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Technology, business and strategy consulting firm Slalom has opened up shop in Australia, with former Accenture Asia Pacific technology lead Michael Shimota heading up the company’s local operation.
Slalom, which is an AWS premier consulting partner, Google Cloud premier partner and gold Microsoft partner, in addition to claiming partnerships with Salesforce and Tableau, is headquartered in Seattle, but maintains offices in more than 35 cities globally, although the bulk of these are in North America.
However, the firm also claims two offices in the UK and, now, one office in Australia, with another on the way, according to the company’s website. For now, the company’s presence on the ground is restricted to Melbourne, but a Sydney office appears to be in the works.
Although the name may not be immediately familiar in the local market, Slalom is no small consulting player. It is, by its own admission, a US$1.5-billion company with more than 7,500 employees across the world and works with over half of the Fortune 100 companies.
Given much of its presence is in North America and the UK, the establishment of its Sydney office is an important step in its expansion into the Asia Pacific region. Indeed, according to its website, it now also has a Tokyo office in the works.
“Expanding into Australia is an exciting step for Slalom,” the company said on its website. “We believe our modern approach to consulting is an ideal fit for the strategy, technology, and business transformation needs of Australian companies, as well as our many international clients with interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We're working closely with global partners like AWS and Salesforce to make a rapid impact. With a commitment to helping every person love their work and life, we look forward to helping more companies realise the full potential of the cloud, build modern cultures of data, connect deeply with customers, and develop game-changing new technology products,”
Shimota, an Accenture veteran of more than two decades, has taken the reins as country managing director for Australia. He said in a Q&A published on the firm’s website that, 10 years from now, he hopes Slalom Australia will be a top consultancy, offering a full suite of modern consulting services to enterprise, government, and mid-market clients.
“The Slalom model and brand will be successful in Australia. Because it’s innovative, collaborative, and confident—but humble,” Shimota said. “That’s key. ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ is a thing in Australia. It means if you get too big for your britches, you will be cut down to size. If you stay humble and produce results, you will succeed.
“From a cultural standpoint, Australia is definitely a more laid-back business environment. Not nearly as intense and in-your-face as Silicon Valley can be. A hard-sell approach does not work here. You must develop trusting relationships. As a smaller, tighter market, negative issues become known quickly. Your reputation is critical,” he said.
