Jennifer Russell, President of Mastodon Consulting, drives good governance practices, from developing corporate social responsibility programs, to driving regulatory compliance and strategic execution through balanced scorecard.
Ms. Russell has consulted and worked for many high-tech multinationals including Vodafone, Thomson, Genentech, Nikon, and eBay, helping them improve efficiency and creating strong governance.
Unlike consultants who work from an academic or human resources perspective, Jennifer combines her experience in technology infrastructure, corporate governance, organizational development, and change management with a background in all facets of business — from marketing and sales to accounting and IT.
Working seamlessly throughout the organization to assess challenges and risks, develop practical solutions, and provide implementation guidance, she helps companies reach greater control at lower cost.
Profiled by Ziff-Davis Media in 2006 as a "Great Mind in Development," Jennifer speaks frequently on governance, risk, and strategy. As a board member of the Project Management Institute (PMI SFBAC) and the Association for Strategic Planning (Northern California), she brings thought leadership and skilled management to any project.
Jennifer holds a BS in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Jennifer Tharp
Jennifer Russell, President of Mastodon Consulting, drives good governance practices, from developing corporate social responsibility programs, to driving regulatory compliance and strategic execution through balanced scorecard.
Ms. Russell has consulted and worked for many high-tech multinationals including Vodafone, Thomson, Genentech, Nikon, and eBay, helping them improve efficiency and creating strong governance.
Unlike consultants who work from an academic or human resources perspective, Jennifer combines her experience in technology infrastructure, corporate governance, organizational development, and change management with a background in all facets of business — from marketing and sales to accounting and IT.
Working seamlessly throughout the organization to assess challenges and risks, develop practical solutions, and provide implementation guidance, she helps companies reach greater control at lower cost.
Profiled by Ziff-Davis Media in 2006 as a "Great Mind in Development," Jennifer speaks frequently on governance, risk, and strategy. As a board member of the Project Management Institute (PMI SFBAC) and the Association for Strategic Planning (Northern California), she brings thought leadership and skilled management to any project.
Jennifer holds a BS in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). The rise (and fall?) of the PMO
Michael Hammer, in his initial article on re-engineering, evaluated the historic patterns of organizing work. His assertion was that in the postwar period, entry-level people with basic skills were easy to come by, but experienced professionals were not. As a result, businesses pulled apart work into small, repeatable tasks, and focused information at the top [...]
Project Managers get no respect!
“My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you’re ugly too.”
Rodney Dangerfield
Just like dear departed Rodney Dangerfield, project managers get no respect!
The Harvard Business Review has a website, where you can find decades of great business articles from the magazine. Subscribers can go to [...]
Starting with the end in mind — lessons from the streets
How many times have we been brought in to rescue a project, and we find out that the engineers had started work without really taking the time to define what success looks like?
Here’s a lesson on thinking before you act from a recent police blotter from my neighborhood. Yes, it’s a true story.
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Why Project Management?
One question I get at least once a week is, “Why are you so involved in project management? You’re not a project manager!”
For some reason, people think of project management as a discrete occupation. You have a software upgrade? You need a new oil drilling platform? Call a project manager! [...]
Is the PMO still relevant?
Michael Hammer, in his initial article on re-engineering, evaluated how work has been organized throughout the past half century. He stated that in the postwar period, entry-level people with basic skills were easy to come by, but experienced professionals were not. As a result, businesses pulled apart work into small, repeatable tasks, and focused information [...]
Do you want to become a consultant?
I’m sick of this job! I’m going to go out on my own and become a project management consultant!
Hmm… How do you decide if you’re ready to become a consultant?
Are you comfortable working alone? Can you maintain your sense of objectivity when you don’t have others to support you?
Do you believe in yourself, [...]
Why acting ethically is so difficult
“So you knew the right thing to do, yet you failed to act. Why was that?”
“I was afraid I’d lose my job.”
I’ve had the above conversation dozens of times, and it’s always frustrated and confused me. Why would you want to keep a job which forces you to behave contrary to your beliefs? [...]
The path to excellence
Recently I attended a Commonwealth Club lecture on Women in Business. Ilene Lang, President of Catalyst, was there and brought forth some sobering statistics about women in leadership positions.
I must admit, I tend to be very cautious when statistics are tossed out without adequate context, but looking around the web I was unable to [...]
Lessons from Harvard
As organizational leaders, we are continuously bombarded with conflicting guidance on how to excel. A great example of this confusion is found in the April issue of the Harvard Business Review. In the cover story, we find that a leader can discover that the pathway to profitability and sustainable growth is to centralize operations, the [...]
