INTHE
Allison Wilt says she pur- posefully chose to pursue a technical career in college, her path to consulting was
accidental. “I began on the supplier
side, working in the research depart-
ment at Compaq Computer Corpo-
ration interacting with consultants,”
she says. “A job change for my hus-
band caused us to move across the
country, creating an opportunity for
me to ‘switch sides’ and I have been
consulting ever since.”
Today, Wilt is Vice President,
Strategy at LRWGreenberg where
she leads the qualitative, tech-fo-
cused business-to-business practice.
Leveraging her industry context de-
veloped over 25 years in research,
Wilt designs research to reveal the
information partners need to make
critical decisions. She’s constantly
reenergized by the process of puz-
zling out what makes people, brands
and technology products distinctive.
“I’m energized by the varietyof strategic problems we are askedto help solve and really enjoy theprocess of searching for patterns,figuring out what they mean, andworking with client partners to helpthem successfully carry out theirprojects,” she says.
Prior to this, she built and ran
RESMR Inc. for 14 years, helping
partners explore multiple tech cat-
egories and Cloud services, which
she counts among her greatest pro-
fessional accomplishments. She
has partnered with IT-leading com-
panies, such as Dell Technologies,
Microsoft, Google, IBM, Intel, SAP,
and Oracle, and has presented at a
number of industry events including
Women, Insight & Innovation and
the Gartner Catalyst Conference.
Technology is playing a keyrole in shaping how businesses respond to the rapid and disruptivechanges taking place in the marketright now, she says.
“My job has always involved
keeping a pulse on the market as
companies navigate change, which
is why I really enjoy qualitative re-
search in the tech sector,” Wilt says.
“In times like now, people are more
reflective of their habits, which
helps to uncover the things that re-
ally drive their decision-making.
I’m excited by my role as a bridge
builder, providing the insights that
identify customer needs and com-
municating to clients how their of-
ferings need to evolve to be com-
petitive and relevant.”
As far as winning Consulting’s
Women Leaders in Technology
award, Wilt says at this moment in
time, where more and more women
across the world are seeking ways
to create change and impact, she
feels especially grateful for this
award because it provides a tangi-
ble example of progress.
“My parents raised me to believe
a woman can be anything she wants
to be... and I remain hopeful that this
is true. I underestimated that besides
the traditional hurdles in any career,
women in technology fields have to
navigate additional barriers that can
cause them to lose confidence and
abandon their goals,” Wilt says.
“For me, winning the award acknowledges the personal commitment and energy that I have devotedto helping clients achieve their goals,and all the people over the years thatgot me to this place. I am very appreciative of ‘my village’, the women and men that helped me developmy skills to be a better consultant,challenged my ideas to make themstronger, and encouraged me.”
Have you experienced challenges being a woman in the technology field?
WILT: “While I believe that times are changing, because I’m a woman, I amoften challenged by those who underestimate my ability to keep up with technical conversations and talk down to me. Finding the right ‘voice’ to conveyideas in a confident, knowledgeable way without being interpreted as condescending is a tightrope that I continue to navigate.” Q & A
ALLISON WILT
LRWGREENBERGEXCELLENCE INCLIENT SERVICE
