As a business developer and relationship builder who understands what drives the success of AEC firms in elevating profitability, visibility and performance, Veda nurtures a broad network in a broad range of market sectors. She has both planned and implemented strategic business development campaigns from networking campaigns to lead generation and through the proposal and interview process. As an experienced speaking and interview coach, she’s helped firms to perform at their utmost to WIN.  Her work with clients in changing and creating the right image and perception has helped them to maintain and grow their firms.

Veda’s talent and expertise in assessing and coaching interview teams creates dynamic and confident speakers who clearly get their message across.  She is also an Accent Reduction coach, working with presenters to be understood and gain the confidence needed to be engaging and passionate. Each program is tailored to the client, their needs and market sectors. She offers a new program in How to Create a Business Development Culture, working with her partners at MWS, private firms and industry organizations.

In more than 30 years with the A/E/C industry, Veda has created and nurtured networks in New York City, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, working with large businesses and small, creating programs for clients that enable them to set and meet their goals. She is a mentor in her field and served as president both in New York and Los Angeles for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), for which she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award.

Veda has also served on industry Boards, written articles, moderated panels and developed seminars for Leadership, Speaking and Marketing programs.

In joining MWS last year, Veda has brought not only her penchant for partnering, but her enthusiasm for building the kind of firm that personally touches our clients and her network.

A good executive assistant is like an air-traffic controller for your life.

Maria is an exceptional and integral part of the team in that she looks out and manages everything on our behalf because we often don’t have the bandwidth.  She coordinates all the needs and demands of my life collectively, so there are very few, if any, collisions between the personal and professional.

A servant’s heart.  This is the foundation for everything.  A Rock Star executive assistant wants to serve—and not just your company or organization.  A great EA wants to serve you.  Whether the task is big or little, she promotes goals by providing the tools and insight to help you achieve your opportunities.

Master of the calendar.  In business we live and die by the calendar.  Deadlines, appointments, meetings, presentations, calls—the calendar is the flight plan that keeps all of these moving parts from crashing into each other.

Anticipating needs.  She sees in advance what a principal needs and plans accordingly.  If it’s lunch before a meeting, reports emailed to a client, whatever, she’s already seen the need and addressed it.

Willing to push back.  A great EA keeps you from burying yourself.  At any given moment when we are busy with commitments, obligations, and numerous client initiatives, it is easy to get overwhelmed.  Because it’s her job—and she’s a Rock Star—Maria does know and will push back when we start to overcommit.

Creates and curates master systems.  Whatever line of work you’re in, effective performance depends on a certain number of set preferences and procedures.  What works best for you and your team?  A Rock Star EA will document and systematize these things so you’re not always reinventing the wheel.

Communication skills.  She facilitates communication in my growing organization, especially if I or one of our principals are bottlenecking things.  Yes, we can get in our own way!  She accelerates response times, is keeper of messages, and keeps things flowing.

Leah directs and leads the firm’s social media strategy.  She is actively developing our brand identity and awareness, and is helping to improve our marketing efforts by planning, implementing, managing and monitoring the specific campaigns for ROI.  Leah is excited to leverage our collective differentiators and dynamics to provide an overall excellent experience for our partner and our clients.