1What do you like most about Berkeley?

The people. Everyone at Berkeley is smart, capable and able to think creatively, join you in the trenches and help you develop a perspective that is intelligent, thoughtful and considered. I come away from conversations and time spent with Berkeley colleagues feeling energized, having laughed hard, challenged my own thinking and learned something new. 

Secondly, Berkeley doesn’t put you in a box. This allows you to explore new industries, try your hand at new work and push yourself out of your comfort zone, all with the flexibility and trust to do the job well. 

2What’s the most important thing you learned at Berkeley?

The ‘right outcomes achieved in the right way’ are the most important thing for us and our clients. The integrity of this ethos shines through every piece of work we do and the way that we do it. When our client is challenging us to meet a pressing deadline, our recommended approach will always ensure that the outcomes are ‘right’ and truly benefit the client and/or their customers – not just deliver faster or cheaper. This means our clients know what they are getting when they bring in a Berkeley team – trusted advice that has their best interests in mind, always with an eye on long term, sustainable impact. 

3What are your values and how have they informed your career?

My personal values are empathy, authenticity and trust. For me, these three go hand in hand. This career, like many, is fundamentally about working with people.
 
Empathy: I believe that to do this in a true way and build deep connections and relationships requires having the ability to step into someone else’s shoes and taking the time to find out who they really are with humility and understanding. 

Authenticity: bringing my true self to work has been paramount. Berkeley really values and encourages this, respecting fully the increasingly blurry lines between work and home life.

Trust: Authenticity makes trust easier. To trust, and to be trusted by colleagues and my clients. Underpinning trust is honesty, integrity and reliability.  

As I’ve progressed through my career, these three values have kept me grounded. The times in my career I have enjoyed the most are where the environment (organization or client) has recognized and enabled these to shine and as a result, I’ve brought my best self to work.