Q&A with Marc Raderman: General Manager, Westchester & Southern Connecticut
We sat down with Marc Raderman to talk about what attracted him to Slalom, his goals for the Westchester and Southern Connecticut market, and the leaders that have made the biggest impact on him.
How did you end up in consulting?
I’d worked in technology on Wall Street for several years. On Wall Street, if you’re not a banker, trader, or salesperson, you’re not a producer. I realized I wanted to be a producer and directly contribute to the growth of a company. Consulting gave me that opportunity.
What attracted you to Slalom?
I had heard from a former colleague that this company called Slalom had established a great reputation. I was impressed with every leader I met during the process—and I met quite a few. Everyone was incredibly genuine and had a passion for Slalom. I was willing to take a leap of faith based on the caliber of people I met. This hasn’t changed in nine years—I’m still impressed by the people I get to work with every day.
What makes a great consultant?
Someone who has a mastery of their craft. For us, that craft involves technology, strategy, and transformation. A great consultant puts themselves in customers’ shoes. And they’re someone who’s genuinely passionate about helping our clients, and can partner with and guide them.
As you think about the next five years here in Westchester/Southern Connecticut, what are your goals? What are you most excited about?
As a startup market covering Westchester and a large portion of Fairfield County, I’m looking forward to building a world-class team at scale and reaching our full potential in this market. We’ve entered the market at a great starting point: having strong relationships that span media, healthcare, financial services, and technology. We expect to build on this early momentum. Transformation has and will be key for our clients, whether that’s accelerating their move to the cloud, their journey to become better digital companies, or their ability to get the most leverage out of their data and information assets. I’m looking forward to us becoming an integral part of the success of this region—and the fabric of companies and communities within it.
I’m straightforward with my teams. I work hard to share and collaborate on our strategy and vision. I expect a lot from folks and always try to give a lot back.
What have you been hearing from clients lately? Any overarching themes or emerging trends?
At some level, it’s always been about shepherding your client from point A to point B in a cost-effective manner. In today’s environment, we see the distance between these points increasing due to the pace of change, so the need for acceleration is even greater. As a result, our clients are asking us to help them with more and more transformative work—including moving entire product portfolios to the cloud, co-creating new business models in the cloud, and the related organizational and process improvements required to support these transformations.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I’m straightforward with my teams. I work hard to share and collaborate on our strategy and vision. I expect a lot from folks and always try to give a lot back.
Have you had any great mentors in your life? How have they influenced you?
In terms of work, my former boss and lifelong friend, Joe Freitas, who I worked for at Merrill Lynch for over seven years, has been a big mentor. Joe taught me to be fearless and take chances—that these will pay off in the end. Don’t tell him, but [Chris] McGrath [Slalom Regional General Manager, Northeast] has been a wonderful mentor too. He’s taught me the importance of shooting straight—very straight—all the time.
Tell us about the importance of emotional intelligence at work. In what ways do you see it on your teams?
It’s critical. The things that we value most at Slalom—inclusion and diversity, doing the right thing always—these require our people to have a high degree of emotional intelligence. We offer courses to help expand our employees’ views in these areas and foster a supportive, empathetic culture.
If you hadn’t gotten into consulting, what other career might you have chosen and why?
I love kids—I could have seen myself as a teacher or a pediatrician. I still see teaching young kids as something that will be part of my journey at some point.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
My wife and I love cooking and hosting dinners for friends. I also have a kayak that I take out on the water about seven to eight months out of the year which has become my best alone time.
What was the best concert you’ve ever been to?
At the Beacon Theater in New York I saw Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, and BB King. I also saw the Grateful Dead over 30 times before the age of 21—but that’s another story for another time.
