Annual Consulting Forum Connects Business Leaders

James R. Novick, president of Allegis Group Services, was the keynote speaker at the forum.
The 6th Annual Smith Consulting Forum, the annual signature event presented by the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business MBA Consulting Club, drew more than 175 participants on October 1, 2004. Sponsored by one of the worlds leading business consulting organizations, BearingPoint, the forum brought together current MBA students, alumni, faculty, experienced industry practitioners, and prominent experts for a daylong comprehensive exploration of current industry trends that are forcing an inevitable transformation in the landscape of the consulting industry. The forum could not be more opportune, especially with the Smith School of Business recently being ranked #1 by management consulting industry recruiters in the latest Wall Street Journal survey of top international business schools, just this past month.

Following the welcome speech of Cherie Scricca, associate dean of masters programs and career management, to all forum participants, keynote speaker, James R. Novick, president of Allegis Group Services, who has been instrumental in expanding Allegis Groups strategic focus on Human Capital Management solutions for its clients, shared with his audience how to leverage the development of strategic partnerships with consulting firms to create more business opportunities. Speaking on the strong BearingPoint-Allegis Group partnership from a customer perspective, Novick enthused, You can have everything in life you want if you'll only help each other, drawing the quote from Zig Zeigler, a world-class motivational speaker.

Subsequent to the keynote address was an interactive panel discussion with industry executives from BearingPoint, FTI Consulting, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Touchstone Consulting. Drawing from their own personal experiences, the panelists engaged in a lively discussion on the trends changing the face of consulting and the strategies that their organizations employed to weather the economic storm and thrive in the downturn. The ensuing panel discussion led by industry professionals from Boston Consulting Group, Huron Consulting, among others, produced fascinating insights into the best practices for securing consulting internships and jobs, life as a consultant, as well as the professional and personal development during the early stages of being a consultant.

The forum was designed with networking in mind, allowing the participants to meet and learn from the industry professionals after the panel discussions. Reflecting on the success of the 6th Annual Smith Consulting Forum 2004, Sowmya Murthy, organizer of the forum and executive vice president of Smiths MBA Consulting Club commented, We are very fortunate to have had amazing students leaders before us, and a highly supportive administration and faculty who believe in our abilities. Whether it was about securing our gold sponsor or organizing logistics, it was a collaborative effort that helped make this event a success.

For more information about the MBA Consulting Club, visit:
http://www.smith.umd.edu/organizations/consulting

▓ Smith Media Group, Kenneth Ng, MBA Candidate 2006