Darden strives to identify and cultivate responsible leaders who follow their purpose. Please provide an example of a situation in which you have made a meaningful impact

When I joined ABC Consulting, the “Lab” – our program for early career consultants – consisted of 8 individuals. Over the past year, we’ve grown to almost 50 and expanded to include both Analysts and Consultants. As the City Lab Lead, I’ve played a major role in building the Lab’s reputation and firm contributions.

When I gathered feedback last year, I identified inconsistency in project onboarding experiences. This was a high priority as it was delaying Lab members’ ability to contribute to project teams. In response, I facilitated focus groups with stakeholders, synthesizing their input into the “Project Onboarding Best Practice Checklist”. Once it was socialized and had support, I trained the Lab and all relevant Project Leadership on implementation.

This initiative decreased Lab members’ time to value-add on projects. It educated the firm on the value of developing Lab members and enables Executive Leadership to hold managers accountable. The checklist’s effectiveness also spurred movement towards standardizing other processes. There’s now a checklist on client travel best practices that’s reducing firm cost, and one outlining Project Leadership responsibilities to support the long-term success of Lab members. These efforts have inspired Lab growth, raised morale and demonstrated that new consultants can contribute impactfully.