Employee Spotlight: Adam Jennings – Financial Operations Consultant
Our Employee Spotlight is here to help you better understand our people, culture, and what it’s like to work at Bridgepoint Consulting. We believe we have a great balance of challenging work and collaborative people that enables each of us to enjoy being part of #teambridgepoint thoroughly. Today’s featured Employee Spotlight is on Adam Jennings, an experienced financial leader and a current Consultant of Financial Operations for Bridgepoint Consulting’s Dallas Office.
Get to know Adam
Adam Jennings’ roots lie in Colorado but upon his pursuit of a master’s degree, he exchanged his mountain attire for the heat of Texas. Adam initiated his career in Accounting and despite initially lacking interest in the profession, it was an area that he excelled in. Over the years, Adam progressed his career in Accounting & Finance, eventually becoming an Executive VP of Finance and Operations. While working his day job, Adam slowly began to dabble in his own consulting projects on the side for several years before eventually transitioning full-time to his own consulting practice. While Adam still misses the mountains, he enjoys living in Texas and resides in the Dallas area with his wife and three kids.
What led you to consulting?
I find that a lot of business owners and managers have a vision of what they want but they struggle to get out of the weeds and move forward from where they are today. As I gained more experience, I realized I had a desire to help these business leaders bridge the gap between their vision and execution. I find it enjoyable to help business owners and managers achieve their goals by bringing in an outside perspective, experience, and best practices.
What attracted you to Bridgepoint?
I heard about Bridgepoint early on in my career, and ironically enough, had applied for several positions over the years but wasn’t the right fit. I eventually transitioned full-time into my own consulting practice and, shortly after, I received a call from Bridgepoint and had a very intriguing conversation with the team. They already had the values, teamwork, mission, decision making, transparency, etc. that I wanted to create within my consulting firm. I remember thinking to myself, if this is exactly what I want to build, why not give it a shot? I brought over my clients in early 2020 to Bridgepoint and have been pleased with this decision.
How would you describe the culture at Bridgepoint?
The first thing that comes to mind is continuous learning. If you have a desire or passion within a given practice area (even outside where you were hired), Bridgepoint brings a willingness to invest in that interest and to help prepare you for success. This ranges from certifications to sales to internal education and so much more. They are encouraging and help get you to where you want to go as you pursue ongoing learning.
Another thing I have noticed is there isn’t hierarchy here. If it makes sense for the client, all you must do is reach out for help. It shows a lot of trust within the organization and it’s very refreshing.
When did you know #teambridgepoint was for you?
Early on, I remember having the opportunity to work with the technology team. Even though my background is in Financial Operations (FinOps), I quickly found out I wasn’t going to be pigeonholed. The fact that Bridgepoint was willing to bring me in to contribute, to think outside the box, and allow me to make an impact was something I was excited about. Bridgepoint looks to leverage my skillsets outside of what was on my FinOps resume.
What are you excited about in your role at Bridgepoint?
One of the things that I’m excited about is the opportunity to jump into new problems. If you have the chops to figure something out, you can grow here. At Bridgepoint, there’s a lot of self-management and project diversity.
Talk to us about who you are outside of consulting
I’m big on family. My wife and I have been married for 16 years and we have three kids: 11, 9, and 5, and I spend most of my spare time with them. From volleyball games to Taekwondo to swim lessons and baseball…sports have always a big part of my life. I love playing basketball, I even played and coached at the collegiate level, so it is a dream come true to now get to coach my son’s team. When I am not running around with my kids, I enjoy attending basketball and baseball games. Baseball has a special place for me as I am in a VERY competitive fantasy baseball league with family. It’s been going on for 22 years now and is a great way to connect with my family.
What’s one thing people might be surprised to find out about you?
I’m technically a cancer patient. Over the past three years, I have had three surgeries, 6 Chemo treatments, and 5.5 weeks of radiation therapy. I am pleased to say that I am cancer free.
What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in consulting?
It’s important to be comfortable with the unknown. When you go into a client meeting, you’re going to ask a lot of questions and oftentimes you’ll get “I don’t know” as your answer. This is something you have to be okay with. You’ll also have to be comfortable rolling up your sleeves and do plenty of digging to uncover the answers to your questions. It’s what keeps this role interesting for me.
Ready to join #TeamBridgepoint?
If you’re someone who has spent your time in-house throughout your career but are looking to drive more change, looking for new challenges, or are craving more variety, consider a career in consulting with Bridgepoint We’re always on the lookout for top talent. We encourage you to browse our current openings and become part of #teambridgepoint!
Check out additional employee stories here or find out what makes Bridgepoint point a great place to work!