The 2022 Women Leaders In Technology: Gretchen Brainard

Gretchen Brainard is a Principal at Deloitte and is the Government & Public Services' Customer and Marking (C&M) Offering Portfolio Leader, overseeing five Offerings, and teams in the US and India. Her portfolio focuses on elevating the citizen experience and supports critical missions of dozens of federal; state, and local government agencies; and Higher-Ed institutions. She has over two decades of experience in technology consulting, with a focus in National Security. With her consulting background and deep expertise in digital solutions, Gretchen is focused on blending the best of international, commercial, and federal best practices into a holistic approach to solving the hard problems. Gretchen has insight into the cutting-edge technology that will shape the digital landscape in the future.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment or professional achievement?

Growing female and Under Represented Minority (URM) leaders. Seeing female and URM leaders promoted to executives by leading with their diversity of thought, experience and innovation elevates our collective brand.

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

Don't try to oversteer your career. It's good to have ambitions and goals but be open to unplanned opportunities that serve as forks in the road that may take you where you want to go, or even more exciting places, faster than your existing plan.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

Two things I love the most about my consulting career: 1) serving the public sector mission space, you go to bed proud of the impacts you have made for public citizens, their safety and wellbeing; 2) never knowing where consulting will take me; who knew I would go from slinging code to starting an advertising agency within my firm? With consulting, no two days are ever the same.

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

Working moms should not feel guilty; they should feel proud of the strong example they are setting for their children, especially their daughters. Take any opportunity to involve your family in what you do so that they get exposed to your leadership style and success.

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

Recognition that I am paving the way for female leaders behind me who are also moms and caregivers, and also for my children to understand that I am making a difference. And most importantly, paving the path for all of the thousands of girls behind me taking STEAM classes who are going to get where I am even faster than I did, because with every day, we leaders are removing the friction in the system.