How do you navigate an uncertain world?
Ancient sailors used the stars, sun and moon to help guide their voyages. It was the north star, above all else, that provided the most comfort and confidence to these seafarers. With a clear eye on the north star, mariners used their sextants, compasses and nautical charts to ascertain their position and chart a course for the future.
Today ... nothing is certain.
Historical business strategies and tactics provide little guidance for leaders charting a course for the future. What lies ahead can be daunting due to unremitting technology advances, "competitive creep" from nontraditional firms, product commoditization and continuous pressure on margins. These factors combine to a create uncertainty in the minds of today's leaders.
Firms that compete in the financial services space bare witness to this challenging environment everyday. Many firms are simply not equipped to deal with these dynamics and will either cease to operate or simply transition towards insignificance.
Some firms thrive because they embrace adaptive change skills and techniques. Leaders create an energized culture and inspire their teams and lead through ambiguity. Embracing this flexible mindset is today's leadership challenge. There are valuable skills and techniques that leaders can learn in order to navigate uncertainty and succeed.
Let us help you navigate through uncertainty and find your North Star.
Who we are and what we do
North Star Consulting is a leadership and strategic consulting firm with deep roots and experience in the broadly defined financial services sector to include wealth & asset management and insurance. Decades of leadership experience in various functional disciplines (finance, sales, marketing, operations, technology) within financial services, makes our firm uniquely positioned to help leaders with unique tools and techniques for success. Our engagements tend to focus on the following four "northstars":
Leadership & Culture
We seek to help firms harness the incredible untapped potential within every organization. To tease out that potential, leaders can practice 10 unique techniques to create espirt de corps and build a high performing team. This northstar focuses on leadership techniques to create and nurture an inspiring culture that innovates, improves the customer experience and grows and retains assets.
Strategy & Operational Planning
Developing and following a robust long term strategy, in conjunction with annual operational and financial planning, is invaluable to a firm's success...leaders often pay little mind to this exercise. What is most critical to developing a cohesive and well constructed plan is to first ensure you are asking the "right" questions. The "right" questions will help define goals and visions and ultimately form the foundations for a long term strategy. A long term plan will be a critical guide for all subsequent activities, projects and capital investment. Our strategy development, consulting and facilitation services will help your firm be successful.
Designing and Architecting High End Service Units to Attract Affluent Clients
Over the next three decades, nearly $60 trillion dollars will transfer from one generation to the next. Most wealth holders have not planned for this transition, therefore, assets are at risk. A focus on this northstar will enable firms to implement unique techniques and units to secure, grow and retain affluent client assets.
Branding & Market Positioning
A northstar focused on branding & marketing techniques will enable firms to have a cohesive value proposition to successfully compete in the wealth management space.
Industry Research & Performance Analysis
We bring industry research, analysis and insight to firms that are focused on growth, asset retention, pricing, fees, profitability, ROE and IRR.
We have experience dealing with channel conflict, solutions for dealing with small accounts, how to grow fee income, using affiliates to grow your business.
A northstar focused on these metrics or ideas can help bring supporting discipline to firms as they seek to grow and maximize returns.
Other Topics
- Managing Channel Conflict
- Creating Successful Sales Incentive Plans
- Solutions for Small Accounts
- Unleashing Untapped Income Sources
- Leveraging Technology to Grow and Protect Your Value Proposition
We partner with banks, private banks, family offices, trust companies, registered investment advisors, and broker/dealers. Our clients tend to be firms and practitioners who work with and seek to secure and retain affluent family assets. Engagements are customized based on client needs and priorities. We leverage our proprietary tools (and may access an affiliated network of technical specialists based on client needs) to provide practical and implementable solutions. The following are some of our proprietary tools:
The IBAP (Interview Based Assessment Process) - used for understanding and aligning strategy
Five Smart People facilitated sessions
Strategy & Operational Planning - to include direct industry advice and also facilitated sessions
Wealth Transition Workshops - how to preserve and protect clients assets as they pass from one generation to the next
Advisors Surveys and Interviews
Joe is a seasoned executive who loves to solve problems, motivate teams and drive hard for results. A 30 year veteran in financial services, he spent the last 12 years as President & CEO of a private client group affiliated with a large Fortune 100 Company. He has also led teams in finance, technology & project management, and sales & marketing.
Joe earned his BA from the Eisenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He studied international economics at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England and later earned a MBA from Western New England University. He holds a series 6, 7, 24, 26, and 63 with FINRA and is a Chartered Financial Consultant.
Joe is incredibly proud of the family that he and his wife created over the past 30 years of marriage. His wife is a Psychotherapist and has her own successful practice. They have two great adult children. Their daughter is a political science graduate of American University who now works in politics. Their son is completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado, working towards a bachelors's degree in Psychology with a minor business. Over the years Joe volunteered his time in town activities and committees, sat on various Boards, coached youth sports and has been active in his church holding various finance positions. When not involved in client engagements, Joe loves to golf, read, stay healthy, work with his hands and travel. He and his wife reside in small college town in the "Education Corridor" of New England.
Joseph Rokowski
Founder & Principal, North Star Consulting, LLC
Let us help you find your northstar
Navigate uncertainty.
Lead with purpose.