Leadership Award
Vicki Shillington
Leader, Global Human Capital
North Highland
Early in her career, Vicki Shillington had a few simple goals: to travel, to learn from talented people and to work with global organizations. On the advice of an uncle, she chose a role as an IT Consultant in the early 1990s.
What she happily discovered, she says, was the buzz that comes from solving really difficult problems, as well as the variety of work performed, both of which are addictive.
I'm thankful every day that my career in consulting has given me the opportunity to work with incredibly talented individuals and with impressive and dynamic clients," Shillington says.
"As a consultant, you get to continually challenge the norm and come up with something that will make a tangible difference for your client. It's great to help people to develop, both our clients' people and our own."
Over the course of her career, which has more than 20 years with firms such as Arthur Andersen and Deloitte and now as leader of North Highland's Global Human Capital practice, Shillington says she is fortunate to have developed long-term relationships with clients and others in the industry, some of whom have become good friends.
"That network allows you to look back and see clearly how the companies and people you have touched are better off," she says.
One example would be North Highland's London office, which she helped establish. It was there she developed the Professionalizing IT platform, which helps to change the way IT organizations think, feel and do. "This offering has been eagerly picked up by our global organization, and is very well received by our clients," she says. "It's great to see the Professionalizing IT approach helping to shape organizations from the inside out, and driving business results."
Those results radiate both externally with clients and internally. Part of the fruit of Shillington's labor is seen in North Highland's consistent position in the Top 5 of Consulting magazine's annual Best Firms to Work For ranking.
As far as winning the Women Leaders in Consulting Award, Shillington says she sees the award "as a great honor, and a validation that some of the things my team and I have been doing are making a positive change to the way the world thinks about consulting," she says.
"We are helping our clients help themselves and provide sustainable results. We are building a business where passionate people love to be, to do interesting work, and to be the best they can be," Shillington says. "I'm happy to receive this recognition from my peers that all our hard work is well received."
What advice would you give to a female consultant just beginning her career?
"If you see yourself as disadvantaged because you are young, or because you are female, then others may pick up on that. See yourself as a capable individual deserving of respect, then others will respect you, too. Clients are people. They like to be treated with respect. They appreciate when you can help them be successful. Bring solutions, not problems. Be supportive. And treat everyone with respect, from the CEO down to the mailroom."
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