I'm joining PA Consulting and here's why

On March 21st, I’ll be starting as the Chief Research Officer at?PA Consulting?where I’ll be leading our thought leadership work and sitting on the operating committee reporting to CEO?Ken Toombs.?

For those familiar with my research and work over the past 20+ years, you’ve seen me shift my focus as the markets and technology evolve. My most recent work around thriving with disruption and digital transformation was especially relevant (and timely) over the past three years.?

But now, it’s time for another shift. I’ve felt the urge to stretch into broader topics that leaders and organizations grapple with, issues that I call “wicked problems”. These include questions like:?

• How do we shift from the purpose of our organizations from maximizing shareholder value to maximizing human potential??
• How do we understand the paradoxes and contradictions of modern leadership, such as the need to be strong and yet vulnerable? Confident while remaining humble? Pursue operational excellence while innovating at the same time??
• How do we build and hold together diverse teams, often separated by time and distance, when we seek out the comfort of people similar and in proximity to us??

I found my way to PA Consulting because of this desire to work more broadly. You may be asking at this point, PA, who?!? Here’s what you need to know:?

When CEO Ken Toombs first approached me about the CRO role, I said, “Thank you, but no thank you,” as I was looking forward to the independence of working on my own. However, I’ve known Ken for almost a decade, and he knew exactly which points to make to convince me to join PA.?

Honestly, it didn’t take much. The more I dug into PA, the more I wanted to work with them. Building a positive human future is what PA is all about, from leading the charge during COVID to quickly make ventilators in the UK to helping an oil company shift to green energy.?

And I was especially drawn by PA’s commitment to diversity –half of the operating committee, of which I am a part, are women. As anyone in leadership knows, this level of representation doesn’t happen by accident and reflects the company’s strong commitment to inclusion and belonging.?

But what attracted me to PA are the people and the ingenuity in their work. The company is truly an end-to-end innovation engine. I had a chance to tour their Cambridge, England Global Innovation and Technology Centre and saw the deep science and research that supports client needs. The Design and Digital teams, for example, have deep capabilities that transcend slides and presentations to put actual products and experiences into clients’ hands.?

And the people I’ve met are not confined by departmental or industry thinking. Instead, they seek ways to tap into the ingenuity of every person on both the PA and client-side. Even before joining, I’ve been challenged to think out of the box, to think bigger, further, and faster.??

I’m thrilled to be starting at PA – and I will be hiring and building a research team. The company is growing rapidly, especially in the US. So, please come work with me! Also, if you are interested in learning more about working at PA, please reach out – I would love to tell you more!?