• About
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Newsletter
  • More
    • Demographics & Advertising Rates
    • Terms & Conditions
Saturday, February 4, 2023
No Result
View All Result
California Business Journal
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness
California Business Journal
dna-double-helix-chemical-formulas-computer-generated-d-rendering-medical-research-background-rotation-184787276

Who is part scientist, inventor, anthropologist, explorer, designer, engineer, architect, journalist, travel guide, therapist, teacher, trainer and athletic coach?

You'll be surprised at the answer.

by Dana Sullivan Kilroy, Staff Writer, California Business Journal
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Odds are you’ve heard the job title, “management consultant.” Maybe you even know someone who holds such a position. They may talk about travel to client meetings, presentations, spreadsheets and the like. But what does a management consultant actually do?

“We help people and organizations reach for and realize their vision, we solve problems, we create and deliver solutions,” says Thomas Célérier, Senior Director, Market Head for Healthcare and Life Sciences in Silicon Valley at Slalom Consulting.

Slalom is headquartered in Seattle, but has offices in six California cities, including Célérier’s Palo Alto office, and more than three dozen other cities across the U.S. and around the globe. Célérier works with healthcare, biopharma, diagnostics, medical devices and health tech companies to bring their ideas to fruition.

Célérier is a biotech engineer by training, rooted in his early learnings as an agronomist and food industry scholar – and he also holds an MBA from HEC Paris, giving him unique insights into what’s required to navigate organizations and living systems, to design and build digital solutions, and  to get them to market.

Fifteen years ago, Célérier moved to the U.S. from France, his birthplace, where his parents were educators. His mother, a university professor and research scientist is one of the country’s and European leading ecophysiologists, with a  specialization in spiders, and his father started teaching math, and then headed various middle school headmaster and principal positions.

In the following interview, Célérier discusses the role of management and technology consultancies in building businesses, a concept he contends is invaluable because even the most well-funded companies don’t always have the expertise and latitude in house to bring products and services to market. “And because everyone benefits from additional perspectives, help and coaching,” he says.

CBJ: Explain in lay terms what a consulting business like Slalom does?

Thomas Célérier: “I often start discussing this question by telling the parable of the elephant and the seven blind men where each man takes hold of a different part of the elephant and is utterly convinced that what he feels is the actual thing. One thinks the elephant is a wall, one thinks it’s a snake, one thinks it’s a tree, and so on. It’s always a great conversation starter with our clients and partners. As consultants, we are able to offer many services to the various clients and industries we interact with. We influence, change, build and enhance capabilities necessary for their activities. Our engagements can be a few days to years long as we co-create, build, support and deliver – all with a joint purpose in mind and at heart.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We are both generalists and experts. I happen to specialize in healthcare and life sciences where I’ve worked on projects like creating a strategy to launch new and adapt existing products and services, such as a drug or digital apps for patients or to help a supply chain department with modern analytics to improve the way it forecasts product demand and balance supply needs like we recently did as we looked for solutions to fight COVID-19.”

CBJ: Describe a typical day in the life of a consultant? What skillset does it require?

TC: “I absolutely love this question, which, by the way, is one we also often ask to our clients, as we start our diagnosis and begin to shape our recommendations or solutions for them. The best ways to answer it, is how I explain it to my kids and other younger professionals who ask: “No single day is the same for chameleons” or “We are artists and scientists.”

“As a consultant and as part of a team of them, I get the opportunity to do many things, either as an expert and/or a leader, within client-facing teams or supporting ones, depending on the situation and your journey. This is why many others who really get what we do and can make happen love this profession and the roles and pathways it offers. This also leads to the best trust-based relationships with clients. We have to embrace and champion the notions of diversity of thoughts, people, approaches, change and realistic optimism with an open mind. At Slalom, we like to say, ‘love your work and life, love your future’, and strive to help ourselves and each other make it happen.

“We have to be versatile, adaptive, collaborative, flexible and competent in our crafts, which can take many aspects and roads as you build your career. When working with clients, we tap into the skillsets, experience and traits of many other professions. In some situations, we are researchers, scientists, inventors, anthropologists, explorers and thought leaders, with companies and humans as our subjects of attention. We also are doctors for companies and their people. We are designers, engineers, data scientists, architects and builders. We investigate and contribute to information sharing and creating experiences within the ecosystem of clients, such as reporters and journalists, or even museums curators and travel guides.

“Often times, we put our cheerleader, therapist, teacher, trainer and sport coach hats to help our clients with a change needed on themselves or their teams. We can turn into headhunters as we leverage our network and create connections to help clients build, develop and grow their teams. Being a French native, I could not resist mentioning we are also cooks and restaurateurs, finding and assembling the best ingredients, teams, places and times to create experience for our clients and what is needed for their success. We also have our secret sauces and recipes that we end up sharing for the greater good as we invent the next and new ones. The list goes on. Lastly, we are guests in the house and world of our clients. We have to honor this position, with its privileges and duties, guided by honesty, respect, goodwill and a dose of mystery and magic, in all that we do.”

Thomas Celerier sitting
Thomas Célérier, Senior Director, Market Head for Healthcare and Life Sciences in Silicon Valley at Slalom Consulting.

CBJ: What makes you different from other consulting companies like Deloitte and Accenture?

TC: “I don’t like to compare ourselves to potential competitors, because we are all unique. But what attracted me to Slalom and what makes me stay, is how we care for everything we do and especially people, whether our own employees, our clients or our partners and for sure the communities we live in. We always have long-term relationships in mind. One big difference is the amount of attention we put on our employees. Slalom was founded on the idea that consulting doesn’t have to be a grueling, road-warrior career. Though we have global and distributed teams where it makes sense, we mostly don’t travel like others do and do not believe in the offshore model at its extreme. We have utterly reinvented the consultant model. We have consultants in the communities where they live and work. We live by the ‘local’ model driven by client intimacy, proximity and backed by regional innovation and capability hubs, a global culture of collaboration, and partnerships with the world’s top technology providers and innovators. ​​​​

“Of course, with COVID-19, everyone had to adapt and do some of that kind of ‘local work,’ but from a relationship standpoint, it is very different from how consulting companies traditionally operate, and we invented it! It is also what has allowed us to go beyond ‘just’ the projects. What’s more, we’ve been able to grow without any acquisitions — rare in this business. We’ve grown one person at a time. When I started with Slalom seven years ago, our revenues were approximately $300 million. This year we are closing on the $2 billion mark and have ambitious expansion and global plans in the works, guided by strong beliefs in our model, purpose and the energy and passion of our people. We are building a multi-generational organization, mindful and selective in what we do and the people and causes we associate with, to create the maximum positive societal and environmental impacts.”

CBJ: What kinds of companies do you work with?

TC: “Slalom’s clients include more than half the Fortune 100 and a third of the Fortune 500 – along with startups, non-profits, and innovative organizations of all kinds. We approach every potential client with three areas in mind: strategy, technology and transformation. With strategy, Slalom makes a commitment to go beyond the expected and to help our clients move through ambiguity and risk, give shape to the future. For technology, the company commits to generating insights from our clients’ data in order to create meaningful, incredible digital experiences for their employees, customers and other stakeholders. We’re able to blend design, engineering and analytics expertise to build the future. Finally, we recognize that we’re in the midst of a tremendous transformation, with new technologies and industry disruption everywhere – and we are the type who roll up their sleeves to help.”

CBJ: You mentioned a 10-point framework the company uses as a sort of guiding principal. Can you explain?

TC: “Yes — but it’s better if I show you the “Slalom Values” that guide us.”

Slalom values1

Slalom values2

CBJ: What do you like most about what you do?

TC: “I love being able to work with diverse teams, seeing the higher results of the collective force at play, and I am convinced that the sayings ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ and ‘when people matter, results count’ are true. Slalom has also always been driven by social responsibility, inclusion and diversity from day one. Last year, we launched the Slalom Foundation, and our teams and others contribute to great mutual causes in the areas we care for: education, youth, women, underprivileged, underserved, at-risk people and communities, sports and the environment – all with specific initiatives and investments to use ‘technology for good.’ When I came to the United States as an intern at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., it was because I knew there would be tremendous opportunities to work in life sciences and make a difference with companies that are contributing to the greater good all over the world.”

CBJ: You say the role of a consultant is to not “stay forever,” what do you mean?

TC: “Yes – our goal is to never stay forever – to take an analogy within the biology world, we are symbiotes to our clients. We want our clients to be successful, but we mostly stay in the shadows so they can shine in the light. Basically, we want to be great guests and then move on, while we also like to visit back when needed and are invited or have something to share or propose. That’s why we always have a start-to-finish plan, like a chain of assembly, and always end up teaching our clients ‘how to fish.’ The technical part is never the most difficult one for a project. Getting the chemistry right can be complex, but when all the pieces are put in place, we are able to accomplish great things and create meaningful outcomes for everyone.”

Copyright © 2021 California Business Journal. All Rights Reserved.

This article was edited and published by Rick Weinberg, California Business Journal’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief. Click here for Rick Weinberg’s biography.

TO READ THE MAGAZINE VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE, click here.

For testimonials on the impact of California Business Journal articles, click here.

 

Tags: biotechblindCaliforniacoachingConsultingCovid-19culturedevicesdoctorseducationemployeesenergyenvironmentalEuropeanfoodhealthhealthcareinformationinitiativesinnovationInstituteinvestmentsjournalistleadsLife scienceslocalmedicalMuseumnon-profitsprofessorrecipesrelationshipsreporterSilicon ValleystartupsteachertechnologytrainingTransformationtrustValley
ADVERTISEMENT
Dana Sullivan Kilroy, Staff Writer, California Business Journal

Dana Sullivan Kilroy, Staff Writer, California Business Journal

Dana Sullivan Kilroy has written for such prestigious publications as Fast Company, The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, O/The Oprah Magazine, ESPN and The Wall Street Journal. A graduate of UCLA with a degree in English Literature, Dana also works with the Nevada Museum of Art and the Reno Philharmonic on social media strategies. She is also a Director The Ferraro Group.

Related Posts

product-engineering
What is user testing and why is it important
Tunnel
Tunnel Vision
Johnny Crowder, Founder of Cope Notes
Johnny Crowder, a survivor of suicide and abuse, launched a psychology-based service that provides daily text messages designed to bring healthy thoughts patterns to the brain
U.S. Doctors May Be Too Eager to Perform C-Sections
U.S. Doctors May Be Too Eager to Perform C-Sections
Travel Insurance
How To Choose the Right Travel Insurance
Country Club Awnings for Golf Club
Why Have Country Club Awnings in Your Golf Club?
advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT

CBJ Newsletter

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram LinkedIn

Advertise With CBJ

Contact Rick@CalBizJournal.com

CBJ Rates and Demographics

Job Postings

CEO Wanted


Requirements: BS/BA + 2yrs of Business Managing Experience

Mail Resume: Grand Life, Inc. 14647 Northam St. La Mirada, CA 90638.

$114,754/year

ADVERTISEMENT
1REALTOUR-SAN DIEGO-WEB DESIGN
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Instagram
C B J   LOGO  SVG-01
  • About
  • Contact California Business Journal
  • Testimonials
  • Demographics & Advertising Rates
  • Terms & Conditions

Categories

  • Art & Culture
  • Business
  • California Hotel Listings
  • Daily Updates
  • Editor's Choice
  • Education
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Food & Dining
  • Health & Fitness
  • Human Interest
  • Insurance
  • Law
  • Lawyers
  • Marketing
  • Medical
  • News
  • Newsletter
  • Opinion
  • People
  • Popular
  • Real Estate
  • Social Media
  • Technology
  • Top 25 Wealth Management Companies in California
  • Uncategorized

CBJ Partner Firebrand Media

Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper
 Laguna Beach City Guide
 Newport Beach Independent Newspaper
Newport Beach Country Club Magazine
  Montage Magazine
 Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine
 Bespoke Concierge New York
 Evans Hotels
 Laguna Beach Magazine
 On The Menu Laguna Beach
 Newport Beach Magazine
Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM)
Monarch Beach Resort Magazine
 Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal)
Sea Island Life Magazine
Salamander Hotel & Resorts Magazine
 View our entire portfolio

 

Most Viewed

  • Gavel, scales of justice and law books

    Lawsuit Basics: How Much Does It Cost to Sue Someone?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Investigation: Can TriumphFX Take Your Money?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Impact of Covid: Racing to Buy Second Citizenships

    3 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What to Do When an Online Casino Refuses to Pay Out Your Winnings

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Top 5 Flavors On Elf Bar BC5000 Review

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • NFL Paychecks: How Do NFL Players Get Paid?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Five Reasons Why The Government Does Not Like Bitcoin

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • How to Start a Telecommunication Business: A Step-By-Step Guide

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Temu’s New Shipping Policy Is A Smashing Hit For Shoppers All Over the Country

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 6 Types of Business Records and Receipts Every Small Business Should Keep

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Latest Articles

Super Bowl

5 Best Sports Betting Apps For The Super Bowl

Free Spins: If You Love Online Slots, Check Out These Casinos

Free Spins: If You Love Online Slots, Check Out These Casinos

How to Optimize the Learning Process and Allocate More Time for Yourself

How to Optimize the Learning Process and Allocate More Time for Yourself

Should You Junk or Sell Your Unusable Car? 8 Considerations

Should You Junk or Sell Your Unusable Car? 8 Considerations

Q&A with Jennifer Woods, Vice President and Associate General Counsel of FrontDoor on Why Companies Should Release Sustainability Reports.

Q&A with Jennifer Woods, Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Frontdoor on Why Companies Should Release Sustainability Reports.

Best Practices for Establishing Secure Password Protocols

Best Practices for Establishing Secure Password Protocols

How to Up Your Marketing Game with Real Estate 3D Rendering

How to Up Your Marketing Game with Real Estate 3D Rendering

Tips For Designing A Vinyl Banner For Your Business

Tips For Designing A Vinyl Banner For Your Business

15 Useful Animation Makers for Novice Entrepreneurs (2023)

15 Useful Animation Makers for Novice Entrepreneurs For 2023

What is FinTech?

What is FinTech?

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR

No Result
View All Result
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR