Cindy Gentry
Mercer
Excellence in Client Service
Cindy Gentry was recruited out of graduate school to work for a management consulting firm focused on large-scale business transformation projects for health care delivery systems and state and federal health insurance programs. "I chose consulting as a foundation to acquire skills, advance my expertise and knowledge and to learn how businesses operate," Gentry says. "I am motivated and challenged when I can solve business and people issues by recommending creative solutions."
Gentry is a Senior Partner and Client Manager with Mercer, which she joined some 17 years ago, and has more than 30 years of experience in developing client-focused human resource and process improvement solutions. She has held diverse roles within Mercer, including Market Sales Leader for the West Market and Northern California Office Leader managing both profit and loss and sales and retention efforts for an office of over 200 people.
"I believe that careers are not linear paths, they are a like an obstacle course, designed to present disparate challenges that help you to learn about yourself; that allow you to leverage your intrinsic strengths and through repeated successes foster the confidence to truly know and trust your own judgment," she says.
There are two things that inspire and engage her about consulting. "One, great consultants are 'persistent learners.' Consultants should never stop learning. You show respect to your clients when you show them that you spend time studying their business, evaluating trends and customizing solutions specific to their needs. I gain insights and new ideas from constant study that allow me to offer more inventive outcomes for clients," Gentry says. "Second, consultants serve people, we don't just solve problems for clients. We must never forget the human part of the technical work we do. The ability to truly relate to our clients sets us apart from the content of the work."
Gentry is a leader in her field and she is at the helm of numerous projects involving international retirement and benefits, executive compensation, global compensation and benefits strategy, investment consulting, HR transformation, competency development, talent management and merger and acquisition activities.
One of her greatest achievements, she says, is synthesized in a quote from a Mercer Senior Partner describing her leadership style. She states: "You lead up in front clearing a path for those of us to follow; you lead by our sides locking arms with us to collectively change the world around us; and you lead from behind pushing us, stretching and growing us beyond our imaginations."
Q&A: What does winning the Women Leaders in Consulting award mean to you?
Gentry: "I am deeply honored and humbled by the Women Leaders in Consulting Award for Client Service. I want other women to know that consulting is a profession that will challenge you intellectually, provide a platform to recommend people solutions that can change lives and the flexibility to manage and integrate our personal and professional lives."
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.