Leaning into the Future for Innovative Solutions
When Slalom Hartford launched in 2011, the local consultants of the global consulting firm adopted the company promise of “Love your future.” That maxim guides the company’s culture, work, and relationships — helping the consultants uncover solutions that others don’t see.
“We live and work in the same communities as our clients,” says Jim Goldschlager, General Manager of Slalom’s Hartford office. “We’re personal, courageous, and optimistic, and we care about our clients.”
That local touch allowed Slalom’s 200 workers in the greater Hartford market to assist clients as they pivoted to meet the challenges created in the past two years and to deliver solutions for the long-term future. While it is known for its deep relationships in this region, Slalom Hartford also can tap the resources and insights of the global network. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seattle, Slalom is in 41 markets worldwide and has 12,000 employees. Slalom, which was named to represent navigating a series of obstacles with the goal of reaching the end point quickly, recently expanded into Germany and is extending the reach of services domestically into Portland, Maine, and other New England locations.
To highlight how the company is changing to best suit customers, CEO Brad Jackson recently launched a blog series. His first installment is “Expectation Recession,” which discusses how customer expectations have shifted in the wake of Covid-19.
“We notice many business leaders have understandably been riveted on both supply side challenges and employee upheavals,” Jackson wrote. (The post can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/expectationrecession-brad-jackson/.) “But today, arguably, companies returning to the basics of what we call customer obsession will be overly rewarded with potentially exponential additions of value.”
The company has strong experience in the retail, health care, technology, manufacturing, and insurance industries. And it is proud of its workers. For the past seven years, it has been named to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. For the past eight years, Slalom has been named a Top Workplace in the Greater Hartford area and a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, earning a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.
“As we continue to grow with purpose, we have an ever-greater responsibility and opportunity to do good in the world,” Slalom says. “We’re committed to operating every part of business in ways that are sustainable and responsible, while creating innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.”
Along the way, it keeps giving back. Through the local chapter of Slalom’s Partners for Good program, employees stay connected in tangible ways, such as working with food banks. At times, they provide pro-bono work, such as partnering with the Urban League of Greater Hartford to create effective marketing and social media strategies that represent the organization’s mission and values.
Slalom’s own values are reflected in its recently updated purpose statement: “Slalom’s purpose is to help people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all.”
“We strive to be driven by our purpose statement, leaning into the fiercely human consulting company that we are, focused on improving the lives and communities of our customers,” Goldschlager says. “We’re invested in your community because it’s our community, too.”
