Worcester Business Journal

22 Worcester Business Journal | September 30, 2024 | wbjournal.com PHOTO | CHRISTINE PETERSON F O C U S OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS BY LAURA FINALDI Special to WBJ W hen Lee Curtis started working to enhance the culture, vision, and mis- sion at engineering consulting firm BSC Group, Inc., she didn't anticipate it would result in her becoming the first female president of the company, and the youngest. But it was the culture Curtis and her colleagues created that eventually paved the way for something like that to happen. "She's transformed the company, been able to hire a lot of good people, and attracts ambitious people," said David Hayes, past principal of BSC and current chairman of the board, who Curtis has transformed the engineering industry Lee Curtis President, director of people and culture BSC Group, in Worcester and Manchester, New Hampshire Residence: Hollis, New Hampshire Education: Bachelor's degree in wildlife conservation and master's degree in wetlands conservation from UMass Amherst Who is your hero? I'm fangirling over Ilona Maher right now (who isn't?), but honestly I find inspiration/motivation everywhere. If I could consult a panel of women, it might include Brene Brown, Michelle Obama, Mel Robbins, and Chelsea Handler, as well as the women leading beside me at BSC, and my 8-year-old self. Since you started your career, how have things changed for women in the pro- fessional world? Women are changing and changing things more than things have changed for women. One impactful exam- ple is the expanding community of women empowering women. Years ago, we weren't as likely to find friendship or mentorship from other women in male-dominated industries (competition, right?!) Now, I see it everywhere! What obstacles do women in the work- place face today? The list might be quite long for some, but for BSC, it's burnout. Burnout caused by those battles with perfectionism. Despite overpreparation, overachievement, and overdelivery, women still feel like failures constantly. Perfection isn't attainable; it's not real, and it doesn't equal completeness. We are already whole! worked with Curtis for more than a decade. "It's been very healthy for the company." Curtis said she wanted to help create a work environment where all of leadership had a voice, where things like promotions and having a seat at the table weren't solely based on years of service. In her previous role as a principal of the company's Worcester business unit, she found although she was able to create a strong culture within her team, she'd hit roadblocks when she had to reach to the broader organization. "Sometimes I could do the things I needed to do, but I would be hitting walls everywhere else," Curtis said. "e leader at the time said, 'If you want to do all this good work, why don't you tackle it? Create a revitalized mission and values and see what you can do with it.' "I said, 'I would love to.' It took awhile, but I did it," she said. Curtis originally joined BSC in 2004 as a wetland and wildlife scientist. She rose through the ranks over the years, becoming head of the Worcester business unit in 2018 and company president in 2023. Under her leader- ship, the Worcester unit grew from 17 employees to 48. Reflecting on her first year as president, Curtis said she's proud of the work she and her colleagues did to enhance the company culture. at's what paved the way for her to become president in the first place, she said. "I've worked at this company for 20 years. I know what we started out as when I first came here and who we were and what the dynamics and culture and structure looked like," she said. "at the company and the lead- ership team felt comfortable installing me as president, that to me was the work that many of us were doing, of trying to get us to shi and getting us out of that old school and fixed mind- set that everything has to do with years of experience, not the impact individ- uals have." Curtis has been a transformative figure at a company in the male-dom- inated engineering field, Hayes said. She can make tough decisions, but she puts a big emphasis on culture. She's especially good at finding the best person for the job, and is willing to delegate parts of her responsibilities if she feels someone else's skill set works better, he said. "She's a strong leader, and she sets parameters: 'is is what company wants to do, here are your skills, go do it,'" Hayes said. "She's there for support, but she's willing to share responsibil- ity." Operating that way, Curtis said, allows her to get the best out of her people. Delegating is a huge part of the company's five-year plan, she said; each member of the leadership and exec- utive team can own various C-suite responsibilities. Her strength comes on the people and culture side of things, Curtis said, so she owns that side of the com-

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