Monique Zera

Principal

TRADITIONAL BIO

Monique’s career in Management Consulting started in 2007 after she graduated with an Industrial Engineering degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and accepted a job at Accenture. There she discovered how to combine her passion for process work, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement with her desire to help organizations define and embrace strategic visions for the future. In more recent years, Monique has concentrated her focus on helping companies in her local community define business strategies, plan and implement large system integrations, and manage large organizational changes.

Monique has experience in a variety of industries, including utilities, oil and gas, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, aerospace, safety and security, and insurance. She has worked with Fortune 100 companies, completed operational assessments for local businesses, and led business transformation implementations in the public sector.

While you may not see Monique skiing on the slopes or biking down a mountain, she loves taking advantage of the seasons here in Colorado. Some of her favorite pastimes involve gardening, fixing up her 1920’s home with her husband, hanging out with her black Lab named Darth Vada, and cruising around in her 1968 Camaro SS that she rebuilt with her dad.

Achiever, Ideation, Analytical, Futuristic, Harmony

Extraversion, Intuition, Thinking, Judging (ENTJ)

THOUGHTFUL BIO

My love for solving problems and taking on complex projects started at 14 years old when my dad told me that if I wanted my own car, I would have to fix one up. A few months later, we picked up a neglected 1968 Camaro SS, and my dad and I got straight to work. I didn’t know it at the time, but that three-year adventure was what led me down the path to becoming a future engineer and consultant.

Rebuilding the Camaro, I learned how to analyze an issue from different angles (literally and figuratively), dig into the dirty details (also literally and figuratively), take things apart and put them back together, and approach a huge, multi-year project by breaking it down into manageable pieces. I also discovered my talent for visualizing future possibilities and seeing beyond what’s in front of me; while my friends saw an old, ugly car that wouldn’t start on a hot day… or a cold day… or on a Tuesday if it was raining and there was full moon (you get the picture), I saw the potential for how great the end result could be. And yes, I still have the car. Her name is Lulu, she’s Kandy Cherry red, and on a nice day, you might just catch me cruising her around Denver.

The interests I discovered while working on the Camaro stayed with me through college and drove me to graduate with an Industrial Engineering degree from Cal Poly, SLO. When I discovered a career in consulting would allow me more opportunities to apply these interests, I knew it was exactly what I was meant to do. Since then, I have expanded my love for problem solving to include supporting cross-functional teams through system implementations and business transformations. My ability to see situations from many different angles helps me guide organizations through uncertainty and realize the benefits they are driving towards.

Working here at Thought Ensemble, I’m excited to continue to do what I love with a team who shares my passion for solving problems and helping organizations transform into the industry leaders we know they can be.

Monique’s Thoughts

Lessons From a Change Manager Who Hates Change

Lessons From a Change Manager Who Hates Change

Hello. My name is Monique, and I’m a change manager who hates change.   After years of receiving “consulting therapy” from various mentors, I am now able to say these words out loud and proudly. But for a long time, it felt more like an admission of guilt. I mean, who...

read more
What Would You Say You Do Here?

What Would You Say You Do Here?

“I deal with the … customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills!” That famous Office Space quote from Tom Smykowski cracks me up every single time. I know Toms. I’ve been Tom. Change the quote to say, “IT Team” instead of “engineers,” and there’s a...

read more