Articles
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Q: What led you to join the Green Leaf team?
A: A colleague I had previously worked with joined Green Leaf about a year before me. She reached out to let me know about an opportunity to join the team and felt my experience in workers’ compensation and data migration would make me a great fit. While I was initially brought on for those skills, my role has since evolved significantly. I’m now focused on iterative development and exploring Agile and Scrum methodologies.
Q: What keeps you here?
A: I learn something new every day. At my current reinsurance client, I’ve fully immersed myself in their processes, often feeling like part of their team instead of just a consultant. They’re very open to people exploring different roles, which has helped me grow tremendously. I work closely with my Green Leaf colleagues and the client’s core stakeholders. We have a fantastic team dynamic and hold each other accountable.
Q: What are your area(s) of specialty?
A: While my background is in workers’ compensation, my specialty at Green Leaf has shifted toward collaborating with stakeholders. When I first started, I noticed communication gaps and took on the role of bringing people together to address challenges. Initially, I’d guide stakeholders on who to ask for information, but I realized that wasn’t enough, so I stepped in to facilitate conversations and break through roadblocks. Over time, I became skilled at ensuring teams had everything they needed to move forward effectively.
Q: What aspects of technology are you most passionate about, and how do you see these aligning with your role at GL?
A: I’m most passionate about equipping business departments and users with the applications and data they need to drive their business forward. Whether it’s developing apps or leveraging data for smarter decisions, I love seeing technology in action.
ROLE AT GREEN LEAF
Q: What’s one of the most important, interesting, or exciting projects you’ve worked on at GL, and what made it so special for you?
A: Since joining Green Leaf, I’ve been working with the same reinsurance client. One of the most exciting moments was finally gaining access to their data and starting the profiling process. That breakthrough was a major step in solving their challenges.
Q: Can you share a specific goal or project you’re aiming to kickstart in the near future? What makes this especially important to you?
A: For my current client, I’m focused on continuing to act as a change agent between data owners and consumers. Their business model creates barriers, and my goal is to help them overcome those challenges and streamline their processes. I never anticipated this being a part of my job, but the need arose, and I was ready to take on the challenge.
Q: Can you tell us about a personal philosophy or approach that guides your work in tech and in serving clients?
A: I’ve learned the value of actively listening to my stakeholders. It’s easy to make assumptions when you’ve done something for a long time, but those assumptions often lead to mistakes.
My job is to gather the right information from stakeholders so developers can do their work efficiently and deliver the expected results. There’s not a lot of philosophy to it — nobody likes rework, so asking good questions upfront is critical.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & LOOKING AHEAD
Q: In your opinion, what are the major trends that will shape the technology consulting industry in the next five years?
A: Vendor-neutral technology will play a key role in reducing the burden of costly, long-term contract commitments and enabling businesses to modernize their technology as their needs evolve. The demand for speed and efficiency will drive innovations like refactoring applications, streamlining workflows, and improving communication.
Q: What leadership qualities do you think are most important for driving innovation in the technology side of companies today?
A: Leaders need to be forward-thinking and open to change. It’s important to embrace the role of change agents, whether by orchestrating change ourselves or guiding others through it.
Q: What’s a significant challenge that clients are facing today?
A: Time to market remains a major challenge. At Green Leaf, we’ve helped clients address this by adopting Agile methodologies, which help streamline processes and maintain momentum to deliver results quickly.
Q: How do you stay updated with the rapid changes in technology, and how do you foresee the evolution of the tech consultant’s role?
A: Most of my learning comes from hands-on experience with projects, but I also stay current through certifications. Active listening is equally important. It helps me understand client needs and enables me to mentor and upskill my team, ultimately reducing the burden on stakeholders.
Q: Discuss the balance between innovation and risk in technology. How should companies approach risk-taking for technological advancement?
A: Technological advancement always comes with risks, but identifying and mitigating them through effective processes and governance is essential.
Q: What skills do you think will be most valuable for the technology workforce of the future, and how can professionals prepare now?
A: Familiarity with tools like SQL Query capabilities, Power BI, Azure Data Explorer, or any other platform that provides access to your data will be key. Professionals should start learning and getting comfortable with these tools now.
PERSONAL: INTERESTS AND HOBBIES
Q: If you could have dinner with any figure from the world of technology, who would it be and why?
A: Elon Musk seems a bit “out there,” but he’d definitely be an interesting person to talk to. He’s a business thinker, an innovator, a savvy investor, and a leader. His craziness could make for a fascinating conversation.
Q: What’s the one gadget or tech you can’t live without?
A: Smartphone and computer. I couldn’t work without those.
Q: Can you share a personal success story or a particularly memorable experience from your career? What made it special for you?
A: At a carrier I worked for, I served as a BA on an app development project, rewriting a product and getting its data into the data warehouse. It was a tough start—stakeholders didn’t fully understand their business, and the IT team didn’t have much trust in our team. Additionally, unlike past roles where I could rely on existing knowledge, this project required me to re-engineer the requirements from scratch.
Despite initial skepticism, we launched the project on time and under budget, with only two known bugs—while a parallel project went live with over 10,000. By learning from their mistakes and proactively addressing potential issues, I was able to intercept problems before they escalated.
This success marked a complete turnaround in how my peers and stakeholders perceived me. What started as a lack of trust evolved into respect, and I was later moved to the enterprise data warehouse side. It taught me the value of perseverance, adaptability, and leading by example.
Q: Outside of work, what’s a hobby or activity you’re passionate about? How did you become involved in it and why is it important to you?
A: I’m passionate about animals, especially my dog. We love exploring different towns in the area together, and it’s always fun to watch her discover new places. Spending time with her and my family is incredibly important to me.