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DeAnne | |
Senior Partner. Joined 1991. San Francisco |
What advice would you give to new graduates?
My advice is to take time to think about what you have passion for and find a field or role that helps you fulfill that passion. I have a passion for serving clients and advancing women in business, and both have been fulfilled at Booz & Company.
What attracted you to consulting, and why did you choose Booz & Company?
In evaluating my job opportunities, I used three criteria: What kind of work would I be doing every day? Who would I work with every day and did I respect and like them? And how much was I going to get paid? Booz & Company approached me regarding joining the firm, and I was intrigued because the firm offered very challenging work with very intelligent and interesting people.
How does your MBA help you in your work?
I have a technical undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science, so the MBA gave me basic business fundamentals training. But by far the most important benefit from my MSBA (Stanford Sloan) is relationships. The school network is great for helping develop client relationships and for finding the best talent for Booz & Company. It’s a great resource to test ideas with old classmates. And it’s valuable for connections with key professors, with whom I am able to discuss our latest intellectual capital.
What has been the biggest benefit of mentorship?
This business is all about helping other people develop and succeed. Mentorship is critical because if you don’t develop others, you can’t build a team, and, subsequently, build a business.
How do you manage your work-life balance?
I manage both what I do and how I do it. I’m very productive in the hours that I work, which is a must if you want to achieve work-life balance. In addition, you must carefully manage what you do. If you’ve successfully developed your team, you will trust that team to deliver the work and become leaders in their own right. I also have an incredibly supportive husband who thinks it’s important to show our four girls that a mother can have a successful professional life outside the home. Additionally, I outsource everything (cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc.) except being a parent.
What’s on your iPod?
My husband loaded 500 songs on my iPod. The music includes a myriad of Latin songs, Bruce Springsteen, Alan Jackson, and many others.
What was the oddest job you had prior to consulting?
I was a soda jerk during my summer high school years in Texas. I remember very peculiar customers. One lady came in every day and ordered a cherry coke, basically only the heavy syrup and virtually no carbonated water. She added soda water throughout the day so that cherry coke lasted all day. Another lady came every day for a chocolate shake with peanuts, so I had to keep a bag of Planters on hand to satisfy her daily craving.