2023 Women Leaders in Technology: Heather Vickery

Heather is an accomplished sustainability consultant at Sustainserv, a global management consulting firm that works with companies to integrate sustainability considerations into their long-term strategies, everyday operations and communications. As a Senior Consultant, Heather has applied her strong technical background to manage a wide variety of projects for Sustainserv's corporate clients. Her areas of expertise include materiality assessments, data analytics, GRI reporting and sustainable supply chains. She joined the SustainServ Boston office after receiving her bachelor's degree in Facilities Management and Planning from Wentworth Institute of Technology. Prior to her role as a consultant, she served as the Sustainability Program Assistant at Wentworth Institute of Technology, where she supported strategic oversight for campuswide sustainability initiatives, acting as a liaison between students and administrators.

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

I like to think that my success is that I'm self-made, intellectually hungry and steady. I supported myself through college, made my way through a traditionally male-dominated academic program and entered the world of consulting with little experience. But I put my head down, open my books and my mind, and absorb knowledge and experiences like a sponge. When I don't know something, I research the answers, initiate conversations with peers, seek expert feedback, and synthesize solutions and approaches based on these varied inputs.

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

Consulting is the perfect career for someone who thrives on variety and change, who likes to roll up their sleeves, learn something new, and translate it into terminology that clients can then act on. These aspects are especially valuable in a field such as sustainability, to which I feel a personal and deep connection. Having the opportunity to guide some of the world's largest companies toward a more responsible, ethical, and sustainable future is a privilege.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

We've had many successes at Sustainserv, and I am proud to have played a role in many of them. When we can help a company formulate a vision for how they can be more sustainable, develop a roadmap for how they can get there, and then hold their hand as they work hard to get there, then that is very satisfying. We've had clients start the sustainability journey, and in relatively short order, start to gain external recognition for their efforts. That's satisfying.

Another deeply satisfying area is when I mentor young consultants or interns and see them turn from young, green rookies into capable professionals. A lot of consultants and interns have started their careers at Sustainserv, and many of them have gone onto roles in companies or academic institutions, and this is due, in no small part to their experience at Sustainserv, and I like to think a little bit of the time I spend with them.

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

A few years ago, I played a leadership role in the International Sustainable Campus Network. This was an organization of dozens of the leading research universities in the world, all of whom are committed to sustainable education for their students, and operating their campuses in a more sustainable manner.

One of the partners at Sustainserv who led this account provided me with invaluable coaching on how to engage with an incredibly wide variety of stakeholders, all of whom had their own interests and motivations. Moreover, many of them were high-powered faculty at some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.

The key was to be a good listener, understand their motivations, and find common ground and priorities that aligned across as many of their interests as possible. It was the proverbial herding of cats, but the coaching and advice I received has helped me work with temperamental executives at large companies, to deal with demanding clients, and be a better mentor for my colleagues.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This is an outstanding recognition of the hard work and grit that defines my career path. Nothing has been handed to me – I've worked hard for it. To be recognized is incredibly validating. But more importantly, it is an example to share with the next generation of consultants that hard work, focus, determination, and compassion can carry you a long way. And I'd like to share that with others.