The 2023 Women Leaders in Consulting: Cynthia Zollinger

Cindy Zollinger is a co-founder of Cornerstone Research and has served as the company's president, CEO, and chair of the board of directors. Cindy has also held several other management and leadership roles with the firm, including leading the Silicon Valley office and serving on the executive committee and the board of directors. Silicon Valley Business Journal named Cindy to its Women of Influence 2023: Leadership x 100, which honors achievement and leadership among the region's outstanding women professionals.

Cindy has over 30 years of experience directing research and leading teams to address the economic and financial issues that arise in complex litigation. She has primarily focused on matters involving securities, corporate governance, executive compensation, taxation, M&A, bankruptcy, valuation and damages estimation. These cases have involved companies in the tech, financial institutions, media, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, retail and apparel industries.

Prior to co-founding Cornerstone Research, Cindy was a senior vice president at an international management consulting firm. She also worked in banking and investment management. She has taught at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Law School. Cindy is a member of the Business Leadership Council of Wellesley College.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

My greatest professional achievement is co-founding Cornerstone Research 34 years ago and helping it grow to a firm of over 800 people spread across eight offices: seven in the United States plus a growing presence in the UK and Europe.

Even more than cofounding the firm, I am proud of our core values and how they continue to guide us. The values themselves are simple, but their impact is concrete and profound. They define not only how we work but also who we are. We are dedicated to producing the highest quality work, supporting the clients and experts who rely on us, and creating and sustaining a strong, kind culture. We want our people to know that they matter. In addition, we want to give back to the communities where we live and work to make life better for everyone. Through our flourishing pro bono program, for example, our consultants apply their expertise to cases involving discrimination, civil rights, children's rights, education and asylum.

I am especially proud and honored to see individuals who started their careers at Cornerstone Research continue to grow and thrive. Many of our talented staff have served well over two decades, and most of our partners are homegrown, a testament to our collective commitment to professional and personal development.

What's the best advice—consulting or otherwise—you've ever received?

"Life is a team sport," from my husband. It is incredibly challenging to achieve one's professional aspirations while at the same time staying committed to being the best possible wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. Asking for help, and accepting it, can be difficult for a driven, goal-oriented individual. I was always better at looking for ways to help others than thinking about how they could help me. However, I learned—sometimes the hard way—that I could not be the person I wanted to be without the support of other people. I also came to recognize that the benefits go both ways. As others helped me, I was able to create space to support them in turn, and many more as well.

What does this recognition mean to you?

• Continue to work hard. Hard work and perseverance got you to where you are today.
• Be true to your values. You can be successful in the business world while being kind and caring.
• Ask for help and accept help. Even the most accomplished people benefit from the help of others.
• Give help to others.
• Look for mentors and become a mentor.