The 2021 Women Leaders In Consulting: Amanda Bonser

Amanda serves as the federal expert within Huron and is responsible for setting the enterprise strategy, overseeing operations, ensuring engagement quality, and navigating federal contracting and compliance for the team. Amanda's experience spans assessments, operational process improvement, business analytics, reorganization, consolidation, and revenue optimization for complex and multi-facility healthcare organizations.

In addition to Amanda's work with hospitals in the private sector, she spent over eight years helping develop the solution and methodology implemented for the nationwide consolidation of revenue cycle offices for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

"Reflecting on my career, I have had the privilege of working with smart, curious and collaborative people who have helped me achieve my aspirations. Each milestone has built on each other, but I would be remiss if I didn't reflect on the journey we have had advancing our women's employee resource group at Huron. I have been fortunate to work with this team over the last nine years and have been a part of several initiatives that have impacted our people, including advancing family leave, launching professional clothing drives for women getting back into the workplace, and creating professional development programs and career workshops. One initiative I'm especially proud of is launching our first Women's Leadership Summit in 2019 where we brought together female leaders across the firm for a two-day event to focus on networking, empowerment and professional development."

What advice would you give to a female consultant just beginning her career?

"To be bold and brave. I have found the worst thing that can happen is someone tells you no, but you will never know unless you start the conversation. Don't lose sight of who you are in your quest to achieve your bold aspirations."

What excites you most about your consulting career?

"I have been in consulting my whole career. I love working with different clients, solving problems and helping clients raise their performance to new levels. In the last few years, I have been able to create a federal business at Huron and expand our footprint in the public sector. This has allowed me to work with clients across all industries in the federal government while enabling me to give back to those who have served or are currently serving. I have many family members who have served in the military, and this is my way of giving back and helping federal agencies in the pursuit of their missions."

What's the best advice—personal or professional—you've ever received?

"Character, integrity, humility and strength are the foundations of a great leader and I have been blessed to have had several amazing mentors throughout my career that live these values. The most impactful advice I've received is to be bold and brave. To be bold and brave in what you ask for, in your aspirations and in what you push yourself to achieve. Admittedly, this is something I wish I had learned earlier in my career."

What does being honored as a Woman Leader in Consulting mean to you?

"I am incredibly honored and truly speechless to receive this recognition. It is important to reflect on the incredible progress we have made to advance women in consulting and leadership. I have worked in consulting for over 17 years and have had the privilege to collaborate with incredibly talented men and women across the industry – many of which I consider role models."

"For me personally, this is an accomplishment to be shared with my family, especially my two young girls, my mother and my grandmother. While I was the first female in my family to graduate from college, my grandmother and mother worked incredibly hard in their careers to show me that with perseverance, intelligence, and boldness, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. They also showed me what it meant to balance work and family. While none of us get it perfect, they showed me it was possible and being honored with this recognition is a tribute to them too."