Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Massaro-Hales.
Erica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been a proud of resident of Atlanta since 1999. I started my career in South Florida – as an attorney – and moved to Atlanta where my career has evolved. It is a great city and I am glad to be raising two amazing teenage girls here.
What I do now – visual communications for litigation and business – evolved organically. As an attorney focused on litigation and trial work years ago, I often found myself sketching out complex concepts being argued in the courtroom as part of my thought processes. At some point, I realized that these sketches would be useful to jurors to help them better understand the facts. I soon started faxing graphic designs to a production company to create them for use in trial. They created large-format versions of my sketches and delivered graphic boards directly to the courthouse for me to use in argument. After seven years working with that company on numerous trials, they hired me as their litigation consultant to introduce the idea of visual communications to other trial attorneys. I started strategically consulting with trial teams on my very first day and I have been a visual communications consultant ever since.
I work in all areas of litigation, developing solutions for my clients by making complicated information easy to understand. I presently lead Ankura Consulting’s national visual communications team out of the firm’s Atlanta office.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every professional has her own struggles from time to time, but for the most part, my career has been a smooth road. I feel fortunate to have had the benefit of working successfully with many of the most respected litigators in the country and with some of the largest clients in the world. The cases I had the chance to work on are fascinating and often front page news that have changed the law.
I learn every day as I create visuals that teach others, be it jurors or judges, about issues such as the forces of wind and water, complex financial instruments used in fraud, or the composition of pharmaceutical products, to name a few. I continue to work as a strategic communications consultant in the business world, as visual communication is now an expected part of any 21st century.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ankura Consulting – what should we know?
Ankura offers solutions to clients, large and small, private and public, across practically every industry. We have grown significantly since I joined the firm in the fall of 2015. I was Ankura’s seventh employee. Today it has grown to more than 400 professionals across the country.
Ankura is an amazing company, which believes in and is fueled by the idea that collaboration is both the key to successful results and to a positive workplace, working as a team of experts from a myriad of fields finding solutions to help our clients. Those solutions often require visual communications and restructuring experts to work together, or cybersecurity and compliance, or accounting and investigations, or international trade and geopolitical, etc. The thing that I feel sets Ankura apart is that we are committed to that idea of collaboration to assemble the right team to find the right answer for our client at the right time. It is a great place to work and grow.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I was recently talking with a friend about this while working on a challenging project. What qualities have helped me develop a successful career? Active listening, critical thinking, and visualization. Hands down. As a litigator and a consultant, those elements are vital to success. My ability to get to the point of an issue quickly requires those three attributes. That ability has resulted in my achieving my professional goal of being a trusted adviser to my clients and colleagues.
As a professional, the greatest measure of my success is that I have developed strong and long-lasting relationships throughout my career.
Contact Info:
- Address: Ankura Consulting Atlanta
1180 West Peachtree Street,
Suite 2225,
Atlanta, GA 30309 - Website: www.ankuraconsulting.com
- Phone: P:1.678.412.4220
- Email: erica.massaro-hales@ankuraconsulting.com
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
