The 2022 Women Leaders In Technology: Wendy King

Wendy King is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting in the Technology segment. Based in Atlanta, she brings more than 20 years of experience in e-discovery practice support working alongside legal and technology teams to find the most efficient use of litigation technology.

Wendy has worked with leading law firms, government agencies and corporate clients to respond to complex litigations, regulatory investigations and a range of large evidence management and litigation support projects. She is a seasoned business and operational leader with an extensive background in legal technology design and deployment, project management and service delivery. She has worked on a wide range of matters, including multiple Hart-Scott-Rodino Second Requests, international investigations, securities class actions, large-scale commercial litigation and several product liability MDLs.

Having advised corporations and law firms through investigations, complex multi-jurisdictional litigations and regulatory inquiries, Wendy understands the importance of delivering exemplary client service alongside highly experienced experts that can solve complex challenges. Working with colleagues to bring new FTI Consulting solutions to market, Wendy is dedicated to ensuring clients have access to the most qualified representation with teams they can trust for individual matters and over long-term engagements.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

I was raised in a single-parent family and was one of the first in my family to earn a college degree. So, I'm simply proud that I was able to take the foundation of hard work and tenacity, which was instilled in me by my mother, combined with my inherent inquisitiveness, trusting myself, and the good fortune of guidance from some amazing mentors, to establish a successful and fulfilling career. My children are my greatest personal achievement and as I watch them achieve their own personal and professional success, I take pride in the fact that I've been able to instill the same strong foundation in them that others helped instill in me.

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

Try to think of your career as a long, winding staircase—each step you take leads you closer to the height of your own goals. Early in your career, it's easy to become overly focused on the here and now, which can lead to frustration or a feeling of being stuck. I like to help young professionals think of their work and their careers as a long game. Rather than focusing only on what you want to accomplish today, think about what you want to achieve in five, 10, 15 or even 20 years. That can be hard to visualize, and it may change over time, but this kind of thinking helps you see just how much growth opportunity and learning there is in our profession.

I also instill in myself and coach my teams to think about situations from the client's perspective. The types of projects we support are often high-stakes, time-sensitive, bet-the-company matters, and our clients are under tremendous pressure. We also only see a piece of what the clients are going through. So, it's important—even for small requests—to be empathetic, supportive and communicative. Always think about solutions through the lens of what the client needs the outcome to be.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

The opportunities I've had to continually evolve and work with incredibly talented people mean a great deal to me. I can't think of another career path that would have exposed me to the same level of learning and growth across the full spectrum of law, technology and business. Technology and regulations are constantly changing—and we must stay ahead of that so we can provide true expertise and guidance to our clients. I'm a builder by nature and if I look back at my career to date, I've built processes, teams, solutions and departments in every organization I've worked for. As a consultant, it's really fun to have the ability to continue building and growing as things change.

I also love supporting the growth and development of the people around me. Many people I worked with earlier in my career have become leaders and C-level executives, which is very fulfilling to see. Similarly, I enjoy mentoring consultants on my teams so they can build their own practice and grow into senior leadership roles.

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

People will respect you if you're real. I once had an assigned mentor who was a Chief Talent Officer, and she told me that the best leaders are the ones who are not afraid to be vulnerable and real with their colleagues and teams. I've always tried to follow this advice because being a good leader is more important to me than any other achievement. Good leadership is also the best way to ensure and maintain excellent client service.

There have been a few times throughout my career when people on my teams have told me that they feel like they are working with me, not for me, and that they appreciate my humility and approachability. What I take from this and from the advice of my former mentor is that being a leader sometimes involves difficult or unpopular decisions, but nevertheless you have to lead with sincerity and humanity.

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

I'm absolutely honored and humbled to be recognized across such a broad, global community of consultants. That said, one individual is not responsible for excellence in client service. I can help instill that in the fabric of what we do, but the outcomes are a team effort. I wouldn't be receiving this recognition without the people within our organization who deliver a consistently high standard of service for our clients.