What is your role at Accenture? I’m the chief operating officer for Accenture Call Center Services, responsible delivery of the company’s call center services. What career path has led you to where you are today? I previously served as chief operating officer for Southern New England Telephone Company’s long distance business and as the president of its wholesale subsidiary for call center services. Before coming to Accenture three years ago, I was Nextel’s chief services officer. What do you think has been the key to your success at Accenture? It has come by my experiences outside Accenture through building a new line of business and leveraging the best of that experience within Accenture. I also received great support from the senior executives I worked with. I have learned as much as I have brought to the company. What do you see as your greatest challenge – both professionally and personally? Professionally, the challenge was launching a business that can deliver Accenture quality during rapid growth and building it to industrial strength. Personally, it is maintaining some semblance of work/life balance. What inspires you to come to work and what motivates to stop working each day? I like the challenge of building a business, a strong team and a good career path for people. To stop working, I have to make sure that I am taking care of my family and friends, and making sure I take time for me. What do you wish you had known “back then” as you were making your way in your career? I wish I had known the importance of networking, relying on a team and not being afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, as women, we think we need to do it all. What advice do you have for women trying to build their careers at Accenture? What advice do you have for men? It is the same for both. It is important for you to create a balance personally and professionally. Losing sight of personal priorities does not create balance. I have mentored many women and men, advising them to take a step back and examine their priorities based on where they are on their life. It is okay to have balanced priorities that combine with work goals. What has been most influential in helping you succeed at Accenture and why? The support I have received over and over again when I raised my hand and said, “I need help.” What hobbies and interests do you make time for? I serve on the board of my local Y-ME group. Y-ME is a national organization that supports women with breast cancer. I also served on the Michael Bolton Foundation board, an organization that assists abused women and children. For recreation, I run marathons, participate in triathlons, snow ski, practice yoga and am an avid golfer. On the personal side… Education: Undergraduate degrees in economics and English from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of New Haven What are your top three “secrets to success”? Know your strengths and weaknesses Surround yourself with good people Have some creative tension in your organization—it can drive good decision-making. A senior executive does not always have the answers at the end of the day. What are your top three ways to balance life and work? A strong faith. I always take quiet time to practice my faith. I understand that my relationship with my husband is important, and need to keep it healthy and growing. Maintaining a strong relationship with my children—spending quality time with them over the phone, which is tough when you’re on the road. Mentors: Bob Frerichs, chief risk officer; Marty Cole, group chief executive-Communications & High Tech; Drew Blanchard, managing director-Accenture Customer Contact Services; and Alan Fiorenza. Favorite technology: My Blackberry. I can’t live without it. It is my favorite and most hated technology. Words of wisdom: You only get to live each day once. I try to live every aspect of my life that I am holding true to myself and my values. I dream… that I will have done a wonderful job being the best wife and mother I can possibly be.