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www.HartfordBusiness.com March 24, 2014 • Hartford Business Journal BPTW-9 W i n n e r For SMC Partners, it's a game of sprints By Alexander Soule Special to the Hartford Business Journal A fter a 15-year hiatus to raise her chil- dren, Mary Degnan wanted one thing above all else in reentering the con- sulting industry – to feel productive and know she was adding value. At SMC Partners, the Southbury resident got just that: on day two, she found herself dispatched on her first client assignment with the firm. Since then, Degnan has come to realize she also got her No. 2 criterion: a firm that rewards productivity with flextime for fam- ily needs. "I want to feel every day I'm going to work and I'm adding value to something," Degnan said. "Although I want to feel that way and that's very important to me, my family is the most important thing to me. I need to work for a company that respects that, that respects my value system, and will accom- modate me in that regard." Accommodating is not typically a word one attaches to the consulting industry and its deadline-oriented pressures, particu- larly at a firm with SMC's focus: health care. Degnan joined the Hartford firm last Septem- ber, in the homestretch of the push to enact federal health reform. Launched by Accenture alumnus Scott Cleary in 2007 on the eve of the economic collapse, SMC grew throughout the reces- sion thanks to its focus on implementing health care processes. The mother of all implementations emerged in 2010, after President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. During the feverish stretch up through this past September, the worst element for SMC staff was the uncertainty. "We had an Oct. 1 deadline to be opera- tional, and there were still unanswered questions," said Cleary, company president and chief servant. "We couldn't finish our programming until (government agencies) gave us the specs." All the while, SMC was staffing up to han- dle the workload, adding industry veterans like Degnan as well as junior-level analysts with little or no experience. If SMC's profile thrilled Degnan, Cleary is quick to note that not all recent college gradu- ates jump at the chance to start a consulting career in Hartford. "That's a tough one for us, and we have made some real inroads in this past year," Cleary said. "Here we are, a tiny little com- pany in Hartford, competing against big firms like Accenture and many others in places like New York City and Boston. Why on earth would you come to Hartford, Conn. to take a job with SMC? "What we talk about is the nature of the work, the flexibility, and the teaching that you're going to get," he said. New arrivals get four weeks vacation, competitive compensation, and a 401(k) plan. SMC picks up the full premiums on the health savings accounts it offers, while chipping in $1,500 to defray any deductibles. A positive attitude and a willing ear may be the most important attributes Cleary has demonstrated running SMC, said Kevin Ste- fanski, who has been with the firm since its inception. Consultants spend their careers para- chuting into other companies, Stefanski said, some of which may not share the same ethos. That can be particularly formidable on extended assignments in which the consul- tant is serving in a staff-augmentation role – essentially on one's own among strangers. "It's more challenging to keep that culture with your firm," Stefanski said. "You're just boots on the ground in another organization." Add to that the rigorous timetables against which consultants deliver, and main- taining interpersonal connections becomes paramount. "It's a game of sprints," Cleary said. "We don't mind really putting the pedal to the metal, working really hard to help a client get a new system implemented by a deadline, or get a new capability off the ground. But then, maybe we can rest a little bit – recharge our batteries, do some internal things, and get ready for the next sprint, or the next push at a client." ● Ranked #3 SmaLL/medium Company Category SMC Partners had 27 employees and their family members participate in the Bay Path College Carpe Diem 5K Dash. Employee Benefits | Retirement Plans | Wealth Management What's your target? Today's average retirement age is 61. * Now is the time to make sure you will hit your investment goals. Work with us to move your plan within reach. 207 Pitkin Street, East Hartford, CT 860.882.1112 info@constitutionag.com www.constitutionag.com Securities and Advisory services offered through Registered Representatives of Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, Member SIPC Constitution Advisory Group and Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation are not affiliated. LFS-873434-030614 * Source: Gallup Poll, April 2013. W i n n e r