What is your role at Accenture? I'm the managing director of North American Retail in the Products operating group. I am responsible for growing our business and our people, bringing thought leadership into the marketplace and creating and taking our greatest value creation ideas to our clients. I help our retail clients achieve new levels of performance and operational efficiency while creating growth for Accenture and the people on our team. What career path has led you to where you are today? I stared in the retail industry in store operations and labor relations. I worked for a short time in health care, and returned to retail through an entrepreneurial opportunity at Fresh Fields/Whole Foods. I joined Accenture 10 years ago as a manager, working for a series of major retail clients. Shortly after becoming a senior executive, I assumed a capability group leadership role and subsequently the Retail industry leadership role. What do you think has been the key to your success at Accenture? Never losing sight of the importance of our clients and our people while seeking to take on new responsibilities and embracing learning opportunities, wherever they may come from. What do you see as your greatest challenge – both professionally and personally? Having the confidence to be all that I can be. What inspires you to come to work and what motivates to stop working each day? Recognizing that I have the ability to influence outcomes for individuals, our clients and shareholders inspires me to come to work. Outside of work, it is good friends, good food and good wine. What do you wish you had known “back then” as you were making your way in your career? I wish I had known that it was okay to reach beyond my known network of advisors and mentors—calling people for advice that you may not know very well or not at all is a great way to grow. What advice do you have for women trying to build their careers at Accenture? What advice do you have for men? My advice would be to communicate clearly what you want to achieve, and ask early and often for advice. And remember, have fun. Who or what has been most influential in helping you succeed at Accenture and why? Being afforded the opportunity to work with Mary Tolan in Growth & Strategy in a role where I had exposure to many parts of our business and many individuals that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to know. What are you most looking forward to – both professionally and personally? Professionally, I look forward to finding the next innovative opportunity—either with an existing client or a new client. Personally, I am looking forward to an upcoming trip to Vietnam. On the personal side… Education: Bachelor of Science in Business from American University, MBA from George Washington University Home life: Single, no children, but voted “Aunt of the Year” for the past 16-plus years What are your top three “secrets to success”? A willingness to explore and take risks A pursuit of excellence Endless energy And a fourth secret—the ability to unleash the talent of my team What are your top three ways to balance life and work? I define my own personal balance on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis and live to my expectation not others. Schedule exercise—whatever it takes to do that—in the middle of the day, early in the morning or late in the evening. When out of town, I try to be creative about how to work it in. I pay myself back when I have to attend conferences on weekends, such as taking off a Wednesday afternoon. Mentor: Mary Tolan. She is extremely intelligent and well respected, particularly at our most senior levels of many organizations. She continued to be interested in my development even after I no longer reported to her. Words of wisdom: Never lose sight of your dreams and remember to have fun along the way. I dream… about vacations.