The 2020 Rising Stars of the Profession: Lauren DeVestern

Lauren DeVestern ended up in the consulting profession after earning her undergraduate degree. She says it appealed to her for a number of reasons: "I would be exposed to many industries/companies to help narrow down my interests and I would learn business strategy," she says. "Friends and alumni who had entered consulting sold it as a rewarding and challenging job where I would work with smart and driven teams."

All of that turned out to be true. Today, DeVestern is a Principal in L.E.K. Consulting's Consumer Products practice where she focuses on the pet and beauty and personal care subsectors, and is also an emerging thought leader on sustainability. In addition, she is an integral part of the firm's Women's Network, leading the group during its infancy and spearheading firmwide diversity and work/life balance initiatives. 

Ask her what she's most proud of, however and she'll mention a few achievements, including 

Helping to build/grow the Women's Network group and broader diversity initiatives at L.E.K., mentoring junior women and helping to grow L.E.K.'s pet practice and beauty and personal care practice.

"I'm also proud of the client work I've done, most notably: Working with a number of smaller and mid-sized companies, for whom consulting services are often a luxury, and developing growth strategies and tracking clients' progress over time to see them reach new levels of success," she says. 

In addition, she is proud of helping two multibillion-dollar home furnishing brands navigate a complex merger, as well as helping a travel company build its ancillary revenue strategy/division.

"The ability to build my own business within L.E.K. in the areas I'm interested in has been a big factor to my success," she says.

And if you ask DeVestern about the best advice—personal or professional—she's ever received she'll simply say:  Roll with the punches. The toughest experiences make you stronger. For sure. And all that strength helped land DeVerstern on the list of this year's Rising Stars of the Profession, for which she is grateful. 

"It's impossible to do this job without a great team. Our team at L.E.K., and our Consumer practice specifically, is extremely supportive," DeVerstern says. "Their nomination means a lot to me."

Q&A:  What's been the biggest factor to your success so far? 

DeVestern: "Perspective. Specifically, being grateful for the positives of this job during the toughest moments."