The 2021 Women Leaders In Consulting: Amel Hammad

Amel possesses experience in operational turnarounds, bankruptcy and liquidation advisory, performance improvement, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and reporting, financial modeling and analysis, treasury and cash management, operational performance drivers, strategy and execution, and regulatory compliance. Her industry experience includes health care, mining and minerals, marine shipping, real estate, education, and manufacturing.

Amel's healthcare experience includes restructuring and turnaround, interim management, enterprise assessment, strategy implementation, revenue cycle management, payor negotiations, capital raises, and mergers and acquisition advisory for healthcare systems, single hospital engagements, physician and dental practices, and post-acute and senior living organizations.

In previous roles, Amel was a senior director in the corporate finance and restructuring group at FTI Consulting Inc. based in Denver; a director for seven years at Alvarez and Marsal in the healthcare turnaround and restructuring practice based in New York; and focused on healthcare for two years at Cohn Resnick in the business investigative service practice.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

"As a managing director at Riveron and leading the healthcare industry vertical at the firm, I appreciate being able to serve clients while also shaping the industry. Being considered a subject matter expert in management consulting, often helping distressed organizations, paired with a healthcare industry focus allows me to be part of a greater strategic course, where I not only serve individual organizations but guide the future of the industry. My professional path has allowed me to become a teacher, mentor, and leader to others—enabling better outcomes for clients and colleagues alike."

What's the best advice—consulting or otherwise—you've ever received?

"At an executive leadership training session, the main takeaway was to avoid trying to be everything to everyone; instead, focus on what you do well and always look for opportunities to improve on your craft. In consulting or life in general, focusing on trying to fix or improve what you do not do well is like asking a fish to live on land—it doesn't make sense and can be futile. It is important to focus instead on a foundation of strength and possible improvement—like a fish in the water, where it's possible to thrive, to swim better, to explore new paths by being yourself. Being true to myself and my own strengths has helped uncover ways I can stand out within the consulting environment and best serve clients, rather than allocating my professional energy where it won't be as useful."

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

"To any woman starting her career, I suggest: be yourself, and you can have it all. In other words, be true to yourself and make the life you want, do not chase after the life others want for you. When I started at my current firm, I followed a somewhat uncharted path. I was the only female managing director that delivered client services but established myself as an expert in my field, remaining true to my vision and career interests regardless of what others expected my career path should look like. Today, the career journey and ability to build upon my interests and improve client organizations continues to be very rewarding. The path I've forged encourages me to continue being myself and to mentor other professionals to pursue their own interests and cultivate their career passions in a way that is personally and professionally valuable."

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

"Being recognized as a leader is a way to be seen in a world that wants women to think small. It acknowledges all the hard work and time spent focusing on growing and learning to ensure clients receive the best value. Organizations that recognize career achievements and consulting excellence help remind each of us to continue doing great things by pursuing the paths that we know to be important as professionals and as colleagues, ultimately acknowledging that each of our individual perspectives and contributions are valuable for clients, organizations, and the broader industries in which we work."