Recognized and elected as “partners-in-training,” associate principals begin to split their time among multiple engagements, rather than working on one at a time. This is often a natural result of the real expertise they have built in functional or industry areas, which allows them to create new thinking and develop new approaches that can be applied to a variety of client challenges. They are inspirational team leaders, typically serving as valued mentors for several people, both on and off their teams. An important part of their role is to help business analysts, associates, and engagement managers develop and grow throughout the course of every engagement.