Twelve years away from consulting, as a corporate executive for two companies, gave Steve Berger, a Chicago-based partner who rejoined the firm in 2019, some unique insights into the full implications of a consulting engagement.

“As a corporate executive, I had to not only design the process but also execute it and then see the results,” Steve says. “I think I’m a better consultant for it, because you’re able to understand the implications. What may look great on a piece of paper doesn’t necessarily look good on the shop floor. You need to take the organization’s real operation into account when you design change programs.”

From 1997 to 2005, Steve worked at Kearney in what was then known as the Strategic IT Practice (now Digital Transformation). More than a decade later, as he reached a career transition point, he took a look back to his previous tenure at Kearney and felt it was the right time to rejoin. “The current focus on ‘essential rightness,’ the collegiality toward one another, and the desire to bring joy to the workplace really resonated with me.”

The fit with Kearney’s growing Private Equity and Mergers and Acquisitions Practices seemed like a natural to Steve, thanks to his background as an integration officer, a leader of corporate enabling functions like HR and IT, and his extensive experience with transformation for a Canadian-based global agribusiness and a US-based minerals and agribusiness company. “I look forward to bringing my practical experience to bear for our clients as they deal with some of their most difficult challenges,” says Steve.

Steve is proud to serve on the board of directors of Children International, which fights to end poverty by working with children and youth to build the healthy environments that they need to thrive, empowering them to create lasting change in their own lives and communities.