Dream the Next 20 | by Point B
Dream the Next 20 | by Point B

For the past 20 years, Point B has been dreaming up new ways to better serve our clients, communities, and people. We've grown and evolved, always meeting the needs of those we serve while holding true to our culture and core values. We invite you to explore our story to better understand who we are today and join us in dreaming about what we can become over the next 20 years.

1995

Oregon

The Catalyst Group opens for business in Seattle.

Founders Darran Littlefield, Jim Hodge, and Tim Jenkins envision a different kind of consulting firm: a firm with people who specialize in getting things done. A firm where our people and our clients come first, and where everyone thinks and acts like an owner. A firm where we are united by a common set of values such as “we work to live,” not the other way around. We call the firm The Catalyst Group, and doors open for business in Seattle. One of our first client engagements: replacing a fax-driven healthcare authorization process that was creating a bottleneck.

1996

Oregon

Oops!

After our founders learn The Catalyst Group name has already been claimed, the "Name that Firm!" contest begins. Tim suggests we call our firm "Point B, because that’s what we do—get folks from point a to point b.” The idea quickly catches on, and the rest is history.

1997

Oregon

Traditions begin to form.

We set out to create a different kind of culture: one designed to encourage collegiality and reinforce peer-based teams rather than foster cutthroat competition. Traditions begin to form, such as Watering Holes and Annual Getaways, which combine having fun with building relationships.

2000

Oregon

Portland market opens.

Our unique brand of consulting causes demand to grow beyond Seattle. We begin our national expansion with a new market in nearby Portland.

Year in Review
person

71

Associates
money

$11.6M

Revenue

2002

Oregon

Client Service Delivery tenets form.

Point B grows to over 100 professionals, serving clients across multiple industries. Realizing our success stems from a shared set of values and beliefs about client service, we sharpen our focus on service delivery. A new client service delivery (CSD) program is launched, and every Point B’er embraces our firm’s common set of CSD Tenets.

2003

Oregon

Denver market opens.

Our 3rd market launches in Denver.

Year in Review
person

136

Associates
money

$26M

Revenue

2003

Oregon

Our brand, vision, and values evolve.

With 3 established markets, our brand strategy and logo evolve to encompass our growing business. We affirm our values of Relationships, Ownership, Honesty, Efficiency, Excellence, and People. Our mission is formalized: "to build an enduring firm for the benefit of our people."

2004

Oregon

Phoenix market opens.

We begin serving clients in Phoenix, our 4th market.


open quote
What's wonderful about Point B is that there are so many great tools and mentors to support and encourage you. Especially in the Phoenix market, I’ve been able to jump in with both feet and get involved with all aspects of the practice, both at the client level and market operations.
close quote

— Meredith Madsen, Phoenix Point B’er

2004

Oregon

Commitment to the MS Society begins.

We begin a long-lasting partnership with the MS Society and participate in our first ever Bike MS event. Friends and family of Point B gather to train, raise funds, boost camaraderie, and ride together in support of the cause.

2004

Oregon

Transition to project leadership.

Recognizing Point B delivers high value-add work that involves the art of leadership as much as the mechanical science of project management, we revamp our brand platform and rebrand as a Project Leadership firm—the first firm to do so. In fact, the term project leadership was cutting edge at the time!

2005

Oregon

Bay Area market opens.

We establish our 5th market in the Bay Area.

Year in Review
person

223

Associates
money

$45M

Revenue

2005

Oregon

Inc. magazine recognizes our innovative approach.

Inc. magazine recognizes our innovative approach to work in a feature article. Our local model and informal office space drives use of collaborative tools and knowledge management systems, which keep our markets bonded together and advancing as a single firm. Our flat and highly networked organization allows each and every Point B'er to focus on what's important—serving our clients.

2007

Oregon

Southern California and Chicago markets open.

We launch 2 new markets in Southern California and Chicago, and our firm grows to over 300 Point B'ers.

Year in Review
person

131

Clients
projects

707

Projects
money

$80M

Revenue

2007

Oregon

Wall Street Journal names Point B a "Top Small Workplace."

The Wall Street Journal recognizes our successful local model and our ability to create a flexible work schedule in an industry known for inflexibility—and names Point B a "Top Small Workplace."

2008

Oregon

From founder-owned to employee-owned.

We have always asked our associates to think and act like owners while working on behalf of our clients; having associates become employee-owners is a natural next step in the firm's evolution

— Tim Jenkins and Darran Littlefield

Point B Founders and former co-CEOs

As our founders prepare for their eventual transition out of firm leadership, they make a transformative decision—one that will be a win for all. They decide an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is the best path forward, and transition 20% ownership in Point B to its people. Legally, our firm converts from Point B Solutions Group, LLP to Point B, Inc.

Year in Review
person

151

Clients
projects

818

Projects
money

$90M

Revenue

2009

Oregon

Honoring our values in the midst of crisis.

Focusing on what really matters, thinking big while working lean and delivering high value — these are the principles that will distinguish our firm and our clients going forward.

— Tim Jenkins and Darran Littlefield

Point B Founders and former co-CEOs

The Great Recession hits Point B and our clients hard. Major change occurs suddenly—a few clients cease to exist, while others dramatically cut spending. We choose to honor our values in the midst of crisis: we help our clients weather the storm by becoming more efficient, and we elect to cut our profits rather than our people. Despite the tough times, no Point B’er is laid off.

Year in Review
person

146

Clients
projects

866

Projects
money

$78M

Revenue

2010

Oregon

Point B Capital forms.

Point B Capital is formed as a vehicle to accelerate investment opportunities from both within and outside our consulting business by supplying a combination of expertise, network, and horsepower to make things happen for our clients.

2011

Oregon

Introducing our first non-Founder CEO.

After 16 years at the helm, our founders transition day-to-day leadership to Mike Pongon—Point B’s first non-Founder CEO.

2012

Oregon

Becoming a multi-dimensional consultancy.

In response to market demand and to better leverage the expertise of our associates, we continue to evolve the breadth and depth of our services and capabilities beyond Project Leadership—including Business Technology, Healthcare, Retail & CPG, Operations & Process Improvement, and Organizational Effectiveness, to name a few.

2014

Oregon

Point B is hereby 100% owned by its people.

In a move that celebrates Point B’s culture of ownership and excitement for the future, our founders transition 100% ownership to our people. The surprise decision is shared during a live, all-firm event and welcomed with much gratitude and celebration.

2014

Oregon

Visions of 2020.

To deliver more value for our clients and create more opportunities for our people, Point B's 2020 vision is formed: "We will be the entrepreneurial platform for one-of-a-kind career growth and market-leading integrated businesses with capabilities that help organizations form, execute and thrive."

2014

Oregon

Dallas market opens.

After growing to more than 500 Point B’ers, we launch our 8th market in Dallas.


open quote
It feels really great to experience and be a part of this kind of expansion. With the talent, experience, and passion that is prevalent in Dallas, I have no doubt that Dallas is going to be a super successful market for Point B.
close quote

— Tushar Bhargava, Dallas Point B’er

2014

Oregon

#2 in Consulting magazine's "Best Firms to Work For" awards.

We ascend to #2 in Consulting magazine's "Best Firms to Work For" awards. With the highest satisfaction score on the question "How often do you think your work has had a positive impact on your client?" and an average Net Promoter Score of 9.0, Point B ranks #1 overall in the Client Engagement category.

Today

Today, Point B is a $140 million firm with over 570 people serving in 8 U.S. markets and an award-winning culture. Recognized as one of the nation’s top consulting firms, we haven’t grown just for the sake of getting bigger. We believe it's about leading with heart: doing the right thing for others, partnering with them to make a difference in the communities we share, caring about everyone we come in touch with, and leaving things better off than we found them.

The Future of
Point B

When we envision Point B’s future, we dream about the possibilities for our people and all those we serve. Turning vision into reality is what we’ve been focused on for 20 years. Here's how we want to spend the next 20:

Our ability to turn vision into reality — for our clients, portfolio companies, development partners, our associates and our communities — still begins with the question we asked 20 years ago: How can we help you reach your point b?

— Mike Pongon, CEO

  • Building new and even unexpected capabilities where the marketplace needs them, channeling the passions of our people and the assets we’ve amassed these last two decades.
  • Delivering the extraordinary outcomes we've become known for as we help organizations form, execute, and thrive.
  • Continuing to anchor on our values as we evolve, helping our people build many careers inside of one W2 while living their best life.

Here's to the next 20 and beyond.