While at Wellesley I majored in American Studies because the subject matter interested me, and I minored in Economics so that I could get a job. Since graduation I have had quite a few roles. Immediately after Wellesley, I joined IBM as a Research Associate in its Internal Consulting practice. I was laid off post-September 11th and was unemployed for six months before landing a job at Pfizer as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative. I did that for two years and then went to Harvard Business School. Upon graduating from HBS, I joined The Boston Consulting Group’s New York office. Two years later I had met my future husband and moved to SoCal to be closer to him. I became a Director of Strategy at DaVita Healthcare Partners. Two years after that, I transitioned into a Regional Operations Director role which I have performed for the last four years, overseeing 22 dialysis clinics in Virginia.
How has your career changed since you originally envisioned it at Wellesley? What other careers did you consider as a student?
Walking onto campus as a first-year, my plan was to become an elementary school teacher. However, that spring my roommate saw a posting at the CWS for an internship at J.P. Morgan. She encouraged me to apply. My summer on Wall Street began my shift towards a business career. Over the course of sophomore year I became interested in management consulting more so than banking. I found an internship at IBM and started my journey on the consulting route. Getting laid off abruptly changed that career path. I ended up in pharmaceutical sales because that was the only industry that was hiring at the time. Post-business school, I held consulting roles for four years and then transitioned into operations because I did not want to be pigeonholed as just a consultant.
How has Wellesley contributed to your career?
As a consultant you live in a world of ambiguity. Wellesley taught me how to think critically and creatively. I fully believe in the liberal arts education that Wellesley provides because life and work requires multiple points of view and the ability to look at things from many different disciplines. Wellesley provided that training for me. Additionally, I honed my writing skills. It amazes me how many people in business cannot write. While I no longer write 20 page papers, I do work on proposals that require prose. I feel confident in what I submit and am able to edit the work of others.
What is a typical work day or work week like for you?
During a typical work week I am on the move. On Mondays and Fridays, due to the volume of conference calls, I am in the office. The rest of the week I am out in my region. I visit the dialysis centers and work with the Facility Administrators and their teams to improve clinical metrics and operating performance. I also spend time talking to patients about their lives and what we can do to improve their experience at our centers. Growth is large portion of my role. I work on my strategic plan to add new centers and joint venture partnerships with doctors and hospitals. I do everything from negotiating the terms and conditions of our deals, to looking at real estate, to working with a project manager on the construction of a center. In between calls and clinic visits I try to stay on top of the 125+ emails I receive per day.
What piece of advice would you offer students looking to get into your area of interest and expertise?
In whatever job you have, be proactive and identify areas where you can lend a hand. Be willing to take on more. It will make you a team player in the eyes of your manager, and it will give you more exposure and experience to broaden your skill set. Also, feel confident in what you do know and even more confident to admit what you do not know. Field operations requires you to lead people who have been in their jobs for many years and are experts. As a young leader, the worst thing you can do is be arrogant and think that you know everything. Be open to learning from these experts and sharing what you bring to the table. Also become comfortable making decisions without full information. The worst thing a leader can be is indecisive. Your people and manager are looking for an answer. Involve them and collaborate as much as you can, then make the call! The worst decision is no decision.
What do you wish you had known as a student?
That there would be bumps in the road and detours, and that I would survive and be better for it. Up until I was laid off from IBM, everything in my life pretty much went as planned and I had never really failed at anything. The lay off from my first job out of college was devastating, particularly in a down economy. The job I found afterwards paid less and I thought was something I did not want to do. It was really the best thing that happened to me. I was forced out of my comfort zone and had to learn a new skill and by the time I left, I was excelling. Thus, go for the ride. It may not always be enjoyable, but it is getting you where you are supposed to be.
If you could come back and take one class at Wellesley what would it be?
When I was a student there was a class on jazz. As I have grown older, I appreciate jazz music and I wish I knew more about the songs, history and performers.