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Nicolas Barral recently joined ghSMART’s London office after a veritable lifetime globetrotting. Raised in Paris by French and Brazilian parents, Nico’s desire to explore different environments led him to study mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley, intern in Indonesia, then move to Norway to start a career in the Energy space. After adventures including representing Norway in rugby’s European Championship, spending time offshore in the North Sea and West Africa, completing the Burning Man Ultra Marathon, and backcountry skiing in the Arctic Circle, Nico followed one of his early dreams to live in New York and completed his MBA at Columbia. Experiences working with BCG’s Global People Chair and supporting BCG’s project teams as a coach led Nico to realize that people were really what energized him. When ghSMART called, the opportunity to deepen that work, and work along incredibly accomplished colleagues, drew Nico in. Nico’s family continues the international thread: he met his wife, (who hails from Spain) at business school, and they now live in London with their young daughter.
As we honor Pride Month, we recognize the enormous strides that have been made towards diversity, equity, and inclusion for our LGBTQ+ friends, family members, colleagues, and community members. We also recognize that much work remains to be done. Our Spotlight on Inclusion this month features Matthew McConnell, a Principal at ghSMART. Here’s what Matt shared with us. “When it comes to LGBTQ+ role models, Tim Cook comes to mind. He is someone who exemplified the mantra ‘representation matters’ when he publicly came out in 2014 to show people that they ‘could still be gay and go on to do some big jobs in life.’ Despite being a private person, he opened up about his sexuality to show the world that gay people come in all forms – even those you might not expect. This resonated with me at the time, as I was navigating my own professional coming out journey. His announcement became a source of inspiration, empowering me to adopt a more courageous and authentic mindset at work..." To read the rest of what Matt shared, head over to LinkedIn!
Last week our ghSMART team met in beautiful Bachelor's Gulch, Colorado, for our annual full team in-person Summit. The theme was "Becoming the best, together" and was a great opportunity to learn, connect, and focus on our goal to deliver "head-turningly distinctive work" for our clients. Our team is remarkable, are you ready to become one of us?
Growing up in Poland, new ghSMART colleague Monika Zeller grew up as her native country became capitalist and “entered full color.” She also watched her parents seize the transition as an opportunity to build a dental equipment company. Trained engineers, they learned that growing a successful business always came down to one question: do we have the right person for this? In addition to learning the family business, Monika worked as an analyst at Citibank and as an Associate Partner at McKinsey. An avid learner, Monika has an MSc in Strategy from the London School of Economics, an MBA from Harvard, and will tour plane factories and observe surgeries just to understand how things work. She also speaks three languages: her native Polish, English and German. At ghSMART, Monika is excited to work alongside her mentor and to have more breathing room in her work day to think deeply on leadership challenges. Outside the office, you’ll find Monika and her tennis-obsessed family (husband, and kids Madison and Jordan) at the West Side Tennis Club or the U.S. Open site near their home in NY.
Ever wonder how the world's best companies select a CEO? Or how they determine who has leadership potential? ghSMART founder Geoff Smart and host Harvard Business School Fellow Jeffrey Cohn discuss topics including succession, potential, creating effective teams, and company culture on the latest Imperfect Leaders Podcast.
As we honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we recognize the enormous strides that have been made towards diversity, equity, and inclusion for our AAPI friends, family members, colleagues, and community members. We also recognize that much work remains to be done. Our Spotlight on Inclusion this month features Carol Lee, who recently joined ghSMART as a Principal. Here’s what Carol shared with us. “Early on in my career, my group membership as an Asian American was not something I actively thought about simply because it’s just part of my identity. As I have grown in my career, I realize more and more it has shaped me in ways I wasn’t always conscious of. A role model of mine is a former colleague who really embodied DE&I in how she thought about our team. She encouraged everyone to bring their whole selves to work in a way that was uniquely inclusive, always making time to ask questions that got people to open up and allowed them to be their true selves at work..." Head over to LinkedIn to see everything Carol shared.
In 2019, inspired by a LinkedIn post about becoming carbon neutral with South Pole Global, ghSMART Partner BJ Wright sent an email that turned into a movement: EarthSMART. Read what members of our EarthSMART team wanted to share at the link:
We're excited to announce that ghSMART Fellow Travis Allen Johnson has been named a 2023 Truman Scholar by The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Travis is one of 62 outstanding college students that were chosen based on their records of leadership, public service, and academic achievement. Travis currently serves as Harvard University's student body co-president, is passionate about criminal justice reform and intends to pursue a JD with a focus on criminal law and procedure. We’re thrilled that Travis has been recognized for all he has achieved. To see Travis’ Scholar profile and full list of recipients go to:
What does the data say about building a high-functioning team? It comes down to leaders who focus on getting three things right: their team's priorities, people, and relationships. Read ghSMART Chairman and Founder Geoff Smart's latest for Psychology Today:
This past week marked 15 years at ghSMART for our colleague, Executive Assistant Lisa Sturm. Lisa shares why she loves being ‘a proud member of ghSMART’: “I feel lucky to have loved every single unique stop along my career path. Each endeavor was a fortuitous discovery that provided opportunities to learn, grow, and develop skills along the way that would eventually lead me to ghSMART – the final and most fulfilling stop on my career journey. When I first learned of the opportunity at the firm, I thought ‘would my diverse background be considered the right fit’? I immediately recognized the innovative and appealing culture and wanted to be a part of it. The rest is history. The true magic has been witnessing our ability to retain this special sauce throughout our continued growth, which is directly related to the quality and character of our colleagues..." Head over to LinkedIn to see Lisa's full story, and if you think ghSMART might be the right fit for you in your career, we’re hiring!
