The 2019 Women Leaders in Consulting: Sharon Lindstrom

Sharon Lindstrom is a Managing Director and leader of the Manufacturing and Distribution Industry practice at Protiviti. Based in Protiviti's Chicago office, Lindstrom has more than 30 years of professional experience in providing internal audit and risk consulting services to companies primarily in the manufacturing industry.  

Lindstrom started her career in public accounting with "the Big 8" initially working in Arthur Andersen's audit practice in Houston. By accident, when she later requested a transfer to Chicago, a great opportunity presented itself to get in on the ground floor of a new solution: Business Process Risk Consulting. "I really liked getting to see my clients' processes and operations behind the numbers in the financial statements, so it seemed like a good fit," she says. 

It was. Today, Lindstrom advises clients in a variety of strategic areas, including enterprise risk assessment; internal audit transformation; IPO readiness and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. 

"In over 30 years, I've never been bored! It's been incredible to see a wide variety of clients, processes and locations—something new every year," she says. "And collaborating with clients and colleagues to solve a problem or hit a key milestone is such a rewarding team effort."

As far as the year ahead, Lindstrom says she is most looking forward to "working with our global manufacturing and distribution client teams to build new solutions that are responsive to our clients' changing business environment and then delivering those services in an exceptional and memorable way that will differentiate us as a consulting firm."

Lindstrom, a certified public account, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and The Institute of Internal Auditors and is a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago. She founded the Chicago office's CommUnity Scholarship Program, which supports economically challenged Chicago students. 

As far as the best advice she's ever received, Lindstrom says: "Professionally, Your work is a reflection of you. It forms your personal reputation as well as your firm's reputation, so take pride in what you do and what you deliver." Personally, work hard, play harder—a good balance of activities outside of work makes for a more interesting person and interesting life. 

And when it comes to winning the Women Leaders in Consulting award, Lindstrom says it's both very exciting and incredibly humbling. "I always wanted to have a meaningful career, not a job—and make a difference for my clients, as well as my community.  Hopefully, this award means I'm heading in the right direction."

Q&A: What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

"Initially, I thought it was when I made partner at Arthur Andersen, but the firm closed a few years later. That career milestone was greatly overshadowed by founding Protiviti in 2002 with 65 fellow partners and 600 staff in the U.S., then watching it grow to a global $1 billion firm today, with over 6,000 professionals in more than 85 offices worldwide."