Community Engagement
ScottMadden is committed to partnering with charities and non-profit organizations to make an impact in our local communities and nationwide.
ScottMadden has helped numerous organizations over the years and will continue to respond to emergent situations as they arise. Building on that foundation, we recognize the value of committing to partnerships with non-profit organizations that allow us to make a measurable impact through hands-on volunteering, financial contributions and in-kind donations, and by promoting education and awareness around the issues they address.
Focus Area Objectives
Our charitable giving focuses on supporting the following areas in line with the firm’s priorities: veterans and their families, the environment, poverty alleviation, and education access.
In all our giving and community engagement activities, we aim to:
- Add value to partner organizations in alignment with their missions and needs.
- Consider employee input when selecting partner organizations and respond to high-impact events and emergent situations in real time.
- Adapt our approach over time as needs change, while continuing to reflect the core strategic priorities and values of ScottMadden.
1. Veterans and Their Families
ScottMadden is proud to have many former active-duty and currently serving reservists among our consultants and staff. Our veterans contribute unique perspectives and talent to the firm, and we are committed to helping all veterans thrive.
2. The Environment
Our clients across industries are continually confronting the realities of climate change and other environmental concerns. We aim to support local and national conservation and decarbonization efforts, contributing to a safer and more resilient planet for future generations.
3. Poverty Alleviation
Whether in Atlanta, Raleigh, or Framingham, members of our local communities need our support. We are committed to helping individuals meet their essential needs and access new opportunities that will contribute to their economic security and overall well-being.
ScottMadden partners with Community Partner Organizations (CPOs) that are local to our office locations and align with our focus areas. This year, we continued engagement with the following five CPOs:
Employee Well-being and Development
We perform our best when we feel our best. ScottMadden is committed to promoting personal well-being at work, at home, and in our communities. We are also passionate about furthering the professional growth of our people throughout their careers.
Focus Area Objectives
Our employee well-being and development objectives continue to be:
- Wellness — Supporting and prioritizing employee physical and mental health.
- Flexibility — Prioritizing client needs while adapting how we work to support both client delivery and employee effectiveness.
- Culture — Creating a positive work environment where team members can engage and are driven by a sense of purpose.
- Training and Development — Addressing team member development needs and leveraging learning opportunities that engage employees where they are in their careers.
Employee Well-being
Employee well-being is a core element of our strong and motivated workforce. ScottMadden supports the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our people, recognizing that consulting can be a demanding and high-pressure environment. Providing health benefits and lifestyle programs that further the physical health and safety of employees is fundamental to maintaining the highest level of performance. Empowering our team with tools to cope with everyday challenges in healthy and productive ways ensures happier, healthier, safer, and more engaged employees. Forming and fostering strong relationships is also important for employee well-being. ScottMadden bolsters social wellness by cultivating a positive, collegial workplace, while also supporting our people who are balancing work with family needs.
Employee Benefits
A key part of employee well-being is the benefits ScottMadden provides to support physical and emotional health. We regularly assess our programs to ensure they remain relevant to our evolving workforce and align with market trends.
In 2025, we strengthened our focus on financial well-being by sharing additional resources and inviting our retirement plan provider to speak during a firmwide First Friday meeting. Our Lifestyle Benefit Account continued to promote work-life balance, offering up to $750 per employee for wellness-related purchases such as home fitness equipment, office enhancements, charitable contributions, and workout programs.
We also expanded access to mental health and mindfulness tools. Through targeted communication campaigns, we encouraged employees to use the Employee Assistance Program and the Headspace app. In 2025, 112 employees engaged with Headspace, completing nearly 3,387 minutes of meditation, and we upgraded our subscription to extend access to up to five family members per employee.
Together, these benefits reflect our commitment to helping employees manage the demands of consulting while staying healthy, supported, and connected.
ABOVE: Women@ScottMadden ERG "Strides and Vibes" challenge.
Office Neighborhoods
At ScottMadden, each office is organized into “neighborhoods” to encourage team members to interact, learn, and laugh with each other. Building strong connections is an important part of ScottMadden’s culture, and our “office neighborhoods” help bring that to life. This year, the Raleigh neighborhoods organized a friendly holiday “ugly sweater” competition. Neighborhoods were also provided a budget to get together for a fun activity outside the office. These gatherings reinforce the sense of community and collegiality that continues to make ScottMadden a great place to work.
OF EMPLOYEES participated in the 2025 Lifestyle Benefit Account program
ABOVE: Employees connecting during a Women's Rendezvous.
ABOVE: Marketing and research teams celebrating a baby shower for a colleague.
ABOVE: Team members showing off their holiday spirit during the 2025 Ugly Sweater Competition.
ScottMadden continues to value the need to network and socialize among firm colleagues. One of the things that makes ScottMadden a great place to work is our collegiality, connectedness, and culture.
Training and Development
Our approach to development is based on the belief that we learn best by doing. Working in small teams, led by seasoned consultants on high-impact client projects, creates the best conditions for putting developmental concepts into action. Receiving support and immediate feedback from team members both accelerates development and prepares us for our next steps.
We also provide formal online and in-person courses, structured mentoring through our Sponsor Program, dedicated time for development outside of client work, such as for professional certifications and licenses, and opportunities to advance one’s skills and professional interests through involvement in our Communities of Practice.
Finally, we have built our training and development program with our people and clients in mind. From competencies aligned to our employees’ development plans to course offerings that evolve alongside a changing business landscape, we are committed to enabling our people to meet the changing needs of those we serve.
For 2025, several talent management objectives were established and successfully achieved throughout the year:
- Introduced "SMart Start" in-person training program, which supplements the new hire orientation, to 17 new hires, receiving overwhelmingly positive post-training feedback
- Developed and delivered “Situational Leadership” training for directors and partners
- Expanded and organized development resources by level, by competency, available to all employees
- Issued a learning and development pulse survey to inform 2026 planning priorities
Betsy Curry
Director, SMart Start Program Lead
"It takes a special set of skills to be a successful consultant, and with less travel and more time in virtual meetings, we could tell that our new hires weren’t grasping “the ScottMadden way” as quickly as we’d prefer. SMart Start takes our competencies and knowledge of the skills required, and over the first year of work, we train consultants on those basics (e.g., managing and presenting data, applying attention to detail, designing presentations, etc.) so they can add value sooner on their projects. Feedback from participants has been very positive, and we’re working with project managers now to evaluate effectiveness on projects. We will continue to collect feedback as we plan for future cohorts."
Betsy Curry
Director, SMart Start Program Lead
"It takes a special set of skills to be a successful consultant, and with less travel and more time in virtual meetings, we could tell that our new hires weren’t grasping “the ScottMadden way” as quickly as we’d prefer. SMart Start takes our competencies and knowledge of the skills required, and over the first year of work, we train consultants on those basics (e.g., managing and presenting data, applying attention to detail, designing presentations, etc.) so they can add value sooner on their projects. Feedback from participants has been very positive, and we’re working with project managers now to evaluate effectiveness on projects. We will continue to collect feedback as we plan for future cohorts."
Building Manager Fundamentals
In 2025, ScottMadden launched the SMart Start training program to provide structured, in-person training to new hires. While our development philosophy is grounded in the belief that we learn best by doing, SMart Start adds an essential layer of early support to help new consultants hit the ground running. The program is designed for all new analysts, senior analysts, and associates, and spans the first year of employment. The content is built around the six competencies that our junior consultants are expected to demonstrate to effectively contribute to their project teams. SMart Start supports early skill development, reinforces firm values, and promotes consistency in foundational consulting capabilities across the firm.
Building Leadership Capabilities
In 2025, we reintroduced our Situational Leadership training for leaders who had not previously participated in the program. Training materials were updated and refined in preparation for delivery in 2025. As part of the training, participants read and discuss The One Minute Manager, which presents a practical approach to leadership built on clear goals, immediate feedback, and timely recognition, giving our leaders the tools to adapt their management style to the competence and commitment level of each individual or situation. During the year, 26 partners and directors completed the training, which facilitated meaningful discussions on leadership approaches, including how to assess a team member’s capabilities and commitment when faced with a task.
ABOVE: Participants in SMart Start training.
Expanding Development Resources
To support our consultants on their personal development journeys—wherever they are and however they learn—ScottMadden expanded its library of development resources organized around key skill-based competencies. These resources include a mix of self-paced learning opportunities and instructor-led, in-person trainings. Additional materials, such as curated YouTube content, books, podcasts, and articles, were also shared with employees. Combined with our sponsor program, the SMart Start training, and other firmwide development initiatives, these tools create a robust foundation for continuous learning and long-term career growth at ScottMadden.
ABOVE: Partner hosting a lunch for Fresh Start ERG employees.
ABOVE: Raleigh employees gathering for a happy hour.
ABOVE: Employees in the Fresh Start ERG attending the Atlanta United vs. Necaxa Leagues Cup match.
Ale Jaramillo
Associate
"SMart Start has made the "ScottMadden way" feel real and actionable. It reinforced the habit of starting with the end in mind and working backward into a clear, thoughtful plan—whether for client work or internal initiatives. Through hands-on exercises, transparent discussions, and practical tip sheets on best practices, I gained tools I could apply immediately in my day-to-day work. The UpTime book club (especially the “Future You” lens, a long-term planning mindset) and peer conversations helped me build confidence, plan with intention, and balance performance and wellness. Overall, SMart Start equipped me to deliver strong work, seek feedback early and often, and lean on a supportive network as I navigate my first year at the firm."
Ale Jaramillo
Associate
"SMart Start has made the ScottMadden way feel real and actionable. It reinforced the habit of starting with the end in mind and working backward into a clear, thoughtful plan—whether for client work or internal initiatives. Through hands-on exercises, transparent discussions, and practical tip sheets on best practices, I gained tools I could apply immediately in my day-to-day work. The UpTime book club (especially the “Future You” lens, a long-term planning mindset) and peer conversations helped me build confidence, plan with intention, and balance performance and wellness. Overall, SMart Start equipped me to deliver strong work, seek feedback early and often, and lean on a supportive network as I navigate my first year at the firm."
Inclusion at ScottMadden
Our Commitment to Creating an Inclusive Culture
At ScottMadden, ensuring inclusive and respectful treatment for everyone is central to who we are and is core to our values. Growing a culture in which everyone is welcomed, valued, and respected has long been a strategic priority for the firm. We are committed to advancing our inclusion efforts as we work toward a better future for all.
How Did We Do?
In 2025, we conducted an engagement survey for each of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Feedback gathered through the surveys allowed each ERG to understand if they are successfully meeting the needs of the members. Overall, results indicate that each ERG continues to perform strongly and deliver a positive impact on connection, community, shared experiences, and belonging, with consistently high ratings and stable year-over-year performance. As we build our 2026 ERG plans, our focus will be on increasing opportunities for development of ERG members.
2025 ERG Member Survey
Additional ERG Survey Feedback and Quotes
Fresh Start
“The Fresh Start panel during New Hire Orientation was especially helpful. I also enjoyed the Partner Spotlights that they introduced to help bridge gaps between senior- and junior-level consultants.”
SynERGy
“I really liked the event around Holi and learning more about the nuances in how people at our firm celebrate it.”
VERG (Veterans’ Employee Resource Group)
“VERG dinner – appreciated that there was dedicated time / resources to celebrate the veterans within the firm.”
The Village (Working Parents and Caregivers)
“The Village events are impactful in general because they don't follow a particular structure; they create a safe space to talk amongst the group and share stories, experiences, and tips.”
Women@ScottMadden
“I really enjoyed the Women@ScottMadden panel on building confidence. It was great to learn from others’ experiences and hear different ways to grow and strengthen confidence.”
ABOVE: Having fun at a firm gathering.
ABOVE: Employees celebrating Juneteenth.
ABOVE: Selfie with our CEO Brad Kitchens in our Boston office.
