Sondra Salchak is a Senior Director of Professional Development with Alvarez & Marsal’s (A&M) Disputes and Investigations (DI) in Houston. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Texas A&M University. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, cooking and quilting.

In the Q&A below, Sondra discuses working with a cross section of people at A&M, improving the employee experience within DI, and her excitement over A&M’s newly added Core Value of Inclusive Diversity. 

You studied accounting at Texas A&M University. What led you to pursue a career in consulting? Were there any notable “ah-ha” moments that led you to that decision?

I began my career at Deloitte in the audit practice because that seemed to be the natural progression for my degree and what I thought I’d like to do. I spent time later in corporate financial reporting groups and enjoyed it, but eventually had an opportunity that led me back to the consulting environment in an operations role. It combined my financial background with a management role and exposure to a wide range of professionals, which was perfect for me. It was at Alvarez & Marsal when I was working with a broader cross section of people than I ever had before, either geographically, culturally, and with varying degrees of experience and expertise, that I felt something of an “ah-ha” – this is a great role for me!   

Can you tell us about your experiences in DI and the skill sets you have been able to strengthen / acquire while at A&M?

I began in 2010 working for Bryan Ruez as we built out the national practice for DI. It encompassed different responsibilities and skills – primarily financial, but also human resources, with some IT and real estate capabilities thrown in. Bryan and I were wearing a lot of different hats. Because of the broad range of skills required, I had to be flexible, adaptable and creative. Regardless of whatever abilities I was able to strengthen in those areas, the most important skill set has been working with a cross section of people. 

You recently re-joined A&M as a Senior Director of Professional Development. What were some of your reasons for returning? What would you tell someone who has left and is contemplating coming back?

My reasons for returning were simply that I missed the professional challenges and the camaraderie of my team. I was in a unique office-sharing situation for several years early in my time at A&M and it fostered some great relationships. Due to growth in the practice, we had run out of office space and converted a storage room to an area that several of us used as an office. It’s experiences like those where you work together and do whatever it takes to get a job done that create lasting bonds. There were also lots of times you could simply describe with one of A&M’s Core Values – Fun!    

If anyone is contemplating returning, I suggest reaching out to your former colleagues to start discussing the possibilities. I was welcomed back and feel like I didn’t miss a beat. It’s been a great experience. My role changed upon my return because there was a need in my group and it made sense for me to be flexible to a different opportunity.   

What does your role as Senior Director of Professional Development encompass? What do you most enjoy about your current role?  

My responsibilities include learning and development, performance management, orientation and onboarding, and employee engagement for the DI North America practice. In other words, my goals are to improve the employee experience within DI, whether it’s through growing professionally or through engagement with colleagues, DI and Big A&M. A&M is a world class organization with unmatched talent and opportunities, and I’m passionate about guiding people to create the best version of themselves within our firm. My role is new within DI so I appreciate the chance to take some of the ideas that we’ve had in the past and put them into action. I also enjoy having relationships across the practice and with people of different expertise levels and in varying stages of their careers.   

What do you enjoy most about working at A&M? Do you feel that our Core Values – Quality, Personal Reward, Objectivity, Integrity, Fun and Inclusive Diversity – are showcased? How so?

They really are the reasons I came back! I’ve always valued the integrity, but what I really missed was the enjoyment of working with people who I like.

A&M added Inclusive Diversity as a core value since I returned and I’m very excited about it. It’s critical to us as a firm and to the individuals who work here now and in the future. It’s the right thing to do. We have an opportunity to make an impact by raising awareness of social justice issues, adjusting hiring practices and improving inclusion and retention. DI recently joined several other A&M divisions in partnering with the non-profit organization INROADS to develop and prepare minority students for career success. We’ll recruit interns this fall through INROADS for 2021. We’re planning now to make their experience with us beneficial and memorable.

What are some of your hobbies and passions outside of work?

I love hiking – almost anywhere-- but especially in our National Parks. Camping is great as well, but I try to avoid places with extreme temperatures. Indoor hobbies for me are cooking and quilting. I’ve done a LOT of that this past season during pandemic-related limitations on travel and other away-from-home activities.