60 Second Interview January 2017 NAME: Ross Logan CURRENTLY: Elixirr LLP TITLE: Principal Born: Essex Studied: History and Politics Eating: Sunday lunch Drinking: Nothing alcoholic in January! Reading: The Cartel by Don Winslow Talents: Elixirr table-tennis champion Heroes: Sir Andy Murray, Elon Musk First ambition: To play football for Heart of Midlothian FC How do you know The Barton Partnership? I know about TBP based on the work they do with Elixirr and being friends with Sam Wolfman. Why did you first get into strategy having started your career at Ernst & Young? I initially got into consulting because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I loved the idea of working with lots of different clients in different industries and not being tied down to a single organisation or role and the EY graduate programme seemed like a great place to do this. I don’t have the longest attention span so working on different projects helps keep me motivated and I like the challenge of establishing new relationships with clients that don’t know you. What was the most significant frustration during your time as a consultant? Losing work due to budget/time/personnel changes. There is nothing worse than getting excited about an opportunity that falls through for reasons outside of your control. What was the most difficult/challenging project you have worked on as a consultant? The most difficult project I have ever worked on was working helping Virgin Money develop their strategy for Virgin Money Digital Bank. Working in such a fast-paced industry like digital banking meant that we needed to spend every waking moment making sure we were up to date with the latest market and customer trends to make sure we were one step ahead of the client (who were incredibly knowledgeable)! Using Elixirr’s connections in Silicon Valley certainly helped us but it did mean quite a few late-night calls with VC firms and Fintechs. Although it was the most difficult, it was also by far the most satisfying and enjoyable project I have ever worked on. What advice would you give a consultant who is looking to move to a boutique consultancy? Be ready to work hard! Boutique firms are often ‘start-ups’ and there is a huge expectation to grow the business as well as deliver for clients. Boutique firms often want people who are 100% bought into the success of the firm and are willing to make personal sacrifices for the overall good; I definitely see this around Elixirr and think that it is one of the fundamental reasons Elixirr has been so successful. What was the biggest adjustment you had to undergo when moving from EY to Elixirr? Having the confidence to make decisions by myself and stick with them. EY is a brilliant firm with a well-earned reputation and that often made it easier to give advice to clients knowing that you had the support of the brand and the rest of the team. The scale of Elixirr doesn’t provide you with that ‘air cover’ so you have to make sure the advice you are giving to your clients is based on some very well informed analysis that you’re willing to put your name behind. Tell us about Elixirr. I currently work for Elixirr, a consulting firm based in London, Silicon Valley and South Africa. We work across FS and non-FS and a lot of our projects are focused on helping clients figure out how advances in technology can help them deliver a better and more efficient service to their customers that is directly aligned to their needs and wants (saying that, the odd finance operating model/technology vendor assessment/sourcing strategy review sneaks in there from time-to-time!). We are about 7 years old and there is a definite start-up feel to the firm, there isn’t much bureaucracy or internal process and everyone is pretty focused on delivering for their clients and building the firm they want to work in. What are the greatest obstacles facing those who wish to pursue a career in consulting? I think that the greatest obstacle is making sure you are willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of your clients or firm. Due to the project-based nature of the work, there is an expectation that you don’t stop until the work is completed and sometimes that can be quite disruptive to your personal life. I think one of the things that differentiates Elixirr is the ability of the leadership to manage client expectations and make sure people achieve a good overall work/life balance. Do you have a favourite interview question? I like to ask people what their dream project is as I think it gives an interesting insight into people’s motivations, creativity and overall outlook on life.
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