Tell us a little bit about your career journey before joining RGP.
My whole career has been spent at the nexus between client and solution, simply put that’s where the magic happens! Before RGP, I worked for PwC in financial assurance and then in business consulting. While at PwC they sponsored me to attend business school full-time and helped to shape and form my professional foundation. The search for a better way to serve clients led me to RGP from PwC a dozen years ago, as I was intrigued by a business model ahead of its time, a unique vision and an entrepreneurial culture. All those things and the ability to work every day with smart, motivated and talented colleagues has kept me here past my initial expectations. In today’s world it is anomalous to stay within the same industry, let alone the same company for more than a few years…but that’s what I’ve done! I’ve been lucky enough to work for firms and people who have allowed me significant variety and growth in a portfolio of career experiences that has been personally and professionally fulfilling….and all under just two roofs!
Education
I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with Honors from the University of Notre Dame and hold an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by boldness in the face of uncertainty.
What is a goal you have your eyes set on?
My goal is to compete in a sprint and then an Olympic triathlon. Why? Boldness in the face of uncertainty.
What does success in your role look like?
Success in my role means profitable growth through innovation, efficiency and scale.
What was your best day at work at RGP?
I have had many good days at RGP, but the best day was my first general management meeting. I remember feeling that I had made the right decision to join a company with a culture that spoke to me and business model that I believed in.
What accomplishment makes you most proud since joining RGP?
Moving to Northern California and leading an exceptional team through change and meaningful growth. This has been a life-changing experience and one I will cherish forever because of the humans involved.
Share your favorite client success story.
Man, there have been so many! I remember being in the parking lot of one of our now high-profile clients and debriefing on a meeting we’d just had with the person who would become our primary client sponsor. We could barely contain ourselves because we knew that not only had we crushed the meeting, but that we were now in the amusement park and we’d get to ride all the rides! It was the start of an incredible relationship with an exceptional client.
At RGP we bring a human-first approach. What does that mean to you?
It means connections that can’t be automated or imitated. It’s nuance not algorithm. It’s chemistry not engineering. It’s the totality of the parts and not their sum. It means that all of our stakeholders are humans and we will never, ever forget that fact.
How do the RGP values (Loyalty, Integrity, Focus, Enthusiasm, Accountability and Talent) shape how you approach your role?
I have always believed that talent, integrity, and loyalty are table-stakes. Focus and accountability are the secret sauce to success, it’s a pledge we make to never let each other down. Enthusiasm is the X-factor, it’s the accelerant. It’s the passion that propels our business and makes RGP such a special place.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
Family, reading, golf…yes in that order.
Name three words that describe you.
Competitive, Empathetic, Sanguine
Do you have any skills or secret talents that most people don’t know about?
I play a mean game of Words with Friends.
What charities or social causes are you passionate about?
I am passionate about organizations whose missions revolve around children and particularly children’s health. I sit on the Board of Trustees for the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health that supports the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital and also on the Board of Advisors for KidSave whose mission is to ensure that children in orphanages and foster care grow up in families and connected to caring adults. As someone who was adopted in Saigon, Vietnam as a newborn I feel strongly that a child should have the opportunity to thrive. All anyone can ask for is an opportunity – the rest is up to them.