It’s mainly the culture—as the firm has grown from 5,000 staff members to 20,000, we’ve maintained a culture of collaboration where our Core Values always prevail. And there are very caring people here. On the business side, I’ve stayed because of the entrepreneurial opportunities. Without ever leaving the firm, I’ve had multiple careers because I’ve been involved in so many challenging assignments and industries. I have been given the opportunity to explore markets and grow a business that aligns with my interests.
I do organizational strategy, business strategy, and transformation work within the financial services sector, primarily in the regulatory space. The clients I advise include the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Comptroller Currency, and U.S. Department of the Treasury. Right now, I’m one of the leaders of the Booz Allen Financial Reform Campaign, whose work will help the federal government address the ongoing transformation of the regulatory environment. In the longer term, we’ll also focus on working with financial institutions to help them comply with new government regulations.
At Booz Allen, we always find ourselves with opportunities to work on our clients’ greatest challenges, and it’s exciting to collaborate with experts and thought leaders from across Booz Allen to develop a strategy; partner with our clients; and see the results, improvements, and impact of the solution. Today, my work on the Reform Campaign efforts puts me right in the middle of the financial market crisis, and it’s exciting to work on solutions for stabilizing the economy during a time of historic market turmoil.
I think it’s important to have mentors, sponsors, and advocates in different areas across the firm. So, for example, I have market mentors who offer guidance on business strategy, as well as career mentors who advise me when I’m trying to choose among different opportunities. In general, I seek mentors both inside and outside my lines of business and direct reporting relationships. Mentorship is embedded in our culture, and being a mentor is a recognized aspect of leadership at the firm—finding people willing to take the time to offer their guidance and insights is not a struggle here.
What differentiates us is that we truly do what we say. We say we’re a people-based organization. We say we’re diverse. We say our culture is collaborative, not competitive. And we walk the talk. You see that in the investment the firm makes in diversity, learning, development, and other “people” programs. As a firm, we commit to our Core Values, we believe in them, and we use them as the foundation for everything we do.
We’re a learning organization—a feedback and teaching organization. On a day-to-day basis, you have talented people and engaged leadership teaching by example and taking the time to help staff understand how to get the results that Booz Allen is known for. With consistent mentoring, engaged leadership, plus learning and development courses and opportunities, there’s always a focus on preparing you for the next opportunity and the next level.
Our clients in the financial services sector are preparing for an overhaul of the regulatory environment—for changes in regulatory structures, operations, human capital, and information technology. Booz Allen has core strengths for helping organizations get ready for and implement major change—so this is a unique opportunity for us to draw on our functional expertise across the firm and to partner with financial services clients as they prepare for what’s next.
We display our Core Values constantly. I’ve been at the table numerous times on client engagements when Officers of the firm have politely declined business that in some way conflicted with our Core Values. Although there’s a delicate balance, time and again, I’ve seen the firm put our culture and values in front of revenue. That shows me that we stay true to our Core Values every day.
