Jessica's overseas experience — in Russia, Hungary and Uzbekistan — left her with an appreciation for subtle differences in culture and for the effects of language and communication styles on culture. Knowing the language gives invaluable insights into a country — or an organization. These experiences meshed well with her innate sense of curiosity, leading her to ask "why" things are the way they are. This curiosity defines how Jessica works as a consultant. When Jessica thinks about a client's strategy, she first examines the whole picture — pulling the pieces of the puzzle apart to see how things really connect — before putting it back together.

Jessica welcomes collaborating with clients. She tries to discover common interests between herself and the client. She wants to know what drives the client — what makes their world compelling.

Jessica feels that the key part of consulting is communication. She believes there is a fine line between what the client wants to know and what they are ready to hear. She makes a careful point of walking that line, bridging the communication gap to see when the right moment opens up.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Organizational Development - Builds capabilities that support strategic directions
• Initiative Design - Knows how to pull together people and resources to support change efforts
• Strategy with Top Teams - Works with leaders and their teams to set direction

Recent Projects

• For a nonprofit, conflict resolution program, developed and wrote a strategic plan that will help them expand their relationship with a global technology/ Internet company, including a fundraising component.
• For a large insurance and financial services firm, worked with different levels of the management to strengthen their communication skills, help them think more strategically and see more clearly the impact their work has on the entire organization.

Professional Facts

Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Worked in higher education administration at Middlebury College for three years as Associate Director of Off-Campus Study. Responsible for opening study abroad sites in Russia and for managing existing sites in Western Europe.

Selected Writing

"Mini-case Study: Sun Microsystem's Campaign for Java."
CFAR, 1999.

"Mini-case Study: Nike's "Just Do It" Advertising Campaign."
CFAR, 1999.