Meet Seattle-based Senior Principal Rob Auffant. Rob’s career journey has led him to and from Point B. We recently caught up with him to learn more about his experience, how Point B has helped him achieve his career goals, and what he’s focused on now.
Can you tell us a little bit about your career journey?
Consulting has been in my career DNA since the beginning. I started at one of the Big X consulting firms right out of college, later transitioned into different roles within product sales and marketing, and then came back to consulting, all the while increasing my leadership responsibilities. I would say the common theme in my career is my passion for solving growth challenges through collaborative development of new strategies and then leading the execution to help those strategies come to life.
The most recent stage of my career journey involved my departure from Point B after 9 years to take on a unique growth opportunity with a SaaS (software-as-a-service) unicorn start-up. After 2.5 years working as the Chief of Staff for the Chief Revenue Officer and leading the Revenue Operations team, I boomeranged back to my consulting roots and to the best company I have worked for in my career: Point B. As a Senior Principal in our Media & Technology practice, I am focused on helping SaaS companies achieve their growth objectives.
Why did you Join Point B?
When I first joined in 2011, I was excited about the opportunity to return to consulting and work alongside other smart consultants to serve some amazing customers in my local community. It was rewarding to be able to stay in the Seattle area and maintain a great family life. I returned to Point B in 2022 for many of the same reasons, but now I am most energized about being a part of the new growth story at Point B. The increased industry focus, development of tech-enabled solutions, and new investment in Point B has positioned us on a new and exciting growth trajectory.
In your opinion, what sets Point B apart?
Our focus on outcomes is unrivaled. We are diligent about understanding our customers’ challenges and what success will look like for them, and then develop a pragmatic approach to delivering their vision for the future. It might sound simple, but I have witnessed many firms recycle approaches for customers that miss the mark on an organization’s unique challenges. In addition, Point B’s ability to adapt to a customer’s culture positions our solutions to be successful for the long run. We apply this same outcome-driven focus internally in order to deliberately support our employees and their career aspirations.
How has Point B helped you achieve your career goals?
I have worked with exceptional leaders at Point B who genuinely care and are great at listening to where I want to take my career. Not only do they provide great advice on how to achieve my goals, but they will also invest their own time to find or create opportunities for me.
What are you focused on right now?
I am excited to combine my consulting experience with my recent SaaS experience. A large pivot is occurring with tech companies as they shift from the “grow-at-all-costs” mindset that emerged during the pandemic to a more sustainable growth cadence. Point B is well positioned to help these companies optimize their go-to-market process to drive growth with fewer resources, develop and implement low-cost talent strategy, and address the productivity and employee experience challenges created by remote working.
Describe your most memorable Point B experience.
Rather than one experience, I would highlight an experience type. My favorite call to make at Point B when I was a Senior Director was to inform someone that they were promoted. At Point B, we have high standards for promotion decisions. At the same time, we are intentional about career development from on-the-job development via customer engagement experiences to internal and external training offerings. When someone is promoted, it’s both an achievement of a new career milestone and a recognition of all the hard work and great customer delivery they have done to get to that next step. When you call someone to tell them that they are promoted, it’s not always a call that they were expecting that day, so I enjoy the surprise element as well as being able to tell them how excited we are to see their continued career growth at Point B.
What are you excited about for the future – for yourself and/or for Point B?
With the investment by Endeavor, Point B has set some significant growth goals. We have amazing people AND great industry solutions that include an increased focus on technology. Let’s go!
What’s your ideal weekend look like?
Walking with my wife to our local Starbucks, playing tennis or golf with one or more of my boys, taking the opportunity to relax and watch a game or a movie, and I’d wrap it up with a Sunday night family dinner.
What is the most recent concert you have seen?
Michael Bublé at Climate Pledge Arena was amazing, but we also really enjoyed Thomas Rhett at White River Amphitheater. With three boys at home, we did not get tickets for the Taylor Swift tour, but we are looking forward to seeing Coldplay in September.
Favorite college course?
While not my most favorite class, the geology class my second semester of senior year was the most memorable. It was outside my comfort zone and I took it during a time when most of my peers were coasting to graduation. It turned out to be the hardest class I ever took in college. However, I learned if I could get through that class, I could tackle any new challenge, which was a great lesson that I have relied on throughout my career.
What is something you never get tired of?
Watching and supporting my three boys in their musical and athletic endeavors!
