Employee Spotlight: Christina Speros

This week, we are proud to share Christina Speros’ story.

Christina joined Sendero in our Dallas office in 2019. Christina studied Accounting & Finance at Texas Christian University and received a Master’s in Accounting. She has worked in industries such as consumer products, financial services, and healthcare, and her area of expertise is project management.

We sat down with Christina to ask her about her experience as a Manager.

What was your work experience prior to joining Sendero?

When I first graduated, I passed my CPA exam. Prior to joining Sendero, I spent 3.5 years at a Big 4 firm. I spent the beginning of my career as a CPA working on external financial audits. Starting my career as a CPA helped me gain a strong attention to detail. I have always loved numbers, but I was wanting to do something a little more client facing. Then, I pivoted into agile software development at the same firm. I loved the fast pace of agile software projects, and I enjoyed working hands on with a variety of teams to bring a product to life. I decided to switch to Sendero because I wanted to work on similar fast-paced projects but without the weekly travel.

What led you to Sendero?

What led me to Sendero was their generalist approach to consulting. At Sendero, you do not have to specialize in a particular industry or service area. This way, you can try your hand at several types of projects: OCM, Systems Implementations, etc. and see what sparks your interest. Also, Sendero’s involvement in the community. Every quarter Sendero partners with community organizations to provide pro bono consulting services. This is another great way for professionals to have a chance at trying a different type of project outside of their client work all while helping their community.

What stands out to you about Sendero?

Everyone says the people, but it is true. The culture and willingness to help stems from senior leadership down throughout all levels of the organization. I remember my last interview at Sendero being with Bret, the CEO, & I was so impressed by his mission and commitment to preserving Sendero’s culture. At Sendero, consultants are evaluated not only by what results they deliver to our clients but how they deliver those results. This ensures that Sendero’s consultants are delivering with our core values always top of mind.

What has been your favorite part about being a consultant? What about being a Manager?

My favorite part about consulting is that every day is truly different. You go into your day with a general plan of what you need to accomplish. However, priorities are constantly shifting, so you always need to be adaptable and ready to adjust as needed.

What is something that you learned during Manager training that has stuck with you?

The shift from Analyst to Manager is a significant one as you are now moving from being an individual contributor to getting results through others. I think what stuck out to me the most is when we performed an exercise about formulating our personal leadership style. It was a great exercise to reflect on what elements make up my personal leadership style. Now that I am transitioning into the Manager role, it is important to keep in mind my personal leadership style while interacting amongst my client stakeholders and team.

We also asked Christina about the key components of her Consulting work at Sendero:

Tell us about your favorite project that you have led. Why was it your favorite?

Since I have joined Sendero, I have been involved in various projects in the healthcare industry. Over the past year, it has been interesting to see firsthand how the industry has been adapting and shifting due to the pandemic.

What industries have you worked in?

I’ve worked in Consumer Products, Financial Services, and Healthcare.

Do you consider yourself to have any specialties or areas of expertise?

My key area of expertise is in project management. I love working with cross-functional teams to work towards a common goal.

What is something you have learned from a client?

My current project is a large strategic initiative at a healthcare client. We work with various teams and stakeholders throughout the organization, and it always reminds me how when priorities change the team needs to be agile and adapt accordingly. I have taken these lessons into my personal life as well. Especially given this past year, things are constantly changing, and I must remind myself to remain poised and adapt accordingly.