What was your role while at Development Guild?
Over my 4+ years with the firm, I advanced from an Executive Search Associate to a Consultant, responsible for leading full cycle executive search projects for Development Guild’s incredible nonprofit clients. I was also given the opportunity to expand the scope of my role into business development work and become involved with various internal strategic priorities.
What did you take away from your time here that has served you well in your career?
While I have always considered myself a “systems thinker”, I totally credit Development Guild with honing my ability to think and operate at both a strategic, organizational level and an extremely granular and tactical level… sometimes in the same five minutes! Because of the consulting experience and the mentorship I accessed at DG, I am comfortable discussing high-level, long-term business strategies and then quickly pivoting to design detailed processes that achieve a desired outcome. This skill has proven to be a valuable strength in my new role.
What have you been up to since leaving?
I am now in a position that links my talent management background, business development experience, and appetite for diversity and inclusion work. As the Director of Recruitment for The Partnership Inc., I work directly with new and existing corporate and organizational clients to leverage our leadership development programs, corporate culture services, and network of multicultural leaders. Over the past summer, I have also relocated from Brighton to Dorchester with my pandemic-“puppy” (who has recently reached the 80-pound milestone!).
Tell us more about your current role.
The Partnership’s work is designed to drive the advancement and success of professionals of color, provide corporate clients with the expertise they need to attract, retain, and amplify multicultural talent, and connect members of the Partnership’s vast community with mentorship, professional contacts, personal friendships, and peer networks. My role is threefold; I am focused on bringing new client partners into the fold and understanding how we can best support their most ambitious talent strategies; I am responsible for all recruitment activity for our nationally recognized leadership development programs; and lastly, I am an ear on the ground, feeding our team’s understanding of the always-evolving pain points and barriers our clients and alumni experience.
What is your fondest memory from your time at Development Guild?
Some of my best memories are from the month book club we started; and the inevitable debate of historical non-fiction vs anything else 😊
A close runner up is also the Guild Gatherings program, during which the full firm read/listened to material on a topic chosen by two staff facilitators and then came together for lunch and discussion. I loved these opportunities for staff to connect who rarely got to work together, and, as a social person, any excuse to bring the whole firm together!
Do you have any advice you would like to give to incoming employees?
One of the strategies that served me best during my time at Development Guild was balancing initiative with consistent follow through. I found the firm and this group of talented people to have a real appetite for new projects and innovative ideas. My ability to run with many of these concepts was enabled once I demonstrated I could be trusted to drive them forward while keeping leaders in the loop as appropriate. This said, my advice to incoming employees is to prioritize building credibility with colleagues and the leadership team with consistent follow through and clear communication.