.

Portfolio of Custom Consulting ServicesDue to global marketplace demand, PQ Media has broadened and deepened their analysis of emerging media through the lens of its PQ Medianomics™ methodology. As a result, they have developed a broader portfolio of custom consulting services to meet the growing needs of their clients. In addition, they continue to expand their library of primary

PQ Media:Proven and Best-In-ClassEconometric System

Patrick QuinnPresident & CEO

49 | August 2016 |

50 FASTEST GROWING

The


commitment: a deep investment and creative engagement in the long term success of their clients. This fundamental value enables RAS to deliver “Consulting Reimagined.”

RAS’s experience in IT includes Operational Strategy Development, Application Rationalization and Consolidation, CRM Management Strategy, Demand Management, Capacity Planning and Resource Optimization. RAS knows that without understanding the “how,” organizations cannot fully benefit from investments made in their growth and success. To that end, a project is not considered complete unless the client is equipped with the knowledge and capability it needs to grow the business, contain costs and remain competitive.

In the IT consulting segment, RAS focuses on the alignment of IT and operational strategy. Often, infrastructure and operational strategies diverge, resulting in excess IT spending, unfulfilled business requirements, and inefficient, manual processes. Developing these strategies hand-in-hand will help ensure business goals and objectives are realized as quickly and efficiently as possible. Optimizing the universal interrelationships between people, process and technology enables RAS to differentiate itself from other IT management consulting firms.

Founding Partner and CEO Rob Swanson earned his MBA from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance and Real Estate from Colorado State University.

Rob’s focus is and always has been on optimization before revolution. He believes that within most businesses, pragmatic and strategic adjustments to existing operations provide more immediate benefit than do radical changes or complete overhauls. By addressing this typically unmet need, RAS has grown quickly and assertively since being formed in 2008.

Rob’s philosophy on culture, growth, leadership and innovation are well-regarded, and he is regularly invited as a speaker and author to a wide range of audiences. Additionally, Rob is actively involved with a number of Denver area non-profit agencies.

Elaborating on the future of RAS in the IT industry, Rob says “It is certainly an exciting time for the tech industry in Colorado, as the state continues to rank high in the concentration of tech workers. Industries such as telecom, green tech, and life sciences are behind this growth, and it is our goal to stay at the forefront of this evolution.”

Information Technology can be a significant driver of value for almost any organization.

However, many organizations view IT as more of a necessary evil than a critical business function. RAS & Associates guides IT organizations by providing strategic direction, technology roadmaps, tactical implementation plans and process improvement techniques which enable its clients to reduce costs, streamline operations, and increase resource productivity.

RAS is transforming their clients, people and community by constantly looking for ways to grow and improve both internally and externally. Client successes result from the implementation of proven models and processes which elevate their teams and ultimately their entire business. Honesty, integrity, and respect are core values at RAS, and these are demonstrated at personal and professional levels across the firm.

A Unique and Personalized Approach to ConsultingRAS & Associates is a strategy and management consulting firm headquartered in Denver. Their talented team comprises seasoned professionals with diverse industry experience. They all share the same

50 FASTEST GROWING

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Rob SwansonCEO

50 | August 2016 |

RAS & Associates:Consulting Reimagined

A unique andpersonalizedapproach is

fundamentalto enable

our clientsfor long-term success

“

“

51 | August 2016 |

project with total cost of ownership taken into account, get the best pricing and contract language possible, make sure that everything is installed in a timely manner, and project manage the deal until the client is 100% satisfied.

Building a Company that Focuses on ClientsPaul Cooney, Founder and CEO of Shamrock Consulting Group, ran the Los Angeles sales team at AT&T before starting Shamrock. “Shamrock was started out of a basic market need,” says Paul. “I found that clients didn't like endless meetings with sales reps from different carriers and they were frustrated with the high turnover rate of their representatives. There was clearly a market gap for a ‘one stop shop’. I wanted a company who was there to do the best thing for the client - to provide multiple options, designs, and pricing scenarios with multiple providers so they can make the most informed decision and to have the same representation throughout. With Shamrock’s approach, the client gets the best design and pricing with the least amount of time and effort.”

Right People with the Right QualitiesBy hiring the right people with the right qualities, Shamrock was able to grow in a tight-knit environment where everyone’s work and input is valuable. “I have always focused on knowing as much about technology as possible so I can do the right thing for our clients,” say Ben Ferguson, Shamrock’s senior network architect. “It’s not only about having choices, it’s about how to look at a client’s needs

from a fresh perspective and recommending a solution that impacts how they run their business.” From providing technical guidance to client support, Shamrock has the right people in place.

AdaptationCommunications is changing, and Shamrock is in the right place at the right time. These constant changes allow Shamrock to grow by shifting its design and provider focus. 15 years ago customers were just moving away from ATM and Frame relay to MPLS for their Wide Area Network. Now those same customers are looking at SD WAN (Software Defined Wide

Area Network) to mix and match internet carriers for “best of breed” at each site. A year ago, nobody was talking about SD WAN and now it comes up in just about every meeting. “It’s great to run a company that will never be a dinosaur - as things change, we can adapt immediately and endlessly,” says Paul.

Finding an IT consulting firm who guarantees to provide the best mix of price, reliability

and service is a challenge to any business. Fortunately, Shamrock Consulting Group can bridge the gap between communications carriers and customers. Shamrock is a full service telecommunications and IT consulting firm with access to over 150 carriers in the telecom, data center, fiber, cloud, phone system/PBX and WAN industries. Formed to provide clients with a neutral and ongoing evaluation and sourcing of all communications requirements, Shamrock’s “free extension of your team” approach has saved client’s countless hours of wasted time and over $250 million in billing. Established in 2008, Shamrock manages $80 million in revenue, has 20 employees and is headquartered in El Segundo, California.

Core ConsultingShamrock has core consulting in telecom, data center, phone system, cloud & fiber companies. Shamrock does everything from writing and running complex RFP’s for larger opportunities, to simple shopping for smaller clients. They analyze billing to come up with an accurate ROI for the

Shamrock Consulting Group:Advising Clients in aChanging Environment

“

“

Shamrock can beyour single

point ofcontact forall carriers

Paul CooneyFounder & CEO

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leverages state-of-the-art technology to bring the best systems thinking to bear, and applies senior-level consulting expertise that is second to none.

Phil Davis is the Managing Partner of St. Charles and one of the two original founders. He brings over 40 years of executive-level expertise in training and human resources to service his clients, most of which are large companies/firms with significant global presence. In addition to overseeing all of the firm’s business functions, Phil delivers high level client service in the areas of training strategy, design and development, integration of people and processes, and team effectiveness.

Prior to founding St. Charles in 2002, Phil served as partner-in-charge of global operations for Arthur Andersen’s worldwide training organization. In the mid-1990s, Phil left Andersen for six years to take an executive position with Freeport-McMoRan, a large international mining company, where he served as Chief Administrative Officer. Phil remains a non-practicing Certified Public Accountant.

Phil says, “Certain values, particularly trust, integrity, & commitment to excellent client service define who we are. These qualities are at the heart of everything we do and contribute to our positive, progressive outlook, to our interest in partnering actively with our clients, and to our nimbleness and effectiveness in delivery of high-quality services.”

Since its inception, St. Charles has

grown to employ more than 150 professionals and has successfully served more than 130 unique clients. Their base of domestic and international clients span a broad spectrum of industries, including retail, professional services, technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, banking and financial services, energy and mining, hospitality, consumer and industrial products, higher education, and public sectors.

Phil adds, “The convergence of technology with talent processes and tools has created an environment where great strides can be made in competency-based learning, individualized development, and enhanced leadership across an enterprise. St. Charles is excited to partner with other forward-thinking organizations in co-creating new learning and performance solutions for their people.”

St. Charles Consulting Group (St. Charles) is a one of a kind consulting firm that delivers its

solutions through a “network model” which engages highly experienced and uniquely skilled professionals to meet the customized needs of their clients. St. Charles is fully committed to their clients and measures its own success based on the impact that its solutions have on these companies.

Seasoned Consulting ExpertiseSt. Charles is known as a leader in the learning and performance arena and specifically for delivering solutions that are innovative and customized to integrate with their clients’ business strategies. This integration allows St. Charles to be effective in enabling their clients to meet their business objectives and desired results.

St. Charles anchors their work in the client’s strategic foundation and overall talent framework. St. Charles applies seasoned consulting expertise to targeted areas within learning and performance that include all aspects of: Learning Strategy, Curriculum Development, Instructional Design, and Program Delivery. Additionally, they are deeply skilled in organizational development, knowledge services, change management, and workforce planning. In all of these areas, St. Charles

St. Charles Consulting Group:Innovative, Customized and IntegratedSolutions for Forward Thinking Companies

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Phil DavisFounder & Managing Partner

52 | August 2016 |

““

(St. Charles) deliversits solutions

througha “network model”which engages …

professionalsto meet the

customized needs oftheir clients

organization. This includes Leadership Training, Employee Training and a Sustainability Model.

Customer Centric Strategy Development and ExecutionStrativity helps the clients first understand the customer journey, design a customer experience strategy and then help them deploy it. There are different elements in the strategy like voice of customer, cultural transformation, experience innovation, measurement program and employee training.

Most of the players in the industry start and end with technology. Being different, Strativity starts with people and strategy and ends with execution. The technology is a tool. There are players in the analytics space, in the customer space, they produce numbers, contrary to them Strativity produce results. Strativity understands that just because an organization knows the customer satisfaction score doesn’t mean they are going to do something about it. Strativity helps organizations develop the experience, set the strategy and engage employees to deliver. Strativity takes responsibility for the complete process, the operational strategy - not just for the numbers.

Lior Arussy, President of Strativity Group completed his undergraduate degree at Case Western Reserve University and received his MBA from Weatherhead School of Management. Prior to establishing Strativity Group, Mr. Arussy held executive positions at Hewlett-Packard among other companies.

Mr. Arussy elaborates his experience saying, “My background is in

technology. I was an executive at HP and Nice, among other technology companies. My clients always told me the tool doesn’t solve the problem. A tool is just a tool. They were lacking an operational and strategic context to be successful using customer experience management tools and that was the reason Strativity was born. Clients were buying tools without knowing how to properly utilize them. Customer experience management is

not a tool; it’s a strategy in the organization. We developed a proprietary methodology that guides our clients to get to deploy successful customer experience programs and that's the essence of the organization. We are providing them with a whole set of capabilities and guidance to fulfill the promise of customer experience management.”

Mr. Arussy is also the author of six books including the recently released book Exceptionalize it! and Customer Experience Strategy. In addition, he has published over 250 articles in publications around the world including the Harvard Business Review.

Helping clients incorporate their customer experience into the strategy of the

organization, Strativity Group is assessing clients about what is the brand? What is the business strategy of the organization and how does the customer experience incorporate into that?

Strativity conducts journey mapping, validation through 360 degree quantitative and qualitative drill-downs to understand the perceptions of all stakeholders. From what customers experience and want to why employees are behaving the way they are through the experience, what the processes are, etc. This assessment enables Strativity to see the gaps and opportunities in the experience, which helps them design the ideal experience against the brand promise, look at different styles of customers/personas, what services they want, etc. and then design a specified approach to the ideal experience.

Subsequently, Strativity conducts an analysis of economics of customer experience to be able to model what touch points and ideas have the most financial impact on the organization. Then they create an action plan for the organization, as well as a governance model and then roll it out in the

Strativity Group:Expert Analysts, Insightful Strategists,and Action-Oriented Consultants

Lior ArussyPresident

53 | August 2016 |

““

We always focuson the view of the customers

and the view ofthe employees together all

the time

50 FASTEST GROWING

The


Finance Deal of the Year (Jazan ASU), in WEX (Water and Energy Exchange), they got the WEX Global Award for innovation in finance / partnership, in The American Lawyer, they won- 2016 Global Legal Awards (Jazan ASU).

Infrastructure & Financial Advisory Services, Synergy’s vision statement says it all: “To be a partner of choice by consistently adding value to our stakeholders in infrastructure development and financial advisory by promoting talent in an environment of excellence.”

Synergy Consulting, an independent international financial advisory services company with experience in projects across many countries spanning six continents, provides services in the areas of Investment Advisory, Project Finance, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions, Commercial and Financial Due Diligence, Project Restructuring and Policy Reform for the Infrastructure Sector with focus on Energy, Water and Transport.

By delivering services at competitive

and effective costs that are superior to

many other available in the market,

Synergy provides high value for

money to its clients.Aman Sachdeva, President and CEO of Synergy Consulting, has more than 27 years of experience in the infrastructure industry, specializing in the energy sector ranging from project finance, management consulting, regulatory affairs, mergers and acquisitions, power system planning, energy conservation and marketing.

Aman’s earlier experience (1996-2000) includes CMS Energy (USA) as

Director Financial Analysis and Corporate Planning and Regional Head, Finance, CMS Energy Asia, (Singapore) where he successfully achieved financial close for Goldfields Gas Pipeline, Western Australia and 250 MW Neyveli Lignite IPP, India. This was followed by Enron Corporation (2000-2001) as Director Finance and Senior Financial Lead, Dabhol Power Company Restructuring Team, and the financing of 190 KM natural gas pipeline from Dabhol to Panvel, Maharashtra, India.

Bird’s-eye View of the Future In our world today laden with rapid political, economic and social challenges, Synergy is able to stand tall and deliver quality services despite often encountering unfavorable conditions. Synergy is eager to prove its potential by creating a “Method in Madness” in the ever changing world by yielding results despite directionless and unstructured environments and chaotic circumstances that are ailing many countries across the world.

Aman elaborates, “Synergy believes in persevering and is confident of performing better than its competitors under demanding conditions and is eager to showcase its talent of successfully delivering results in an uncertain and turbulent world.”

Synergy Consulting believes in investing in its team talent rather than focusing on “brand-

building” via media and PR. With offices in the USA, India, and Dubai and opening soon in Africa and London, Synergy is internationally reputed and recognized for providing a comprehensive range of financial advisory services for infrastructure projects. Synergy has successfully achieved financial close of projects worth more than US$ 18 billion.

Personalized and customized services to meet the clients’ needs through constant engagement are Synergy’s distinguishing features. Synergy team members ceaselessly endeavor to exceed clients’ expectations, resulting in long-term relationships with the clients. They believe in ‘reverse evaluation’ for the clients to ensure that their current strategy will meet their future aspirations. Synergy Consulting has a dedicated and focused team of talented team members of superior caliber, capable of adding significant value for its clients, being a noteworthy differentiating factor of the company.

Synergy is winner of several accolades, which include, in Global Water Summit 2016 they are Nominated for Deal of the Year Water (KKIA PW), in GFC (Global Financial Conference) they Rank# 2- Project

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Aman Sachdeva

President & CEO

54 | August 2016 |

Synergy Consulting:Promoting Talent in anEnvironment of Excellence

A unique and

personalized

approach is

fundamental

to enable

our clients

for long-term success

“

“

We acquire a thoroughunderstanding of the

client’s objectives,while striving to

facilitate a successfulexecution of the

engagement;through efficient,

effective andcost competitive support

56 | August 2016 |

57 | August 2016 |

Stumbling BlocksBefore Management

Consulting Firms

For the past few years, the performance of the IT Consulting Industry in the challenging economic climate is excellent. The performance of IT

consulting industry in the major markets, for example, Financial Services and Insurance Providers, is the reason of its expansion. The consultants industry is expected to grow in the coming days with the changing economy and improving business sentiment. Also, the demand of IT consultants in various industries is expected to grow in the coming days.

Though there are various high-profile global corporations, still no single consultants can rule the market. In reality, the consultants industry include, network infrastructure companies, like, IT outsourcing companies, traditional large consulting firms, global computer equipment companies, and a wide range of other companies that do not necessarily compete directly with one another, but offering one or the other service related to information technology.

The management consulting industry has a very good knowledge of the challenges they have to face today and even the days before. The management consulting industry is witnessing the changes coming with the time being. There are three main features transforming the marketplace; disruptive technology, the rise of new business models, and the growing pressures of intense global competition.

Here are some of the market trends the management consulting industry is witnessing, which is the result of the challenges faced by the IT consulting firms with the planning to address the difficulties, identifying marketing techniques and implementation strategies.

All this clears the picture of the whole management consulting industry. Here are the business challenges management consulting firms have to face, which will give a clear view to the priorities management consulting firms

have to observe.Cardinal Business Challenges Before Management Consulting Firms

Here are the Cardinal Business Challenges the Management Consulting Firms have to face which clears the industry scenario.

Roping in New Clients

This concern is on the top most position of the list at 81%, which is a key point. Because, while new business is the overriding priority of every industry, it tops the list by a significantly higher percentage for management consulting firms. Just to make a comparison, 72% of all professional services firms note generating new business as their number one challenge.

The urgency of a new business in the world of management consulting is observed by over three times more respondents than the second-highest challenge. This is a delineate concern for the firms of all sizes, and this struggle for new clients is going to shape the future of many upcoming firms.

Hard-won Task of Dealing with the Competitive Marketplace

The traces of competitive pressure are clearly seen in the second business challenge, and that is the hard-won task of dealing with the competitive marketplace.

A management consultant is an active, progressive global marketplace. With multiple international players exacerbate their efforts, the competition is heating up. The current condition of the economy, which is sluggish is prevailing in

Industry Outlook

58 | August 2016 |

some markets, becoming the reason for many firms to look forward to the others for opportunity.

Herculean Task of Finding and Keeping Good People

With the massively competitive marketplace comes a massive competitive talent environment. This makes the process of finding and retaining the best people difficult, making it a top agenda for the management consulting firms.

From the angle of setting marketing priorities, this is peculiarly notable. This can mean prioritizing the consideration of a specific audience, potential recruits. Unfortunately, searching for the best talent in the industry is always a big challenge.

New Inventions

While focusing on induce new business, this is one more differentiating feature for the management consulting industry. To face this challenge, management consulting firms will have to search out new ways to not only spawn those new ideas but share them adequately with their audiences, including both prospective clients and industry influencers.

While competing in this highly competitive marketplace,

firms can’t simply build a reputation on the claim or idea of innovation. Firms have to exhibit their expertise, thought processes, and results, and then only they can be come out as a winner.

The Panning Issues

The current scenario shows that management consulting firms have to face lots of diverse challenges. The need of developing new clients, finding and keeping quality people, and continuously keep on innovating, are some of the challenges which are the key concern of today’s management consulting firms.

With the perspective, to compete with these many different pressures, management consulting firms will have to identify sophisticated and efficient strategic approaches. Additionally, these firms will have to keep on finding ways to use time and resources more adequately as they work to confront new competitors and find new clients, in the heating competition.

The changing time keeps on creating new challenges, which the management consulting firms have to handle by their own. To be in the competition, while being on the forefront of the competition, the management consulting firms have to instrument variety of latest marketing techniques.

Industry Outlook

59 | August 2016 |

their existing information technology, suggest where their future technology state must be to support the business and help them work out the best path to get there. TechSage runs a technology assessment through an electronic network scan as well as stepping through a detailed questionnaire to determine client’s current hardware and software configuration.

TechSage consults with the clients on every aspect of their information technology infrastructure from their internet service, firewall, switches, server, desktops, laptops, tablets, printers, VoIP phone system, operating systems, backup and disaster recovery solutions, productivity solutions, security applications such as encryption, antivirus, antimalware, email, etc.

Being largely a vendor agnostic in their approach, TechSage strongly leverages best in class technology partners like Microsoft, HP, Storage Craft, Web Root, Sophos, IBM MaaS360, Star2Star VoIP and others to assist them while developing business technology solutions for their clients.

John Hill, President and CEO of TechSage Solutions, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He became one of the first 500 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers on Windows Server 2000 and continues to maintain expertise with Microsoft technologies. TechSage Solutions is an Information Technology Strategic Services

Provider and Consultancy headquartered in San Antonio that John founded in 2000. John leads the strategic direction of the company through his extensive experience with designing, implementing and managing Information Technology projects and solutions. He also serves

as a Partner and Managing Member of SATC Co-Location Services, LP, a server co-location facility providing safe, secure hosting of servers for a wide variety of small to medium sized businesses.

Referencing the rapid advancement of Information Technology, John says, “Developing ways to help our clients leverage new technologies to grow their businesses is incredibly exciting for me. It’s exciting to see how the new technologies we’ve brought to our clients have helped them grow. Small to medium sized businesses must leverage new technologies to help them become or stay competitive in their industries.”

TechSage Solutions researches, explores and vets new technologies to provide best in

class technical support and customer service. We help clients accomplish their business goals better, faster and more cost effectively than they can on their own. TechSage helps clients focus on running their business while insuring that their technology fully meets their needs and just works.

TechSage designs solutions that help grow the client’s business with a stable technology foundation, rather than solutions that lock them in to a specific set of products. Solutions are designed with security integrated from the ground up enabling TechSage to provide their clients with a stable, safe and secure Information Technology platform that can grow with them as they grow.

Business Consultants with a Technology FocusTechSage provides technology focused business consulting. When a TechSage consultant meets with a client about their information technology requirements it’s an analytical and exploratory meeting. They help clients define where their pain points are with

TechSage Solutions:Business Driven, Technology Based,Consulting Solutions

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John HillPresident & CEO

60 | August 2016 |

We believe in leveraging

technology to propel our

clients toward competitive

success

“

“

Consultancy Covering the Whole FieldThe Rothschild Corporation works with their client’s team and executives to develop the solutions that meet their consulting and management training needs. Rothschild offers Business Consulting to help their clients achieve their strategic objectives and goals. They consult with the company’s representative and executives to create and revise strategic plans or find solutions to maximize their company’s success. The working sessions can help clarify the root cause and possible solutions for trends to transform.

Rothschild provides Management Training & Development, Team Building consulting and training, Birkman Profile and Selection Assessments, Recruiting and Human Resources Consulting, Project and Change Management, Effective Communications, Professional Development online programs to prepare participants for certifications in Project Management (PMP), Sales & Marketing, Six Sigma, and SCRUM. eLearning for over 100 soft skills, leadership and project management courses available as online self-paced training. Onsite Soft Skills Training in over 100 topics. Courses can be customized to meet the client’s specific needs. Rothschild is also efficient to provide Training Strategy, Plans and Implementation, Customized Microsoft and Technical Training Development and Delivery, Succession Planning and Executive/Management Coaching.

The Company Shows the Nature of the FounderIt is very definite to conclude that the

creator of a company which manages so many different sectors must have a vast experience in the market.During the 25+ years in the business world, Susanne Rothschild, Founder/CEO of The Rothschild Corporation, has focused on human potential with Fortune 100 companies and brings expertise in Leadership, Consulting, Training and Development, Coaching, Cultural Awareness, Strategic Planning, Communications, Change Management, Project Management, Valuing Diversity, and Team Building to promote a positive and effective team environment.

As an adjunct University of Phoenix faculty member in Houston, Susanne has facilitated for the Quality Management and Productivity course for professionals in the Medical, Financial, and Education Sectors with representatives from the USA, Viet Nam, France, West Africa, and Mexico. �

Customizing the Strategies According to the Clients’ NeedsRight from the beginning, Commitment for their client’s Success, Perseverance, Patience, Dedication, Continuous Improvement and Self-Confidence has made Rothschild to grow into bigger, stronger and better establishment.

The Rothschild Corporation focuses on listening to their clients to jointly define the objectives and outcomes of each of the engagements. Because The Rothschild Corporation knows that every company is unique, they apply both best and customized practices for business solutions.

Consultancy is a term given to the process of advising the clients to overcome their

complicated difficulties. While consulting, one must consider all the factors affecting the output of the process. And the fact that every single problem has multiple parameters, deciding its result demands the consultant team to be very experienced and flexible. To be a successful consultant team outreaching the different grounds of market is very important. The Rothschild Corporation is a consultant company expertized in Strategic Planning, Change Management, Recruiting, Project Management, Talent Management, Training and World Trade Consulting.

The Rothschild Corporation is a woman- and minority-owned Houston-based company that is focused on improving company and employee performance with Leadership, Soft Skills, and Computer Skills Training; and Project and Change Management Services. The Rothschild Corporation provides staffing of IT, Project Management, and Executive Consultants, as well as Trainers.

The Rothschild Corporation:Practical Strategies forComplex Problems

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management, project controls (planning, estimating, scheduling, cost engineering), and program management professional services in support of delivering their clients’ projects. SPEAR has served over one hundred Fortune 500 clients, enabling them to effectively plan, manage and deliver projects on time and on budget.

SPEAR offers services like, Project Management/Project Control, the essential elements of effective management control processes. This includes scope definition; organization participation and buy-in; approved baselines for cost and schedule; established performance measurement; and timely and meaningful reporting.

Comprehensive Management Control Services, which includes, Process Assessment and Development services in: Business Planning & Budgeting; Estimating; Cost Control and Performance Measurement; Work Control; Planning & Scheduling; and Business Data Management. They also offer, Professional Services in: Project and Construction Management, Accounting, Budgeting/Forecasting, Estimating, Cost Engineering, Planning & Scheduling, Long Range Planning / Business Planning, System Development and Maintenance Planning.

Owner’s Representation Services to oversee the Architect / Engineer and Construction Manager organizations engaged by an Owner to engineer, design, procure, construct and start-up a facility. Also, they offer, Managed Services, in Project Management, Estimating,

Cost Engineering, Planning & Scheduling and Work Control. The specific benefits for these services include: Access to the services of qualified and industry recognized personnel in these areas when and where these services are required.

Jessica Liu, President of the Spear Group handles management and operational accountability and control over all phases of business. Ms. Liu holds an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and a B.S. from Harvard College. She has over 25 years of experience in delivering professional services to Fortune 500 clients.

Ms. Liu was a Principal at Booz Allen & Hamilton and has held key leadership positions at Adobe Systems, Siebel Systems, Yahoo! and in PwC’s Advisory practice. Also, previously she has worked for Goldman Sachs. Her area of expertise includes leading clients through major business transformational efforts, implementing state-of-the-art operations, technology, and program management improvements.

Road to the FutureAs companies move towards cloud-based technologies, applications, and systems, the ability for clients to gather and respond to data real time enables them to execute more efficiently and effectively. Ms. Liu asserts, “The Spear Group is poised to guide our clients through this new landscape with an unwavering eye focused on our clients’ success.” e-mail: [email protected]: www.speargroup.com

From the major construction projects to the major ERP implementations, there is an

inherent conflict of interest with consultants and contractors. The consultants and contractors want their clients to succeed, yet they succeed as a company if their projects continue to expand and run indefinitely. The Spear Group (SPEAR) helps the owner in managing costs, schedule, and budget, with the goal to help ensure clients complete projects efficiently, cost effectively, on time and on budget.

SPEAR provides “owner’s representation” resources that represent the owner/company in controlling the cost of the project to ensure the project is brought in on-time, on budget. They install a system of checks and balances and accountability that might typically be missing. SPEAR has an overwhelming commitment to develop winning strategies for their customers. They weigh each of their clients' successes as a metric by which they judge their own success.

Leading the Field in Consulting & Project ManagementSPEAR has been in existence since 1981 focused on providing state-of-the-art owner’s representation, project

The Spear Group:

The Best In Consulting &

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Professional Services consulting around the NetSuite OpenAir PSA product, specifically to build an OpenAir User Community to bring business consulting, training, and outsourced administration benefits to the OpenAir customer base. In 2014, TOP Step Consulting expanded operations to include another PSA solution, FinancialForce; thus, providing a broader range of consulting knowledge to customers weighing the benefits of either solution.

Prior to her OpenAir involvement, Jodi held the position of Global Project Management Director for Software AG, Inc. with global responsibility for PS tools and business process efficiency. She worked with both commercial and government customers in her leadership roles in Software AG, Inc. as well as her previous experience with Lockheed Martin.

Top Class PSA Focused SolutionsTOP Step Consulting offers PSA focused solutions such as Business Efficiency Assessments, PSA Deployments, and Virtual Administration. Business Efficiency Assessments ensure technology is aligned to your organization’s business model and therefore the technology is working for you instead of changing how you do business. PSA Deployments follow a proven methodology of customer engagement and business modeling to ensure the final production solution realizes the full benefits of having a PSA tool as a critical tool for the organization. Virtual Adminstration provides a value-add help desk option for

customers to complement their internal administrator needs, or to handle all end user needs for the organization. This low-cost solution is a great option for many customers that cannot afford to dedicate key resources to administrative activities. TOP Step also provides Project Management Office Consulting to businesses to help them deliver projects more successfully and to have more predictable project execution and management of their projects.

Future PanoramaTOP Step is continuously looking at building out specialty practice areas for other automation tools beyond NetSuite OpenAir and FinancialForce based on market demand. Jodi says, “Supporting these two current industry leaders in and of itself is exciting as they continue to introduce new technology and opportunities for us to assist the customer base.”

TOP Step has developed a program called STEPS, a five-phased approach, namely Strategize, Tools and Process Implementation, Educating and Training, Performance Tracking and Reporting, and Systems Management to help organizations effectively utilize their PSA platform. Jodi explains, “STEPS is a way through which we can engage with the customer at any point in time, partnering with them to help direct the intricacies of their PSA product and automate their business processes. Many of our offerings were developed in direct response to customer demand since we are heavily involved in creating a community of users to share knowledge and get the most out of their PSA solution.”

Having a vast experience from running PS companies and being able to understand the

needs of professional services organizations, TOP Step Consulting can map productivity based on the business model of each individual business.

Giving high value to its customers and partners, TOP Step Consulting offers services with a mission to enable and empower Professional Services organizations to become profitable, scalable, and efficient through change management, process enhancement, technology deployment, and skill set training with a Customer First approach. Giving immense value to their customers and partners, TOP Step Consulting strives to deliver quality and professional consulting in all cases.

Jodi Cicci, President & CEO of TOP Step Consulting holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Michigan Technological University. She has been involved with Professional Services for over 25 years in many roles ranging from software developer to project manager to operational director. In July 2007, Jodi began her own consulting company, TOP Step Consulting, focused on

TOP Step Consulting:Proficiency in ProfessionalServices Efficiency

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commercial freedom

www.powa.com

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