2023 Women Leaders in Technology: Jenna Hardy

Jenna Hardy is a Senior leader in our Insurance Business Consulting practice, her career has spanned 20 years within the Insurance and Financial Services industries in multiple roles with a focus on transformational innovation and strategy. Areas of experience include innovation (both large and small-scale), strategy, digital enablement, business development, product and operations.

What has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

The biggest factor in my success thus far is a tough question! On one hand, my Grandfather always used to say, 'Do It Now,' don't wait, don't procrastinate just do what you know you need to do. Sometimes this is ticking items off a to-do list at warp speed, other times it is taking the extra 30 minutes to work through a problem that requires deeper thinking. The next is the importance of relationships. Take time to cultivate relationships, break down barriers and listen to understand rather than reply. I find when I do those things it reduces friction to making an impact.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

The ability to learn from a diverse set of team members and different organizations. Every team member has a different past and brings unique experiences to our team. I like to listen, learn, and then use that knowledge to help the team achieve its goals. On the account side, each account is always a new challenge due to the individuals involved – I like trying to understand what the client's motivation is and use that to help him/her succeed.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

This past summer I was on a new account on a new type of project. When it came time to present the final output to the broader client team, I had the opportunity to present the team's work. As it was newer content for me, I took time to develop my points for discussion and ensure I told a good story of the work we had achieved, taking the time to include the different points of view received from the client team throughout the engagement. The final story included how that input led the team through the right discussions to reach the ultimate goal. After the presentation I received feedback from the client sponsor that my presentation was easy to follow and brought the team to a strong landing place.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Another company can always offer more money, what makes people want to stay is a strong leader, team and culture. Take the time to get to know your team, utilize that to build bonds to make them want to stay.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This recognition is important to me as it highlights my desire to lead our team based on the principles of strong leadership and inclusion. Leadership is the desire to make our team better based on the input of others. And inclusion because diversity comes in many forms and is the first part of the puzzle. The second part is to then utilize that diversity to make your team stronger – listening to others, taking feedback, recognizing others' ideas and sharing appreciation.