Be You @ Beghou
60 SECONDS WITH JOANNA SKELDING
In 2015, Joanna Skelding, now an associate manager, joined Beghou Consulting’s Evanston office as an associate consultant. She earned a master’s degree in policy economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before accepting a position at the firm. Joanna enjoys being able to connect her passions for data analytics and health care at Beghou Consulting.
What are Beghou’s goals, and how do your day-to-day responsibilities contribute to these goals?
“Everything we do at Beghou revolves around quality. Some of Beghou’s main goals include making our clients’ lives easier, driving helpful insights, providing quality work and being a trustworthy partner. Beghou also emphasizes mentorship. Everyone – from senior leadership, to our professional development managers, to colleagues – is engaged in their work and willing to help.”
What do you like to do on the weekends?
“I like to play tennis and go on daily walks with my husband. I also love to travel. My two favorite places I’ve visited so far are Poland and Portugal. I like Poland because that is where my husband and I got engaged. Portugal is a favorite because beyond the great food and scenery, it also felt like home. I could definitely see myself living in Portugal one day.”
How do your mentors at Beghou help you grow professionally?
“At Beghou, our professional development managers bring colleagues together to form a mentor relationship. Once we’re hired, we’re matched with a colleague who we don’t typically work with to create new connections throughout the company who support our personal growth. I appreciate this program because I am able ask any question – whether it’s for a specific client project or more general – and my mentor is always willing to help.”
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
“In kindergarten, I really wanted to be the president – but not so much anymore. I’m happy with where I ended up.”
Can you describe a favorite project you’ve worked on?
“I recently worked on a sales force design project where, once we designed the alignment, we met with the company’s regional managers to assist in the roll out. The roll out project really enabled me to see how the work we do impacts our clients each day. We continuously advise our clients in commercial operations, but don’t always know who’s looking at our results or how the data is used.”
Early bird or night owl?
“I’m a combination of both an early bird and a night owl. I’m most productive in the morning, but I’m still able to function on relatively little sleep – so I can afford to stay up fairly late.”
What is the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
“The best advice I’ve received came from my dad, but I’ve also heard it echoed throughout my career. The advice is to always be networking and maintaining relationships. You never know how people could come back into your life or lend a helping hand later on.”
