As an engagement manager in Katzenbach Partners' new San Francisco office, Brooke is playing a key role in developing new client relationships on the West Coast. "I love doing client development here. I have my finger in a million little pots, and because this is California, I'm able to reach out to people in such informal ways. I can't wait to see how these relationships develop over the next few years."

Brooke first joined Katzenbach in New York 2001. When the firm opened its Houston office two years later, she was already there, working closely with partner Kenny Kurtzman. "He really took me under his wing, and our work had a lot of impact. I decided to stay in Houston and help to build the firm for a year before going to business school."

Brooke wanted to go to business school because she had studied philosophy and computer science in college. "I wanted to make sure I had the big picture and a complete toolkit. The firm was really supportive. Kenny and Niko wrote phenomenal letters, really advocating for me."

Brooke found that her experiences at Katzenbach prepared her well for Stanford. "The challenges we discussed in class were all familiar to me in one way or another. And I had a good sense for how to get things done with a group of people, both at the business school and at the design school, where I took some classes. I found that I could use creativity, empathy, and good management practices all together to get everyone on the same page and make the work manageable."

A few months into business school, Brooke felt certain she would stay with Katzenbach Partners. As a result, "I really focused on my interests. I'm a perpetual generalist, but I homed in on the idea of taking concepts and tools from within the tech community and applying them within organizations that are not as focused on technology. Now I have an opportunity to contribute to the firm's thinking on technology."