Leading Forward: 100 Days as CEO

On my first official day as Acquis CEO, I came home late to my family's enthusiastic questions about how it went. After catching up, I quickly got into my evening chores — including bagging up the trash. My son turned to my wife: "Um... Mom... are you really going to let the C-E-O take the trash out?!" Her response: "Well, yes, I am!" 

That moment captured something important about these first 100 days: my role has changed, but I would like to think that I have not. I've been at Acquis for 14 years, and it has fundamentally shaped who I am as a leader. Getting to lead this organization is a great privilege and not something I take lightly. 

Since the transition, I've heard from hundreds of people, including clients, colleagues, classmates, family, and friends. The support for me and Acquis has been touching. As I reflect on these first 100 days, a few questions keep coming up. Here's what I'm learning.

What has surprised you most in your first 100 days as CEO? 

The CEO role amplifies everything. We had the good fortune to prepare for this transition for many months. Yet when the day came when I officially became CEO, I couldn’t help but look at the organization through different eyes. It’s not a perfect analogy, but it is like going from playing an instrument to conducting the band; you feel the music differently. 

Another welcomed surprise? How hungry our team is for what’s next. I'm finding people saying, “Let's get started!” That energy is both exhilarating and humbling.

What's one key insight about leadership you've gained that you didn't anticipate? 

The weight of optimism. As CEO, your energy becomes the organization's weather system. If I'm energized, that energy multiplies.  

But here's the insight that really hit me: authentic optimism isn't about being perpetually upbeat. It's about holding genuine belief in our collective capability even when individual challenges feel overwhelming. It's saying, “This is hard AND we're capable of hard things.” That balance between acknowledging reality and maintaining faith in our ability to shape it is the daily practice I didn't fully appreciate until more recently. 

How has the transition from President to CEO changed your daily focus and priorities? 

The change has been gradual, but I have noticed some differences: 

1. Looking further down the road. I am focused on having a successful 2025 and building for a strong 2026, but I am turning my focus further down the road, too. I’m enjoying thinking about Acquis 2030 — what it will look like and the path we will take to get there.

2. Stewarding our culture. I feel a deep responsibility to create a place where everyone can do their absolute best work and deliver incredible value to our clients. I'm genuinely excited by the opportunity to take risks, to build something, and to create.

3. Going wider. I’m enjoying building productive relationships with leaders across the firm whom I have long respected but only recently collaborated with more directly. 

4. Staying close to clients. I want to stay deeply involved in client-facing work; that energy has always been central to how I lead. At the same time, I need to be present for the strategic decisions and leadership that keep us moving forward. Finding that balance is essential, and I’m committed to maintaining both.  

What's your personal why for leading Acquis beyond business growth? 

Acquis taught me that finding a way forward is always possible and that accountability and vulnerability are sources of strength, not weakness. Being entrusted to guard our culture is a treasured responsibility. 

Throughout my tenure with the firm, we have managed to grow while still being the place where people know each other's stories, where colleagues at any level can pitch ideas directly to leadership, and where we measure success not just in revenue but in the careers we've launched and the client transformations we've enabled. 

This organization has given me so much. My 'why' is ensuring Acquis remains a transformative space where people can bring their whole selves to work and find both the challenge that develops them and the support that sustains them. We've built something rare: a place where fierce intellectual rigor coexists with genuine care for each other, where you don't have to choose between excellence and humanity. 

But this extends far beyond our walls. Our clients face complex challenges that directly impact human lives. When we help a health system operate more efficiently, real people get better care. When we optimize operations for life sciences companies, treatments reach patients faster. The ripple effects of our work touch millions of lives. 

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My son’s question on that first day — whether the CEO should be taking out the trash — captures something I want to preserve as we grow. The answer will always be yes. Staying grounded in the fundamentals of who we are matters.  

I am keenly sober to the opportunity in front of me. I have benefited from incredible mentorship from leaders here at the firm and beyond, and I am surrounded by exceptional talent here at Acquis. I’m so filled with gratitude for the opportunity that I refuse to take any part of it for granted. 

I believe our best days are still well ahead of us. And I’m committed to making that belief a reality. 

Kerby