From Earth sciences and geographical studies to management consultant isn't a very traditional career path.
But that's how Holly Benson came to be a partner and the global head of the Learning & Complex Change practice at Infosys Consulting. "I wish I could say that the progression was entirely logical and thoroughly planned, but nothing could be further from the truth," Benson says. "I segued from a decade of geology (looking at rocks, making maps, following progress on well sites) into continuous improvement and total quality management, into employee involvement, into SAP change management, into corporate communications and strategic planning, and finally into implementation and management of a finance shared services center."
She did all this in the first 15 years of her career while a petroleum geologist for a global oil company. She got her first consulting job in 1999, and joined Infosys in 2005 with the charge to build a world-class change management capability for the firm. "We've been able to assemble a top-notch team of change and learning professionals, united by the vision of bringing a decisive practicality and value orientation to the delivery of change management and learning services."
Benson shows her ability to lead by helping clients successfully design and deliver large-scale organizational change programs for outsourcing, ERP, system integration, merger and acquisition, process reengineering, restructuring and shared services initiatives. She focuses on delivering bottom-line business results and brings a tactical, pragmatic approach to change management. "I like the challenge of helping my clients figure out how to get employees to do what they need them to do," she says. "I like the satisfaction of helping people figure out that they're capable of more than maybe they ever thought."
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