Pragmatic Strategic Planning

September 22, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Consulting Roundtable

Learn a new approach towards strategic planning, from Archstone Consultants, that successful companies are using to stretch their organizations towards achieving new levels of performance Learn more.

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Where:
Gleacher Center
Room 600
450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Chicago, Illinois

Who:
Carrie Shea, AB '87, MBA '90
Principal
Archstone Consulting

Matt Biggs
Manager
Archstone Consulting

Cost:
No Charge

Program:
6:00 pm - 6:30 pm : Networking
6:30 - 8:00 pm: Presentation
8:00 - 9:00 pm: Optional Social Hour and Networking at Midway Club

Registration:
Register Online
or Email Ashish Kothari, '02

Questions:
Ashish Kothari, '02
312.373.1357

Event Details
Most companies engage in a strategic planning 'ritual' every few years, or annually, with intentions of providing a long-term vision while focusing and stretching the organization to achieve new levels of performance.

Unfortunately, in many companies, this strategic planning process is more agonizing than enlightening. The process often takes considerable time, taxes scarce resources, and forces key players to take their eye off the day-to-day business. The resulting plan is often unachievable, devoid of daily realities, outdated within a matter of months, and all too often sits on the shelf collecting dust until the next time the planning ritual cycle begins again. Sound familiar? A senior executive at one of the preeminent consumer packaged goods manufacturers once remarked, "The life of my five-year strategic plan is typically six months!"

It is estimated that 60% of the strategic plans never see the light of the day. An even higher percentage of companies embarking on strategic planning efforts never achieve their plan's strategic objectives. Why is that? Why can't highly successful companies leverage their strategic plans more effectively? Why does the strategic planning process take up so much executive time and resources and yet provide so little tangible benefit to so many companies?

Carrie Shea, AB '87, MBA '90 and Matt Biggs will describe Archstone Consulting's pragmatic approach to strategic planning, with special emphasis on the pitfalls that can be overcome. The challenges and opportunities through client experiences will be reviewed to provide you with a perspective of how to enhance the strategic planning process.

Speaker Profiles:

Carrie Shea, AB '87, MBA '90
Principal, Archstone Consulting

Carrie Shea is a founding principal of Archstone Consulting, an independent strategy and operations management consultancy. Archstone Consulting specializes in operational transformations and growth platforms in the consumer packaged goods and retail, life sciences, manufacturing, and services sectors, offering unbiased advice, efficient execution, and measurable results. Combining deep vertical expertise with proven functional skills, Archstone Consulting designs and implements organizational change geared to capture value and stimulate growth through financial solutions, strategic initiatives, and operational improvement services.

Carrie has expertise in a number of industries, including consumer packaged goods and financial services. Carrie leads Archstone Consulting's Strategy Practice. Prior to joining Archstone Consulting, Carrie served as a Vice President of A. T. Kearney or five years, and Executive Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for a NYSE Software Company. Prior to receiving her MBA, Carrie was a research analyst at Lexecon, a leading Economic Consulting firm.

Carrie has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MBA from Chicago GSB. In addition to consulting, Carrie gives back to the community through involvement with a number of non-profits, including her position on the boards of The Joffrey Ballet and Lake Forest Open Lands Association.

Matt Biggs
Manager, Archstone Consulting

Matt Biggs is a Manager at Archstone Consulting specializing in strategic planning, growth strategy, marketing, and operational excellence / lean manufacturing. Prior to joining Archstone Consulting, Matt was a consultant with The Monitor Group, ZS Associates, and A.T. Kearney.

Prior to earning his MBA, Matt held various positions with NASA, the U.S. House of Representatives, and was ultimately Deputy Program Manager leading the development, manufacturing, and successful launch of the new Scorpius space launch vehicle. Matt started his aerospace career working on Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motors at Thiokol Corp. (now a division of Alliant Techsystems) in Utah and at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

He has an MBA from Kellogg, and an MS and BS in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois.