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Myths and Truths: Inside Consulting Career for North Campus Majors

By Barbara Van Nostrand

Have you ever wanted to find out what consultants do? Come hear from a panel of alumni who work in traditional consulting, and Human Resources consulting.

PANELISTS
Devon Dickau
Senior Manager of Workforce Transformation |
Deloitte 

Devon Dickau is a senior manager of Workforce Transformation and co-lead of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting practice at Deloitte Consulting. In this role, he conducts research and advises Fortune 500 organizations and large nonprofits on DEI strategy and the transition to the future of work. Prior to Deloitte, Devon’s career spanned the nonprofit and education spaces, including work as a social impact consultant. Devon is a double Bruin, earning his B.A. in American Literature & Culture from UCLA in 2007 and M.B.A. in 2015. Devon also earned an M.Ed. in Technology, Innovation & Education from Harvard where his research focused on how media and technology empower social change. Additionally, Devon sits on the board of the Social Impact Fund and the Emerging Leaders Cabinet of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and is president emeritus of the UCLA LGBTQ+ Lambda Alumni Association. In 2018, he was named UCLA Young Alumnus of the Year.
Giselle Abalos 
Recruiter |
J.R. Berry Search Group
Giselle Abalos is a Recruiter at J.R. Berry Search Group, a boutique recruiting firm in the heart of Westwood. After graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies, Giselle spent two years working in higher education as an Academic Advisor for UCLA’s Psychology Department. Prior to joining J.R. Berry, Giselle was a Corporate Recruiter for an internet media company and worked on sourcing strong candidates for various roles across the country. Giselle is passionate about being an integral part of an individual’s career journey, and she is now using her social media platform to empower and educate individuals through their job search process.
Brianna Wenger
Analyst | Corporate Performance Improvement
Alvarez & Marsal
Brianna Wenger is an Analyst with Alvarez & Marsal’s Corporate Performance Improvement practice in Los Angeles. She bring experience across a multitude of A&M’s key solutions, including operating model transformation, commercial due diligence and strategic sourcing. Her industry experience expands across CPG, Finance, Healthcare and Real Estate. Having a passion for data analysis combined with creative ideation, Ms. Wenger focuses on bringing actionable insights to Clients.
Prior to joining A&M, Ms. Wenger worked as a Summer Associate in Forensic Disputes and Investigations at Navigant Inc. She utilized R and SQL to parse through 900,000+ files for litigation disputes regarding breach of contracts, financial laundering, wage and hour claims, and consumer class action lawsuits. ​During her undergraduate career, Ms. Wenger held additional internships with Amazon, United Airlines, Amgen, and Ameriprise Financial Services. 
Ms. Wenger earned two bachelors degrees in political science and communications studies from UCLA, as well as participated in the Honors College. She conducted research in Washington, D.C. through UCLA CAPPPs program, examining how technological infrastructure could improve congressional operations.​
Chelsea Grayson
CEO | Chelsea Grayson Consulting

Chelsea A. Grayson was the first ever female CEO of True Religion and she also sat on the True Religion board of directors (where she chaired the Audit Committee).  Previously, she was the CEO and a board member of American Apparel (formerly NYSE MKT: APP), which she successfully sold to Gildan Activewear Inc. (NYSE: GIL).

Ms. Grayson currently sits on the board of directors of Spark Networks (NYSE: LOV), where she is a member of the Audit Committee, and Vireo Health (CSE: VREO), where she chairs the Nominating & Governance Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. She serves as an Executive in Residence at Wunderkind (formerly BounceX) and is also a member of the Advisory Boards of Legendary Ventures and Marca Global.

Ms. Grayson is a former member of the board of directors of Sugarfina, Inc., where she was a member of the Steering Committee, and the board of directors of Delta Dental, where she was a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.  She first joined American Apparel as its General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President. Prior to joining American Apparel, Ms. Grayson was a partner in the M&A/corporate governance practice groups of Jones Day and Loeb & Loeb.

Ms. Grayson is a Board Leadership Fellow and a Corporate Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Department of English at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Austin Mead
Analyst | Deloitte Consulting
A 2019 graduate from UCLA Business Economics, Austin is currently an Analyst at Deloitte Consulting, where he has engaged in projects that have a human-centered focus. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, reading, and being constantly disappointed by Atlanta sports teams.

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