Infrastructure consulting firm Giffels Webster recently brought on three new partners to its practice, a move it didn't need to go far to execute.
All of three of the new partners in the Detroit-based firm have worked there for numerous years.
"We tend to promote from within," says Scott Clein, president of
Giffels Webster. "It goes back to before my time. It was 30-40 years ago when someone came in from outside and became a partner."
There are a couple of reasons behind the promote-from-within philosophy. This way the firm knows the new partners are a good culture fit since they have excelled there for years. Giffels Webster's leadership will also feel secure in knowing that the partners have made a long-term commitment to the practice because of their history with the company.
Giffels Webster has grown significantly over last five years, creating 30-plus jobs. Its staff of 86 people now help local municipalities make longterm development planning decisions and private developers best maximize their real-estate holdings. The 64-year-old firm is headquartered in Detroit and has offices in Macomb and Oakland counties. One of each of the three new partners will be based in each of the region's three main counties: Michael Kozak will work out of Macomb County, Michael Marks will work out of Detroit, and Jason Mayer will work out of Oakland County.
Giffels Webster, which now has 10 partners, has never before added three partners at once. The idea behind this latest round of promotions is to help bring more youth and fresh ideas into the company's leadership.
"There is nothing normal in what we have done this time," Clein says. "We made a strategic decision to broaden the ownership of our firm."
Source: Scott Clein, president of Giffels Webster
Writer: Jon Zemke
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