Who We Are

What sets RKC Apart?

RIORDAN KILLIAN CONSULTING (RKC) is Carol Jay Riordan, PhD. and James W. Killian -- and no one else. We have found that outstanding service can be delivered by a small dedicated team of highly experienced consultants who are effective in facilitating planning among senior executives and community leaders.

• Both have extensive experience in strategic business planning and governance issues for large and complex, as well as small, non-profit organizations.
• Both are experienced in facilitating meetings of senior executives, Board and community leaders; and
• Both listen to their clients and challenge them with creative alternatives.

Many of our clients are large, sophisticated, “multi-constituency” organizations. Such organizations are noted for their difficulty in reaching consensus or taking action rapidly to implement strategies.  Yet in just such settings we have been effective -- helping them to focus their issues, identify likely alternatives, and produce results rapidly.  

Overall, we get results, we provide personalized attention, we provide outstanding value, we listen to clients and adapt the project approach as needs change, and we involve both Board and Management in strategic and governance projects. Typically, we are on-site or in touch every week during an engagement.

What Experience Do We Bring to You?

Carol Jay Riordan, PhD has over 20 years of experience working closely with Boards, senior management and other stakeholders to facilitate strategy development, organizational structure and processes, as well as business planning to enable leadership to move from thoughtful planning to successful implementation. 

Dr. Riordan is an academic by training and holds a PhD from the University of Essex (Colchester, England). Prior to her work with RKC, Dr. Riordan provided independent consulting and served as a member of the senior management teams of a medical school and a major teaching hospital. She is a former post-doctoral fellow of the National Institutes of Health and is currently a member of the American Association of Science.

Representative Accomplishments

• Guided the Board and senior management for a major community foundation with assets of $600 million in developing their new vision and strategy, together with implementation plans and operating improvements.
• Facilitated merger discussions among three major teaching hospitals seeking to enhance market competitiveness while sustaining academic and community missions. 
• Collaborated in planning a new business strategy for a regional blood bank, assessing its performance, organization and competitive position, and developing a high-level implementation plan addressing short and longer-term issues. 
• Assisted family foundation and family-owned business with governance, grant-making priorities, and executive transition planning.

Jim Killian also has over 20 years of experience consulting to nonprofit organizations -- especially health care and foundations. He also has assisted other non-profits -- ranging from organizations caring for the elderly, to archeological research into Native American cultures, to operating telephone crisis intervention services.  Prior to his work with RKC, Mr. Killian was an independent consultant since 1992, and formerly was a principal in KPMG. Mr. Killian has a Masters in Health Care Administration from the University of Iowa.

Representative Accomplishments

• Facilitated Board and management planning committee sessions for a $300 million operating foundation, leading to the transformation of its mission, vision, and business objectives. Mr. Killian also assisted in implementation. 
• Assisted in the formation of several regional integrated health care delivery systems with combined assets over several billion dollars, facilitating the steering committee sessions of Board, physicians and management from all parties in designing the transaction, and providing subsequent implementation assistance and strategy development. 
• Advised other consulting firms, developing training seminars and video series, and developing business  plans for a regional consulting firm to enter segments of the health care market. 
• Served as the interim chief operations officer for a  regional physician practice management firm, managing staff, and implementing basic budgetary controls