Anita Ward, acknowledged by business guru and author, Jon Katzenbach as a “Real Change Leader”, is a corporate anthropologist and pioneer in the field of culture, transformation, technology, and change management. Leveraging anthropological methods, she solves problems by placing an understanding of people at the core of business decision-making.  The analytical processes are people-centric whether she is determining the DNA of an organization, implementing technology, developing business, reviewing product design, marketing services, or fundraising for charity. Ms. Ward approaches challenges and opportunities in a holistic manner with ethnography and cultural relativism as foundations.   

Recognized by Fast Company as an anthropologist who "has moved from observer to leader" Ms. Ward has operated as both a consultant and an executive.  She is best known for her work with informal organizations, transformations and culture change.  She led enterprise change initiatives in financial services, retail, distribution, and manufacturing that reshaped organizations, products and services. She also served as a leader for Information Technology, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, and Operations. In addition to technology solutions, Ms. Ward has developed and executed strategic plans, led mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, incubated start-ups, scaled global operations, re-engineered and improved processes, benchmarked operations, and designed sustainable organic models for culture change.

"When the anthropologist enters the picture, change becomes a grassroots movement. 
Anthropologists understand that work is not just about process, it's about people. 
If you lose sight of that, you lose."

Often called an "organizational shaman", Ms. Ward has garnered praise for her innovative approach to organizations, culture and problem-solving. Her results have been featured in the Katzenbach books, Real Change Leaders, and Leading Outside the Lines, and in Fast Company, Forbes ASAP, CIO Magazine, Information Week, and Computerworld.  She is an often requested speaker who draws upon years of experience to share insights and bring clarity.   For many clients and employers, her work has generated strategic trajectories of change and dramatic internal reorganizations. For others, the initiatives have been targeted, direct and incremental.  For all, the anthropological approach has resulted in a more inclusive and sustained transformation.