2023 Women Leaders in Technology: Debra Moss

Debra Moss is the first female Partner at Acquis Consulting Group, serving on the firm's Advisory Board and currently leads the Technology Solutions business, which provides white-glove transformative consulting and advisory services to the customers of its technology partners. Debra leads an expansive global team across North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific and is passionate about creating a collaborative team culture. Debra is responsible for the building of successful new technology partnerships and nurturing of existing technology partner relationships. Debra helped establish and currently serves as a Board member of Acquis Foundation, the philanthropic initiative of Acquis. Prior to joining Acquis, Debra worked for BearingPoint, Inc. and Andersen Business Consulting. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems and Marketing from Binghamton University's School of Management, and was a graduate of its PwC Scholars program. Debra lives in the New York City area with her husband, two kids and their spoiled dog. As a family of avid skiers, they are always excited for the next snow day.

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

The biggest factor in my success so far is having supportive people in my corner. I am thankful for the support I receive from my fellow leadership team at Acquis, from my spouse, and from everyone on my team. While they often say that it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a whole lot of others supporting your career, bolstering your success, and empowering you every step of the way for success.

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

I think many of us got into the consulting industry because we craved being challenged each and every day. Consulting is never boring and nary a day goes by where you are doing the same thing as you did the day before.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

I was named the first female partner at Acquis in 2020. This was a huge achievement and milestone in my career, especially during a year of uncertainty impacting my team and the business. However, as a working mother of two young children, I'm also proud to have found a balance of family and career in a way that works for me. While I hesitate to say that a perfect balance exists, enjoying the work I do every day, feeling inspired by the people on my team and the dedication they have supporting our clients, and being present in my children's lives has given me a sense of fulfillment that I wouldn't trade.

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

When I first started out in my career at a large consulting firm, I was given the advice by my Partner that people, especially women, assume that we will be handed accolades because we've achieved them, when in reality we need to ask for something if we want it. In short, you usually get 0% of what you don't ask for. Whether that be a new role, promotion or award, we need to be confident enough to make requests. I've taken this advice to heart over the years, from asking for that first opportunity to manage a team, to putting my name in the hat for new titles or responsibilities. And while asking for something doesn't always guarantee you will get it; your desire is known and you won't have any regrets that what you wanted was unclear.