2023 Women Leaders in Technology: Stephanie Reynolds

Stephanie Reynolds is the chief people officer of Unify Consulting. As a member of the executive leadership team, she is responsible for setting and overseeing the execution of Unify's overall People strategy, including People Operations, Culture, DEIB, Learning & Development, and Talent Acquisition functionalities.

Prior to Unify Consulting, she was the founder and CEO of Stephanie Reynolds Consulting, co-owner of The Journey of Not Knowing and partner in The Change Coalition. During this chapter, she specialized in coaching and training executives and building aligned leadership teams and cultures. As an accomplished author and public speaker, Stephanie has written and presented extensively on topics, such as Executive Development, Career and Leadership, Leading Change Management, Strategic Visioning, Political Intelligence™, and Collaborative Conflict Resolution.

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

My commitment to learning from everyone I meet. I was born with drive and the belief I could achieve and lead, but my willingness and flexibility to adapt and learn, while moving forward with others with an open heart and mind, has been key to my growth.

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

Consultants care enormously about helping others succeed. We are curious, high-energy, love learning about people and adapting to new environments. But first and foremost, we love solving and co-creating solutions that really make a difference. The challenge of achieving huge goals, coupled with the complexity of bringing out the best in people to make those goals a reality, is a big draw for consultants. I've been a consultant for my entire career, and there is a certain energy and belief in the possibility that "together we can figure it out" is something all consultants carry within themselves.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

After coaching senior leaders in large organizations for many years, it was time for me to sit in the seat and see if I could lead in a complex environment. I had a firm for many years, but it was small. Giving advice and teaching is one thing, trying to apply it is another. I am most proud of creating and supporting a high-performing agile team of leaders and individual contributors that have, in record time, built a foundation and structure that enables the core promise at Unify Consulting: Consultant First. We have a foundational philosophy that is not being the police, nor just being a service center – we are strategic allies for all business leaders and all consultants.

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

Trust the timing.

What does this recognition mean to you?

I am dedicated to women leading in the workforce. The balance of more women in leadership is desperately needed for all organizations to succeed. Unify has a huge commitment to women leaders (one of the reasons I joined the firm), and we have put our money where our mouth is around attracting and developing women. Since I've been in the role, we've exponentially increased women in leadership roles. We also have created a Women Leaders at Unify group that is dedicated to mentoring and spotting emerging women leaders within all our practices and service lines, with a keen eye on our tech consulting space. Any recognition of the work we do to support women in leadership, especially in the tech consulting sector, is not only a great honor for me but especially for Unify. It reinforces the message around our dedication to high-performing women in leadership.