For the next two months, we will be highlighting a few of the amazing women of Simatree. Across a variety of roles, the goal of this series is to showcase the different skill sets critical to Simatree’s (and our clients!) success. Plus, it will give you a little insight into who these women are outside of work! Learn more about our second featured team member, Catherine Quinn, below.
At Simatree, Catherine helps clients assess their current state, define their future goals, create step-by-step roadmaps, and implement chosen tactics – all undergirded with change management techniques. She has applied these skills on projects with data and analytics, information technology, digital transformation, and mergers and acquisitions teams. She is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner and ICAgile Certified Professional. She holds a B.A. in Foreign Affairs, B.A. in French, and Masters in Public Policy from the University of Virginia.
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Q: What are some of your favorite aspects of your role?
A: Above all, I love the variety inherent in management consulting. Every day is a new challenge! But, if I have to pick: I like taking abstract ideas, making them tangible, and packaging them in ways that are easily (and persuasively) communicable to others. My favorite part of that process is building visual communications. Not only are visuals concise; they’re highly effective – people are more likely to believe and remember things they see versus things they read or hear. Plus, it’s a great creative outlet to augment the more analytic parts of my role.
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Q: Do you have any strategies for finding work-life balance at Simatree?
A: To me, work-life balance means fitting work around my life, rather than fitting my life around work. Part of that is taking time off and flexing hours – something I’m grateful is ingrained in the Simatree culture. I’m also grateful for the ability to work fully remotely, such that I can change the mechanics of how work and life fit together. I recently moved from Washington, DC (hybrid, 1-2 days in the office/week) to Portland, OR (fully remote) because my partner and I wanted to integrate the outdoors more thoroughly into our lives. In DC, a great backpacking trip typically necessitated taking time off or waiting for a long weekend to drive a half day (or more) out of the city. Now, amazing hikes are just outside my door – no long weekend required. That means more frequent adventure time and a less grumpy Catherine at work on Mondays.
