This week we sat down with Elizabeth Sicuso, a Managing Partner of Simatree and an experienced management consultant who has focused her career on leading organizational transformations for clients across the public and private sectors. At Simatree, Elizabeth is a trusted resource to clients who are ready to move from piecemeal transformation success to enterprise-wide operational excellence. She leverages professional certifications in project management and change management, along with her skills in stakeholder management, process improvement, and leadership development, to develop and implement tailored approaches that best fit organizational goals. Elizabeth brings a strong passion for creating value and data-driven decision making to her work.
Elizabeth is well versed in strategic planning through execution in delivery and has fulfilled both senior advisor and leadership positions, having served as Chief of Staff to a Fortune 500 company executive and having managed the financial, contracting, and staffing responsibilities of a 50-person delivery team. Elizabeth holds a B.A. in political science from Boston University and an M.P.P. from American University. Read more about her experience below!
Question and Answer
Q: What’s your favorite candy to have on hand in the office?
A: Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups!
—
Q: Can you talk a little bit about your role as Managing Partner at Simatree?
A: My role is currently a balance of three priorities: (1) client delivery, which involves providing direction to projects and ensuring quality products based on the scope of each engagement, (2) business development, such as building and managing the pipeline for the short and long term growth of the business, and (3) operations and managing business needs around areas like recruiting, marketing, and financials.
—
Q: Can you tell me about your professional background and what inspired you to join the Simatree team?
A: Most of my career has been in consulting, but I previously took on two separate roles as a dedicated advisor. It was certainly a change from the team dynamics and types of problem solving that I was used to in consulting, but I appreciated the skills that it required me to strengthen. Having close access to principal decision makers also allowed me to refine my approach to engaging with executives as a consultant.
—
Q: How do you approach client engagements, and what do you think sets Simatree apart?
A: Even now, I have found it helpful to approach all projects with the perspective that I have a lot to learn. This is especially helpful in a new client environment, where collecting data whenever possible only furthers my ability to provide useful insights and recommendations. Similarly, I try my best to be an “open book” to both my clients and colleagues so that they can learn from and truly collaborate on how to approach a problem and work through potential solutions.
—
Q: Where do you think you can have the biggest impact in your role?
A: Simatree will only ever be as good as its people. I try to put time and effort into connecting and developing our team to meet not just the needs of today’s projects, but also to help them see their own individual professional path.
—
Q: Can you share a project that you’re particularly proud of?
A: In late 2021, Simatree quickly built out a small, but very nimble team to help a start-up complete a significant organizational transformation. Going into the holidays in December, the team spun up a project plan and then returned in January to begin to layer in the necessary change management activities to make it a successful transformation. The project had an extremely tight timeline and dealt with a complex topic area, which required our team to absolutely sprint while simultaneously learning how to navigate a complicated regulatory space. The work was very intense, but I was really impressed with what we were able to accomplish.
—
Q: How do you help foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within Simatree?
A: I enjoy sharing articles or books that I’ve read that relate to Simatree’s work or that relate to our team’s professional growth. Articles are a quick way to gain perspective or increase your knowledge, and I enjoy when an idea presented may spark even a brief conversation with colleagues.
—
Q: Do you have any strategies for finding work-life balance at Simatree?
A: I wish I had a perfect answer to this one! I think that different things work for different people, but I do try to normalize (for both me and the broader Simatree team) that life happens and all we can do is adjust.
—
Q: What have been some of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career?
A: Advocate for yourself, and build a support system with people who can help you navigate professional decisions and enable you to see all sides.
—
Q: What do you think is the most important skill a successful consultant needs to have?
A: Adaptability. It’s slightly different than flexibility, but still speaks to the ability of a consultant to adjust and continue despite curve balls.
