Consulting Magazine Interview with Riveron CEO Sam Shaw on the Firm’s Client-Centric Focus

A version of this article first appeared in Consulting Magazine.

The consulting market is undergoing a significant transformation, with clients now expecting more than just strategic recommendations. According to Riveron CEO Sam Shaw, the days of lengthy planning processes are over, and clients are now looking for consulting partners who can deliver immediate impact. Consulting Magazine recently engaged with Shaw to examine a market currently characterized by unprecedented volatility, and driven by factors such as AI, interest rates, and geopolitics.

Consulting Magazine: What is your perspective on the current state of the consulting market, and what are clients expecting from a consulting partner in 2025 and beyond?

Sam Shaw: The market has fundamentally shifted. Clients today are navigating unprecedented volatility – AI brings an entirely new paradigm, interest rates, broad uncertainty, geopolitics and more – and they need partners who can deliver immediate impact rather than just conceptual recommendations. The days of long planning cycles are over. What matters now is getting to it: driving immediate implementation and creating measurable impact as soon as possible. Firms that combine sound advice with execution, and truly create value, will define the next era in our space.

Consulting: Share with us the origins of Riveron, its growth, and its success.

Shaw: Riveron was founded in 2006 with a strong entrepreneurial spirit that shaped both our roots and the founder-led firms we’ve partnered with along the way. The firm was an early mover in the Office of the CFO space and among the first in our space to take on private equity investment back in 2019, well before it became common. Today, we’re over 1,200 professionals strong across 18 offices, delivering impact through clarity, collaboration, and a relentless focus on outcomes.

Consulting: How are you positioned to capitalize on the firm’s initial success?

Shaw: Being PE-backed is not new to us. It’s who we are, and we think it helps shape the perspective and edge we bring to client situations. We are backed by Kohlberg, a leading US middle-market private equity firm, which became our majority investor in 2023. Before that, H.I.G. Capital invested in Riveron starting in 2019 and remains an exceptional partner. We believe these partnerships have been instrumental in helping us sharpen our focus and accelerate our growth. We’re built by PE, for PE, meaning we understand the expectations of private equity sponsors and the needs of their portfolio companies. Through both organic and inorganic strategic acquisitions, we’ve built scaled expertise across a full suite of Office of the CFO capabilities, M&A execution, and navigating distress.

Consulting: Can you describe Riveron’s core values and mission, and the role they play in guiding operations and strategic decisions?

Shaw: The standard is high performance and high character. We don’t believe those have to be mutually exclusive concepts. Our DELTA values – Drive, Excellence, Leadership, Teamwork, and Accountability – were internally developed by our top performers, not from an agency’s whiteboard. They reflect who we are and how we show up for our clients and colleagues. Our clients have come to trust us, and when their challenges arise, we’re usually the CFO’s first call. I’m proud that our firm consistently answers that call, responding to our clients’ pressing needs without fail. This consistency, paired with Riveron’s deeply rooted values, sets us apart.

Consulting: What unique qualities or capabilities are you relying on to differentiate from your competitors?

Shaw: We thrive in complexity. Riveron is at its best when the situation is complex, unstructured, urgent, and requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Our clients come to us to help solve big challenges that demand bespoke solutions.

Consulting: Talent acquisition and development are among the most critical elements of building long-term success. What is Riveron’s philosophy/strategy for attracting and retaining top consulting professionals?

Shaw: We recruit experts in their field who are competitive, intelligent, and want to be part of a different platform. Our professionals bring invaluable perspectives from some of the biggest firms and applied experience from being industry operators. Because our team isn’t bound by the same restrictions as audit firms, we can effectively act as an extension of each client’s organization. Our teammates – and potential recruits – find these complex engagements interesting and impactful.

Consulting: Can you share any recent projects or initiatives that highlight innovation and impact on a client’s business?

Shaw: Every day, we help clients reduce costs, boost performance, and prepare for what’s next – whether that’s a carve-out, a major transformation, or preparing for an IPO or sale process. These outcomes aren’t one-offs; they’re the standard. We’ve been quieter than most on this, but while many firms are talking about AI, we are executing actual AI engagements with our clients.

Consulting: How does Riveron incorporate technology and digital transformation into its service offerings to meet the evolving needs of clients?

Shaw: We’re built to serve fast-moving, middle-market companies, especially those backed by private equity that need to scale quickly and efficiently. Our capabilities span the full spectrum: from deploying agile, lightweight solutions for immediate visibility and integration to designing, implementing, and operating enterprise-grade tech stacks. That’s why we’ve invested deeply in AI-enabled platforms like NetSuite, Salesforce, and OneStream. We bring not only system expertise, but also the functional insight CFOs depend on, paired with ongoing managed services to ensure long-term performance and impact.

Consulting: What do you think are the most critical elements of creating successful client/advisory partnerships?

Shaw: Strong partnerships start with empathy. Many of us have been in the CFO seat. We know the growing pressures CFOs face, and we know what real help looks like. We know trust isn’t built with a pitch book; you earn it by being in the trenches together – listening, showing up, and solving tough problems together. We equip CFOs and their teams to succeed; we find a solution and get things done instead of just telling clients how they might do it.

Consulting: Looking at the market broadly, what are some of the big consulting opportunities you’re seeing that you’re most excited to capitalize on?

Shaw: CFOs are obviously diving deeper into AI, which is a massive wave of change. The M&A market will fully unlock at some point, given the pent-up supply and demand dynamics and near-term liquidity expectations from PE limited partners. And of course, long-term challenges around in-house finance and accounting talent shortages persist. We see a huge opportunity in helping clients navigate these situations. Companies used to think about transformation in phases. “Logically, it must have a beginning and end.” We don’t believe that’s the case anymore for our clients. It’s now the air they have to breathe, day in, day out.

Consulting: Are there practice areas or industry sectors you see as growth opportunities? What plans do you have to pursue or grow your business in those areas?

Shaw: The middle-market private equity space presents a significant opportunity for consulting firms as investors seek deeper operational expertise to drive value creation. PE firms are looking for partners who can accelerate growth, optimize efficiencies, and navigate digital transformation. The demand for hands-on, results-driven consulting will only increase as competition intensifies and firms look beyond financial engineering to create sustainable enterprise value.

Consulting: What are Riveron’s goals for the next decade and beyond?

Shaw: At the core, our goal is simple: to continue building a great, client-centered firm with an exceptional reputation, standing shoulder to shoulder with the top brands in the industry. That legacy is built through consistent results, deep relationships, and a relentless focus on excellence. Everything else – our growth, investments, and evolution – is in service of that goal.

Consulting: Thank you for sharing your time and insight with our readers today, and we wish you continued success.