The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 11, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 30.
Next is Marketing Executive of the Year (Private Company) finalist Joy Jarrett, who’s chief marketing officer at Guidehouse. Here, she talks key achievements, primary focus areas going forward, career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021 / 2022?
This has been an incredible year for Guidehouse, and working alongside our CEO Scott McIntyre and the entire leadership team continues to be the most rewarding, inspiring and exciting work I have had the opportunity to be a part of in my career.
We are just beginning to see the results of our work and the foundation laid in support of the firm’s tremendous growth and transformation, and how our platform is driving change in what the market wants from a modern, collaborative and innovative consulting partner.
Most recently, my focus and that of the marketing team has been on spearheading efforts promoting the new Guidehouse brand through targeted digital campaigns, building new employee engagement programs, enabling our sales efforts to improve bottom line impact, and fostering our unique culture with the activation of our people through meaningful and purposeful work.
Our teaming with our sales and account management teams has allowed us the ability to deliver focused efforts against our strategic growth priorities (organically, regionally and via account-based integrated campaigns) as aligned to sector and enterprise priorities.
These efforts are all vital component of the firm’s five year plan ⏤ to triple the size of the business and emerge as a premier brand and new-generation professional services firm comprised of collaborative, multi-generational leaders and colleagues, each of whom is honored to earn a seat at the table to work on our client’s most complex issues and support building trust in society one engagement at a time.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
Last year, we focused our efforts on the introduction of our new brand positioning and tagline as well as launching new creative through a broad yet targeted media campaign. This campaign on average drove 300 to 700 times greater awareness, increased organic website traffic and account-based targeting for lead generation to the business.
This year, we have introduced new pursuit and account-based strategies and are seeing the positive impact of that relationship building with almost twice the proposal volume of previous years, and an increase in deal size and related revenues within our core account base.
I am grateful to be able to collaborate with our leaders and contribute in meaningful ways to the growth of our business. It’s an honor to work with our talented marketing team as a mentor and coach for their professional growth.
With 15,000-plus employees in more than 55 locations, Guidehouse has quickly grown to a top 10 consulting firm in the U.S. and the largest consulting firm equally focused on serving the commercial clients operating in highly regulated industries and the public sector clients that regulate those industries. And yet, we operate within a deeply collaborative culture which takes the friction out of such rapid growth and stimulates unity and innovation across the system. It’s unique.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Looking ahead, my team and I remain focused on positioning the company for continued growth through greater brand and leadership awareness, and a strengthened global market presence through our multi-touch, omni-channel, highly-targeted digital strategies externally while also celebrating our unique, “People First” culture internally.
At Guidehouse, our mission has always been to earn a seat at the table and team with our clients to outwit their toughest challenges so ultimately they can go forward more resilient and successful, and create a brighter future for their stakeholders and the communities where they operate.
We understand the critical importance of this work and are grateful for the partnerships we share with our clients. Together, we are making a difference with work that builds trust in society, and work important to the future of the nation.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Most traditional consultancies are very siloed in their approach to the market. At Guidehouse, we harness the power of our fully integrated public and commercial segments to not only disrupt the ‘sea of sameness’ within traditional consulting firms, but also generate a unique culture and spirit of innovation that is driving meaningful impact for our clients.
At Guidehouse, we truly live a “People FIRST” culture where everyone is embraced and supported both personally and professionally to ensure they can bring their whole selves to work daily. This inclusive, collaborative culture acts as a catalyst to foster diverse thinking, cross-organization teaming, breakthrough innovation and a true sense of belonging across the firm that differentiates us from other consultancies. It’s remarkable to witness and inspiring to experience the impact as evidenced through our rapid growth.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
‘Leap and the net will appear’ is my mantra. Early on in my career, I was less of a risk taker and therefore didn’t feel as challenged or impactful. As I matured, I started to embrace the positive potential of change and pushed myself out of my comfort zone to leap into new areas, even if I didn’t see the immediate benefit. I learned to embrace change as an opportunity to be a change agent vs victim.
I also truly believe you can make a difference wherever you are, in any role. It’s when you push yourself in areas where you aren’t comfortable and embrace change as an opportunity to stretch that you will find maybe hidden, yet great, rewarding outcomes ⏤ both for yourself and others. And as a mother of a college freshman, this has been a great lesson to my son as well.