Paul Whipple is the managing director of Resources Connection in Independent Square. He has been with the company since July.
HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN IN INDEPENDENT SQUARE?
“We just moved in here in February. This office was initiated in April of last year in rental space on the Southside. It was my responsibility to find a long-term home and I chose downtown to be in the center of things. We signed a five-year lease. This is all the space we’ll need.”
WHAT IS RESOURCES CONNECTION?
It provides consulting services for accounting/finance, internal audit, human resources and information technology. “We are a professional services firm that began in 1996 as a subsidiary of Deloitte & Touche. Deloitte & Touche wanted to provide additional assistance to their audit customers. Most of our business is accounting and financial consulting. The IT and HR components were added in the last
few years because our client
market was asking for it. Information Technology is the part
of the business that is growing rapidly.”
CLIENTS?
“We, of course, do business with 32 of the Fortune 50 firms, but also middle market companies in Jacksonville. Those with $100-700 million in revenue are ideal for us. We even do some business with small, start-up organizations that don’t have a need for a full-time CFO [chief financial officer] yet.”
BORN
New Jersey.
WHAT ARE HIS CREDENTIALS?
“My background is in information technology. I’ve been in the job market here nine years. I was working for a large consulting organization that sent me to Jacksonville in 1994 and I fell in love with the city. I’ve been in this business for 17 years. I worked for EDS [Electronic Data Systems], Sprint, Ernst & Young, Cap Gemini and iSolutions.” Except for a stint in the telecommunications industry, he has always been employed by professional services organizations.
EDUCATION
DeVry Institute of Technology.
WHAT DOES HE DO AS MANAGING DIRECTOR?
“I’m responsible for setting business targets for the Jacksonville office. I coordinate with the other 49 domestic offices across the nation to make sure that, as other offices have needs, that those opportunities are offered to our associates who may want a traveling assignment. I also do a great deal of business development plus maintain client and associate relationships.”
WHAT DRAWS HIM TO THIS TYPE OF WORK?
“The constant change and challenges. The greatest part is our clients bring us in when they don’t have a certain expertise or enough critical resources. It’s very challenging because they’re somewhat risky assignments [for the clients]. They may be exploring a merger or acquisition or launching a new product line.”
WHAT EXPERTISE DOES HIS STAFF HAVE?
“We provide industry-specific, senior level talent. The company average is 18 years of experience. Some projects take only a month but some may last up to a year, so they might fill an interim role. But they are not independent contractors and we are not a placement company. Career-wise, our people want to do project work. We look for cross functional skills and a good breadth of experience that can be marketed repeatedly. It makes it much easier to find projects for them. ”
HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CONSULTANTS?
“What sets us apart is we provide resources for a project under the client’s discretion and management, in their environment, with their key people. We’ve had a great response in this area. We’ve hired more associates than we had anticipated for a market this size.”
HOW BIG IS THE COMPANY?
Resources Connection maintains 50 domestic and five international branches. “Our model is to provide local people but, if a client needs a unique set of skills [unavailable here], I will reach out to our other offices.”
WHAT IS MOST CHALLENGING
FOR THE FIRM?
“Changing regulatory requirements. For associates in a new project, they’re expected to hit the ground running. There is not the luxury of a learning curve. They are expected to produce quickly. Everybody talks about the market being soft. Finding talent is our biggest challenge.”
WHAT IS MOST REWARDING?
“Getting to know the associates through recruiting and screening people and helping them to be connected with these opportunities. It’s nice to make that connection and work with high-achieving individuals. They are the most personable, professional people you’ll ever meet.”
WHAT DOES HE
THINK OF BUSINESS
IN JACKSONVILLE?
“Even in a tough economy, our business model has been quickly embraced. I can’t wait to see how this business takes off. In the next 12 months, we expect to bring on quite a few more people. One thing Jacksonville is lacking though is a forum for technical executives, not just financial executives. We are poised to launch a CIO [chief information officer] forum but we haven’t put a name to it yet.”
FAMILY
Whipple married a local girl, Jill Searcy. They are residents of San Marco and are expecting their first child in four weeks.
HOBBIES
Golf, amateur race car driving and outdoor sports such as hunting, fishing and skeet shooting. He also enjoys watching The History Channel or “The West Wing” on television, traveling and dining at Bistro Aix.
WHO IS YOUR HERO?
“I’m a big fan of George W. Bush for having the courage and strength of his convictions. His views may not be palatable to the masses but he doesn’t take a poll every time he makes a decision.”
— by Monica Chamness