Twelve Chicago is Here!!
Interview with Katie Johnson — Managing Consultant
Dedicated, knowledgeable, driven and honest are a few of the words that you may hear when someone describes Katie Johnson. Katie has worked on a number of different projects during her tenure, including Financial Planning & Analysis, Commercial Planning and Sales Performance Management. As a collaborative, problem solving, team player, she has helped a number of customers solve their business problems through the implementation of Anaplan. She has developed strong relationships with our team, and has gained the trust and respect from many of our clients as well. She is in the process of transitioning into a new role as a Managing Consultant and building a team in Chicago! We spent a few minutes talking to Katie about her career and how she is going to bring the office in Chicago to life. Here is what she said….
What was your journey before Twelve?
I started at a small consulting firm when I graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Finance. The firm was purchased by a larger consulting firm. Immediately I realized that working at a large company was never appealing to me. I have always loved being a part of a smaller company because of the impact each employee can make. I have a strong entrepreneurial mindset where I like to wear different hats and tackle new issues. I saw Twelve as an excellent opportunity with endless possibilities. I find a lot of enjoyment in working with people and working with clients. Naturally, I’ve always strived towards a leadership position and and saw this as a way to continue carving my own path and dictating my future. This opportunity to become a Managing Consultant allows me to take charge, control my career and grow Twelve Chicago.
What excites you about building an office in Chicago?
To me, the most exciting thing about building an office in Chicago is that we are starting from a blank slate. We are a growing, culture driven company with a track record of success, and this is an awesome opportunity to extend the culture into Chicago, and put our own spin on it. We already have a number of Fortune 500 clients that we work with in Chicago. It is exciting to have a new office that can be readily accessible to our present clients and be utilized to expand Twelve’s footprint.
What type of employees are you looking for to grow the Chicago Office?
We are looking for people who are driven, passionate, personable and dig numbers. At Twelve we are a very collaborative and tight knit team, so it is imperative that the people we hire fit the culture and know how to work hard, and play hard. We are looking for people who are aligned with our company values of Collaboration, Excellence, Personal Growth and Well-Being and who are looking for a career that challenges them every day and promotes growth.
How would you describe the work that you do?
The work we do is a mix of business processes and technology consulting. We spend a lot of time learning the ins and outs of our clients business and internal processes so that we are able to design solutions that best fit their needs. We our multi-functional — model designers, model builders, teachers, project managers, partners and best practice advisors.
What do you find challenging about consulting?
Consulting can be challenging because there is a lot going on — it requires versatility and great management skills. New things come up every day, so it is pertinent that you are versatile as you look to solve challenges that arise. Working with a wide variety of customers keeps things fresh, interesting and fun, and challenging (in a good way!).
What do you find rewarding about consulting?
As a consultant, we are changing the lives and careers of the people that we work with. Through the use of Anaplan, there are lots of wins throughout each implementation, and it is exhilarating to see this happen. We make it possible for our clients to focus on their business and utilize a tool that dramatically improves the lives of the users.
Why Twelve?
One of my biggest concerns as a consultant has been burnout and excessive travel. I had a desire to work in this role in a sustainable way. Twelve involves travel but one of our core competencies is our ability to work with our client remotely. Twelve believes that once we step into the office we work as hard as we can, but when we leave the office, we enjoy our lives. I saw it as an amazing opportunity to help grow an organization that is taking off. Twelve has a strong footprint with the flexibility to succeed by growing both personally and professionally.
Twelve Chicago is Hiring!
If you are interested in joining Katie’s team and working in a dynamic, fast paced and collaborative environment reach out to careers@twelvecg.com.
