Future Leader Award
Olivia Wakefield Lee
Towers Perrin
For Olivia Wakefield Lee, it's always been about the journey. When she was just five years old, she marched with her mother in support of the Equal Rights Amendment.
In college, she focused on ethics and women's studies before graduating from an all-women's business school. For the last 12 years, she's been advising clients of all sizes across all industries Towers Perrin.
"I love the variety of experience inherent in consulting. At Towers Perrin, gaining expert knowledge, team building, problem solving through collaborative partnerships, and finding the best solutions for the client is always encouraged," Wakefield Lee says. "I also love the fact that consulting is relationship-based. I must provide the best information and perspective possible to help boards make sound executive pay decisions."
While client satisfaction is certainly rewarding, Wakefield Lee says her greatest accomplishment is successfully blending her personal and professional worlds—as a mother and board advisor.
That means often working at home before her boys are awake and after they're asleep. "The days are long, but never dull," she says. "The flexibility inherent in consulting enables me to be at the right place at the right time for both my children and my clients."
As she looks to the future, Wakefield Lee says she sees herself working with the next generation of female consultants "to mentor other women who want to walk the same path," she says. "I really enjoy working with the next generation of female consulting talent, and I hope that in sharing my own experiences, I can support them as they achieve their own successes."
—J.K.
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