Consulting Magazine - April 2020

Consulting® APRIL 2020 17
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Stephanie Giammarco fell into the field of data analyt- ics 20-plus years ago—by accident. As an accountingundergrad, her first job was in litigation and investigations and she wastapped for an assignment to makesense of a tremendous amount ofdata without much guidance. “Ibought a book, found a mentor anddove into databases—and I endedup loving it,” she says. “The worldof data analytics is like a puzzle tosolve, and the answer can be discovered within the data set. That’s howI wound up in the tech space, by pursuing my passion on the data side.”Giammarco is a Partner and National Co-Leader, BDO Digital. Withover 25 years of experience in accounting and information technology,she works with clients to transformtheir businesses resulting in revenuegrowth, improved profitability andrisk reduction through the applicationof strategy and digital capabilities.She focuses on building comprehensive, cohesive teams to best deliverpractical and tangible client solutions.

“I am driven by the ability to think
critically, solve problems and cre-
ate practical solutions for clients in
an effective and efficient manner.

‘Your team works magic,’ is the type
of feedback I often hear. In fact, it’s
not magic—the data is right there and
the technology exists, you just need
to know how to maximize them,” Gi-
ammarco says. “It’s very satisfying to
apply our skills in transforming busi-
ness processes and previously unin-
telligible data into actionable infor-
mation and deliver clarity and results
in support of our clients’ goals.”
Twenty-plus years after joining
BDO, she is responsible for a big
team full of dedicated, passionate
and intelligent professionals who
are learning, building and growing
daily. That, she says, is her greatest
professional achievement. “I am
most proud of having contributed
to creating a thriving environment
full of opportunities for both team
members and clients.”
Giammarco says there weren’t
many women in the technology field
15 to 20 years ago. On its own, this
environment could have been con-
sidered a challenge, though she saw
it as an opportunity. Accounting
firms did not have the technology re-
sources and skills embedded in prac-
tices that they have today.

“Due to my expertise handlinglarge and disparate datasets, and thegrowing complexity of informationthat had to be considered on projects, I had unique opportunities tosit in meetings where it would bemany men and me,” she says.

The firm launched BDO Digitalin January and the team itself is going through a transformative period: building, developing and innovating collectively. “In serving ourclients more holistically throughour integrated and strategic digitaltransformation services, I am excited to witness the value that BDODigital can provide by improvingoperational efficiencies for our clients,” she says. “These efficienciescan also help foster greater resilience for businesses facing unprecedented challenges.”