Allison Wilt
LRWGreenberg
Excellence in Client Service
Allison Wilt says she purposefully chose to pursue a technical career in college, her path to consulting was accidental. "I began on the supplier side, working in the research department at Compaq Computer Corporation interacting with consultants," she says. "A job change for my husband caused us to move across the country, creating an opportunity for me to 'switch sides' and I have been consulting ever since."
Today, Wilt is Vice President, Strategy at LRWGreenberg where she leads the qualitative, tech-focused business-to-business practice. Leveraging her industry context developed over 25 years in research, Wilt designs research to reveal the information partners need to make critical decisions. She's constantly reenergized by the process of puzzling out what makes people, brands and technology products distinctive.
"I'm energized by the variety of strategic problems we are asked to help solve and really enjoy the process of searching for patterns, figuring out what they mean, and working with client partners to help them successfully carry out their projects," she says.
Prior to this, she built and ran RESMR Inc. for 14 years, helping partners explore multiple tech categories and Cloud services, which she counts among her greatest professional accomplishments. She has partnered with IT-leading companies, such as Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Intel, SAP, and Oracle, and has presented at a number of industry events including Women, Insight & Innovation and the Gartner Catalyst Conference.
Technology is playing a key role in shaping how businesses respond to the rapid and disruptive changes taking place in the market right now, she says.
"My job has always involved keeping a pulse on the market as companies navigate change, which is why I really enjoy qualitative research in the tech sector," Wilt says. "In times like now, people are more reflective of their habits, which helps to uncover the things that really drive their decision-making. I'm excited by my role as a bridge builder, providing the insights that identify customer needs and communicating to clients how their offerings need to evolve to be competitive and relevant."
As far as winning Consulting's Women Leaders in Technology award, Wilt says at this moment in time, where more and more women across the world are seeking ways to create change and impact, she feels especially grateful for this award because it provides a tangible example of progress.
"My parents raised me to believe a woman can be anything she wants to be… and I remain hopeful that this is true. I underestimated that besides the traditional hurdles in any career, women in technology fields have to navigate additional barriers that can cause them to lose confidence and abandon their goals," Wilt says.
"For me, winning the award acknowledges the personal commitment and energy that I have devoted to helping clients achieve their goals, and all the people over the years that got me to this place. I am very appreciative of 'my village', the women and men that helped me develop my skills to be a better consultant, challenged my ideas to make them stronger, and encouraged me."
Have you experienced challenges being a woman in the technology field?
Wilt: "While I believe that times are changing, because I'm a woman, I am often challenged by those who underestimate my ability to keep up with technical conversations and talk down to me. Finding the right 'voice' to convey ideas in a confident, knowledgeable way without being interpreted as condescending is a tightrope that I continue to navigate."
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