THOUGHTFUL BIO

My parents think it all started when I was two and spent hours on end reorganizing my Fisher Price people. Maybe so, but it officially came together about twenty years ago when I found myself helping with an organizational strategy project for a large IT organization that needed to transform amidst major industry change. I finally knew what I was going to do when I grew up. I had enjoyed my career up to that point in systems development, but this strategic work was the perfect combination of business and technology, systems thinking, and big ideas.

Since then, I’ve served in leadership positions at a variety of consultancies, including systems integrators and strategic consultancies, but I’ve focused almost entirely on the intersection between organizations and technology. I’ve gotten to know hundreds of CIOs, CTOs, and CEOs and worked closely with dozens of them through organization, process, and technology transformations. My early IT strategy experience was focused on the traditional CIO and IT organization, but since starting Thought Ensemble, I’ve also worked extensively with CTOs in companies where technology is the product or service sold to the end customer. I’ve now helped many technology organizations make the transformation into a more strategic organization focused on delivering technology solutions to external stakeholders.

What I appreciate most about Thought Ensemble is our inclusive approach to problem-solving.  I love the way we work together and with executive leaders as a little think tank that generates big ideas and solves big problems for their organizations.

 Some of my favorite things include:

• Helping leadership teams understand each other to work together better
• Surfacing questions that reveal big insights
• Watching and helping technology transform businesses and industries to improve people’s lives
• Designing solutions that consider organizational systems, including all the interdependencies between strategy, processes, people, culture, and technology
• Making strategy actionable with unique approaches to ensure that the great ideas don’t end up on the shelf
• Never forgetting a favorite quote: “Culture eats strategy for lunch every day”

If you know me, you know my eyes light up when I get going on how people and organizations can transform. You know how deep-seated my belief is that teams working together can solve really hard problems and make a big difference. I’m grateful for the chance to do what I love, with colleagues and clients who challenge my thinking every day.