Note: Over the next months I’ll be posting interviews with a number of key members of the Cicero team here and on my LinkedIn account. Stay tuned!

What brought you to Cicero Group?

Cicero offered a unique experience. Not only did Cicero provide legitimate opportunity as a consultant, but the company was and is growing rapidly. Its dynamic growth and smaller firm size makes the Cicero work place engaging, exciting, and rewarding. I was quickly asked to do a lot things I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do at a larger firm. Plus, I love hiking and snowboarding, and Salt Lake is a great location for both.

What kind of projects are you working on right now?

I just wrapped up a really interesting project in the food industry. My team helped a large chain of grocery stores tailor a data-driven strategy for its marketing efforts and store offerings. The project was especially rewarding because the company is making significant, meaningful changes based on our recommendations.

What are you reading?

The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. Technically, it’s a book on philosophy, but it presents the material in a really practical way. I like it because it focuses on day-to-day problems you might encounter in business and how you can solve them with structured, creative thinking. A lot of business reading is high level and hard to implement, but this book is highly applicable in everyday life.

Now, what are you reading for fun?

I love Robinson Crusoe. I’ve read it several times now, and I keep it on my night stand so I can pick it back up every now and again. The book teaches me that happiness is found as you “cultivate your garden,” even when circumstances are difficult. It reminds me to be creative, resourceful, and resilient. Also, it might come in handy if I’m ever marooned on an island.

What is the best part about working at Cicero?

You never know what you will be working on next! One week, I’m designing a segmentation model for a regional bank, and the next week I’m constructing and launching a new website. The environment is fast-paced, so I learn to be efficient and strategic in everything I do.

If you could help all your clients understand one principle or strategy, what would it be?

Author

Randy Shumway

Randy Shumway founded the Cicero Group in 2001 with four people working out of a basement. At the beginning of 2017, when Randy stepped down as CEO, Cicero had grown to over 350 professionals with offices crossing the United States. In 2016, Randy was awarded Utah’s Lifetime Achievement award and was named CEO of the Year in recognition of his professional accomplishments. Randy’s vision in founding Cicero was to deliver more than mere strategic recommendations to organizations but to actually roll-up sleeves and help organizations effectively execute the ideas. During his more than 16 years at Cicero, Randy has led multiple transformation and change management engagements for Fortune 1000 clients in such sectors as High Tech, Telecommunications, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Consumer Products, and Education. Having stepped down as CEO, Randy today leads the Change Management and Transformation practice at Cicero as well as the firm’s private equity subsidiary. Randy is on the corporate board of Snowhite and of Angoss Software (TSX: ANC). He serves on two state-appointed boards – the state’s Economic Council and its Education Commission. Randy serves on multiple volunteer boards such as Southern Utah University, Utah’s Employment Taskforce, Boy Scouts of America Great Salt Lake Council, and EducationFirst. He is a prolific author in the Deseret News and in Forbes regarding effective education and economic public policy. Prior to starting Cicero, Randy was the Executive Vice President and Managing Partner at Answerthink. He started his career at Bain & Company. Randy obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School, graduating with highest academic honors (Baker Scholar).