Client Service Award
Nicola Johnson
Principal
Deloitte Consulting
Nicola Johnson is a Principal at Deloitte Consulting. She ended up in consulting because out of college she was having a difficult time deciding a course of action or an industry of focus. She decided to go back to school and complete a Master of Science in Business Administration and IT.
"I believed that if I had more business and IT experience combined with a summer internship it would help guide me toward a career best suited to me, one that was ever-changing, non-repetitive, challenging, interesting and offering the opportunity to work with different clients and across different geographies," Johnson says. "So consulting was—and remains—the best choice and answer for me."
With nearly 19 years of international consulting and retail industry experience, she's led complex global business transformations that generated strong market, operational and project results for large business clients and has a strong focus on enterprise transformation, technology value and strategy.
"I love a challenge and love keeping my mind working at all times," she says. "I work with a wide range of clients across the globe and while they may have similar challenges, they are still all unique in their own way."
Johnson says she always strives to deliver innovative and tailored solutions, and not to take a cookie-cutter approach. She credits two key ingredients for her success and continued drive and growth.
"First, the fantastic, smart people who I get to work with on a daily basis. We offer such a range of services to our clients that our teams naturally have a diversity of skills and experiences. I feel like I learn something new every day," Johnson says. "Second, bringing home results that drive business benefits to both my clients and subsequently to our organization's brand. There's nothing better than knowing you are doing the right thing to deliver excellence, being thanked for delivering great results, and being recognized for your achievements."
Johnson says she is most proud of her ability to understand a client's most pressing issues and then help find the solution. "No matter what the language or country, or the level or role, I'm able to clearly communicate and, therefore, instill confidence in my clients, as well as in my teams," she says.
And as far as being a leader at Deloitte, Johnson says she received some great advice once: it's necessary to successfully balance workload and responsibilities, delegate efficiently, and most importantly say 'no' when appropriate. "Although it's still a work in progress, I think my success as a leader really started to take off when I started to implement this advice," she says. "It was a major turning point for me."
What does winning the Women Leaders in Consulting award mean to you?
"It is a fantastic honor and I am humbled to be considered part of such a group of great women—both those before me and this year. It also makes me feel proud and energized that I am recognized for driving success for my clients, my organization, and the great teams I work with on a daily basis. It confirms that I made the right choice in my career and industry, and it supports me in helping to influence young graduates to consider the fantastic opportunities available for a career in consulting."
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