Heather L. Jencks
Founder, President
Strategic Minded, Candid Collaborator, Driven by Integrity
“I care deeply about my clients and their objectives—striving to produce focused and impactful results that exceed expectations. I don’t cut/paste solutions. Instead, I listen to your organization’s unique needs and collaborate with key stakeholders to achieve the people and business outcomes you seek.
As a fractional strategic advisor, I bring flexible support to your leadership team on a project basis or as a part-time consultant—delivering strategic insight and customized solutions without the overhead of a full-time commitment.”
25
Years consulting
20
Years Independent
P.U.R.E. Award Winner
The CARA Group
Northwestern University
M.S. Organization Development &
Workplace Learning
About Heather
Heather has been an organization effectiveness consultant and learning strategist for over 20 years. Five years at Hewitt Associates (now Aon Consulting) in their Talent and Organization Consulting line of business, and 20 years (and counting) as an independent consultant at Strategic Ascent, Inc. (now Clever Tern®), which Heather founded (see “Our Story” to learn more).
Over the course of her career, Heather has worked with leaders at all levels and served a wide-range of Fortune 100 to Fortune 1000 clients in the areas of performance management, competency modeling, culture change, business process change and team to enterprise-wide learning strategy, design, and development.
Since founding SAI/Clever Tern in 2004, Heather has focused on projects for which she has the most passion; i.e., initiatives that improve how people learn, work and manage change. She seeks to make her clients’ work-lives more humane, effective and purposeful and has been fortunate in the results – tangible business outcomes and clients who request and refer her services again and again.
Internationally, Heather worked at EuroDisney, SCA (now Disneyland Paris) in France and has provided communications consulting for HAVI Global Solutions in Singapore.
Select clients include: Allstate Insurance Company, Astellas Pharmaceutical, Abbott Laboratories, CNA Financial, Cushman & Wakefield, Deere & Co., Dow AgroSciences, Follett Corp., Future Brands LLC, HAVI Global Solutions/Perseco, IN Bureau of Motor Vehicles, TransUnion LLC, US Foods
Formal education: Heather holds an M.S. in Organizational Development and Workplace Learning from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Biology from Grinnell College.
In addition, Heather spent several years studying improvisation and acting at The Second City (Chicago), The Annoyance, iO Chicago, Black Box Acting School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA, London).
Awards:
- 2018 Q4 CARA Group P.U.R.E. award winner (professionalism, understanding, respect, excellence) for learning strategy work at Astellas Pharmaceutical.
- 2002 Performance award for writing the keynote speech for Hewitt Associate’s client event, “Rebuilding Trust in a Time of Uncertainty,” where Steve Forbes was the guest speaker.
Other talents: World travel, sailing, swimming, long-distance cycling, acting and improvisation.
