Richard Rosenthal

Developing my path

You might think that landing a job with the organization where your father is an Audit partner would put less emphasis on having to network and create your own brand. Richard Rosenthal would tell you otherwise. Growing up, I learned that your name is important and others needed to develop trust and confidence in your brand, “By design when I joined Deloitte - I did not disclose to my colleagues that my Dad worked for the organization,” says Richard, as it was important to him “to develop my path as someone who goes the extra mile to connect the dots and deliver excellent client service.”

Since joining Deloitte in 2008, that’s what Richard has done. Richard has been incredibly fortunate working with leaders and mentors who have taken a vested interest in helping to deepen and strengthen his skills.

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All about building relationships

Today, Richard is a manager on projects that entail implementing Dodd-Frank compliance for large foreign banks. He works extensively with his audit; consulting and global colleagues. There are more than 50 Deloitte colleagues on one of his implementation teams, which has spanned over two years. “I lead day-to-day Deloitte support for C-Suite level project sponsors.” The position is akin to being the chief architect of a large building. Richard looks across the end-to-end delivery of the project and coordinates with leadership – providing strategic insights on regulatory developments, industry perspective and project delivery. Richard also supports internal thought leadership and market development initiatives, which play to his entrepreneurial spirit.

He says one of the biggest differences between where he started as a consultant and where he is today as a manager is he owns aspects of the relationship with the client. “I feel the client’s pain points and demands.” It means that Richard feels pressure directly from the client. It’s something he handles by working hard, stepping into the client’s shoes, and surrounding himself with good people. “It’s important that you have the right team; project success is often defined by your approach and work ethic.” Humor helps too.

For example, his team has become so close with his current client that they’ve developed funny nicknames for one another. “There is this one guy who we call ‘Metro Man’ and he is like a metronome. He is very steady.” Richard is mostly referred to as “Clark”, a nod to the heroics sometimes required to get the job done. It’s this kind of relationship that builds trust. It helps make long hours not only productive, but enjoyable.

Beyond relationship building, Richard knows that it’s vital to be curious and a quick study. You must be able to consume information, listen, and present it “so it is digestible and easy to understand, whether you are presenting information to a senior committee or presenting a business idea.” In other words, for getting buy-in on your presentations, it isn’t about showing how smart you are; it’s about how you organize your thoughts and enrich the messaging to promote key aspects of your ideas.

Richard is an athlete who grew up playing tennis and basketball. He considers himself a Civil War buff and a history buff in general. And he blows off steam by running, often along the East River.

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