What have you been up to?

In the 25 years since leaving Kearney to go to business school, I married another former Kearney consultant, worked at Andersen Consulting, had three kids, switched to part-time work, tried a few start-ups, and landed in nonprofit consulting.

Describe your life in three bullet points.

Maintaining an engaged family life
Working in the nonprofit sector
Staying active

What three qualities got you where you are today?

Empathy
Diligence
Networking

What are you working on now that you’re most excited about?

I love start-ups and project work, and I’m sure that is what kept me in consulting for many years. Most recently, I have been working on starting up Compass Chicago, connecting the business community and the nonprofit sector with pro bono strategic consulting projects. I have great confidence in what we do in DC and Philadelphia, and bringing our program to a new city is incredibly exciting. The response from the alumni business school clubs from whom we recruit is overwhelming, and nonprofits are very interested in having project teams work on their most pressing issues.

When you think of Kearney, what’s the first word that comes to mind and why?

Practical. The work I did at Kearney was incredibly practical, and I had no doubt it was going to be implemented by the clients in some capacity. Working on logistics and operations, particularly right out of college, was important to learn how companies, manufacturing processes, and supply chains work. Considering more strategic aspects after business school and beyond came more easily with this foundational grounding.

What makes you proud of the Kearney community?

The Kearney office in New York City in the late 80s and early 90s was a vivacious environment that helped pull us together to form strong and lasting friendships. The recruiting was fantastic—I would have been happy to be stuck in an airport with just about anyone in the office. Many of us stay in touch, and it is always a pleasure to run into a coworker from the firm.

What impact did Kearney have on your career?

I learned an incredible amount at Kearney, and what I took away informed my decision-making for years to come. I had the opportunity while at the firm to learn about education reform and initiatives in Harlem at the time. A project with a major publisher that included researching the textbook adoption process led to many interviews with teachers and administrators around the county, and those conversations forced me to ask many more questions outside of the publishing company project. I connected with education reform experts and read up on the subject for several years in my spare time. I minored in public policy and management at business school given my interests, and took a summer internship in nonprofit consulting. While I returned to the for-profit sector after Wharton, I stayed involved personally, and finally found my way back to working with nonprofits in the past several years. My current position combines the best of both worlds: I am able to connect business professionals, many of whom are consultants, with volunteer opportunities in the nonprofit sector.

How did you make your first dollar?

My first job was during my junior year of high school. I was sure I was going to be pre-med, and my friend’s family needed help in their ophthalmology and dermatology practice. I worked there at the end of the school day and learned many random facts about the two specialties, and thought I was preparing myself for a career as a physician. I think I was actually learning more about how to run a business.

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