Rising Stars of the Profession: Kelsey Braak

Organization is critical, and Kelsey's driven facilitation style and thoughtful attention to detail enable her to effectively coordinate complex initiatives across business and technology teams. She's at her best when leading clients through complex transformations, including productivity and process improvement initiatives. A strong listener and collaborator, she facilitated process design, requirements gathering, and managed the overall custom development program and business transformation to enable a regional healthcare provider to shift to net revenue capabilities, saving her client $4M.

Kelsey joined West Monroe from Accenture, where she supported various Fortune 500 companies with process optimization and contact center operations. She has a bachelor's degree in mathematics and business management from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn.

She is a novice cook who is always interested in finding new recipes to try and new cooking techniques to use.

Kelsey is also a leader of West Monroe's Inclusion and Diversity program, and she helped lead the integration of West Monroe's Minneapolis office and GoKart Labs, acquired in 2019.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

Over my seven years at West Monroe, I'm proud of my contributions toward establishing the foundation of the firm's culture of inclusion. As a founding member of West Monroe's Inclusion Diversity Council, I have leveraged this platform throughout the years to make inclusion a top priority in each of our offices. Additionally, in my role of Integration Manager for West Monroe's acquisition of GoKart Labs, I spearheaded cultural development by building bridges between the teams and finding ways to merge our cultures and values. By building the cultural competence of our people and encouraging one another to lead vulnerably, we are building transferable skills that will enable us to be better leaders in our communities.

What advice would you give a professional just beginning a career in consulting?

No task is too small. It can feel frustrating early in your career when you may be delegated the "less glamorous" tasks – but these tasks can make a difference to the success of a meeting, a day, or even building a relationship with clients. No matter the task, bring a high level of attention and care. You want to be known for always completing tasks with high quality.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

Getting to work with the best and brightest on work that makes an impact. My West Monroe colleagues challenge me to better, to be smarter, and to keep learning, and I love the opportunity to learn from them, whether on project teams or in building our firm.

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

When you're in the middle of a really tough project, don't quit. Get through it, give yourself space on the other side, and then decide if this is the correct path for yourself. We all know consulting is demanding, and there have been a few tough projects that have pushed me to my limits. Had I quit in the middle, I would not have developed the tenacity or learned some of the most impactful lessons of my career. And most importantly, I wouldn't be where I am today—having helped so many others along the way. I am a better leader because of those difficult projects. It is when we are uncomfortable that we are being challenged and have the potential to grow.

What does being honored as a Rising Star mean to you?

This award has been a great instigator to confirm to me that I'm making an impact. It's a huge compliment that not only does West Monroe and our industry celebrate it, but they're casting a prediction that I can do bigger and better things in the future. Thank you for the continued support.