Sarah is available for hire
Hire SarahSarah Cargill
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Portland, OR, United States
Toptal member since July 15, 2024
Bio
A management consultant trusted by retail, consumer, and technology leaders to create go-to-market solutions, Sarah held leadership roles at global brands (Slalom, Nike, and Confluent), consulted with industry giants (Columbia Sportswear, AT&T, and Charles Schwab), and built strategic alliances (AWS, Microsoft, and Google). Sarah is experienced in strategy, operations, experience, design, brand, communications, organization, capability, program, change, culture, learning, sales, and marketing.
Career Highlights
Managing Director
Statement Co.
Director
Slalom
Case Studies
Workshopping AI Vision: Accelerating Member Experiences
Workshop FacilitationWorkshopsCross-functional Team LeadershipTeam LeadershipLeadershipStrategic Planning+ 11 more
Architecting an AI-first GTM: From Concept to Capital
Go-to-market (GTM) StrategyInnovationArtificial Intelligence (AI)Business PlanningBusiness StrategyStrategy+ 11 more
Unlocking Millions: With a Simple Agentic AI Visual
Executive PresentationsStorytellingVisual StorytellingExecutive CommunicationPitch PresentationsPitch Decks+ 5 more
Redefining Executive Culture: For Retention and Growth
Employee ExperienceCultureCorporate CultureCulture DevelopmentCulture ManagementExecutive Coaching+ 10 more
Modernizing Legacy Tech: Leadership Vision and 12-month Roadmap
Vision DevelopmentInterviewingInterviewsIn-depth InterviewsStakeholder InterviewsObjectives & Key Results (OKRs)+ 7 more
Productizing Consulting Solutions: Into High Impact Demo Hooks
Management ConsultingBusiness PlanningProject ManagementProduct StrategyAI ConsultingArtificial Intelligence (AI)+ 3 more
Co-branded Executive Storytelling: Breaking the Status Quo
BrandingBrand PositioningBusiness DevelopmentNew Business DevelopmentGo-to-market (GTM) StrategyPresentations+ 5 more
Expertise
- AI Consulting
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Business & Digital Transformation
- Change Management
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Executive Communication
- Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy
- Storytelling
Work Experience
Managing Director
2024 - PRESENT
Statement Co.
- Led an independent consultancy in transforming and growing businesses through strategy, operations, brand, communications, change management, and storytelling.
- Orchestrated an executive workshop to define an artificial intelligence (AI) vision, program charter, use case, and solutions for an identity management company to better support customers with speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
- Spearheaded a tiered partner program and story to facilitate large-scale partnership conversations to expand consumer, member, and employee access to sustainable, wild-caught seafood and, in turn, grow the direct-to-consumer (DTC) business.
- Designed a business development partnership story for a pitch deck and trifold mailer to facilitate executive conversations and grow a new client relationship.
- Facilitated a workshop to co-create a target audience persona, brand statement, story, and aesthetic for a financial coaching executive to enable clarity and confidence in growing a multi-million dollar business.
- Designed a digital transformation strategy for a beauty brand undergoing a major shift from 10+ years in brick-and-mortar to leading with digital, selling some of the biggest brands in clean beauty.
Focus areas: Strategy, Branding, Communications Management, Change Management, Digital Branding, Consumer Branding, Internal Communications, Marketing Communications (MarCom), Leadership, Team Leadership, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Program Management, Operations, Operations Management, Management Consulting, Value Proposition, Change Leadership, Best Practices, Reporting, User Adoption, Coaching, Executive Coaching, CX Strategy, User Personas, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Market Research, Competition Research, Benchmarking, GAP Analysis, Structure & Organizational Design, Organizational Design, Internal Communications, Consulting, AI Adoption, AI Consulting, AI Automation, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, AI Design, Storytelling, Sales Enablement, Gemini, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Customer Experience (CX) Design, Team Building, Capability Build-out, Agile, Vision Development, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Roadmaps, Workshops, Job Descriptions, Process Design, Product Management, Interviewing, Impact Assessment, Enterprise Change Management (ECM), Social Media, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Innovation, Investor Presentations, Visual Storytelling, Advisory, Trusted Advisor, Product Planning, Digital Product Design, Project Management, Product Strategy, Market Research & Analysis, Market Opportunity Analysis, Brand Positioning, Sales, Enterprise Sales, Service Design, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Finance, Retail Strategy, Retail Technology, Design Thinking, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Canva, Value Stream Mapping, Training & Training Content Development, Training Content, Microsoft 365, Employee Experience, Business & Digital Transformation, Executive Communication, Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation Program Management, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Team Coaching, Executive Presentations, Pitch Decks, Sales Pitches, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Deck Design, Pitch Deck Consultant, B2B Sales, Consulting, Culture, Corporate Culture, Culture Development, Culture Management, Soft Skills Coaching, Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, Process Transformation, Executive Leadership, AI Pipeline, Agentic AI Systems, B2B Partnerships, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startups, Venture Funding, Exit Planning, Business Operations, Banking & Finance, Executive Consulting, Financial Services, AI Ethics, AI Governance, Growth Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Consulting, Data Science.Data.Data Management.Data Architecture, AI Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Modeling, AI Product Management, AI Product Strategy, B2B
Business Plan Consultant
2026 - 2026
LG NOVA - New Ventures
- Architected a comprehensive 77-page business plan and foundational roadmap that detailed the go-to-market (GTM) strategy, AI-driven product features, and resourcing requirements to secure executive buy-in.
- Contributed to a multi-year framework for an AI-first startup within a global Fortune 500 electronics firm, successfully bridging the gap between startup innovation and corporate financial expectations.
- Partnered with the CEO to refine a structured pitch narrative and high-fidelity visual deck, resulting in a successful "green light" for next-stage funding from internal investment committees.
Focus areas: Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Storytelling, Sales Enablement, Gemini, Apple Keynote, Figma, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Management Consulting, Innovation, Investor Presentations, Visual Storytelling, Advisory, Trusted Advisor, Product Planning, Digital Product Design, Project Management, Product Strategy, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Research & Analysis, Brand Positioning, Sales, Enterprise Sales, Service Design, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Finance, Design Thinking, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Canva, Value Proposition, Microsoft 365, Business & Digital Transformation, Executive Communication, Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation Program Management, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Executive Presentations, Pitch Decks, Sales Pitches, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Deck Design, Pitch Deck Consultant, B2B Sales, Consulting, Communication, Communication Strategy, Process Transformation, Executive Leadership, AI Pipeline, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startups, Executive Consulting, Growth Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Consulting, AI Product Strategy, B2B
Senior Practice Leader
2023 - 2024
Confluent
- Led professional services for the West regions across retail, technology, healthcare, telecommunications, and financial services industries, led business development, oversaw project delivery, and managed a consultant team.
- Sold and oversaw a team delivering a POC for a new cloud-based data streaming solution, gathering requirements, defining migration needs, and demonstrating the value of the technology to achieve business goals in network solutions.
- Sold and oversaw a team delivering future-state architecture design, migration strategy, and plans to move to a fully managed cloud streaming solution with disaster recovery to create a reliable, cost-effective solution for multi-level marketing.
- Oversaw a team delivering a current state assessment of environments, remediation recommendations, performance optimization, and a future-state data-in-motion strategy in investment management.
- Coordinated a team delivering custom connectors, performance optimization of environments, a POC for a fully managed cloud streaming solution, and DR recommendations to create a reliable and scalable trading solution.
Focus areas: Retail Management, Finance, Healthcare IT, Business Development, New Business Development, Client Services, IT Services, Program Management, Operations, Operations Management, Change Management, Change Leadership, Best Practices, Reporting, User Adoption, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Manufacturing, CX Strategy, User Personas, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Market Research, Competition Research, Benchmarking, GAP Analysis, Structure & Organizational Design, Organizational Design, Internal Communications, Consulting, AI Adoption, AI Consulting, Agile, Storytelling, Design, AI Design, COE, Storytelling, Sales Enablement, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Data, Team Building, Vision Development, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Roadmaps, Workshops, Job Descriptions, Process Design, Product Management, Interviewing, Impact Assessment, Management Consulting, Enterprise Change Management (ECM), Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Innovation, Investor Presentations, Visual Storytelling, Advisory, Trusted Advisor, Product Planning, Digital Product Design, Project Management, Product Strategy, Market Opportunity Analysis, Market Research & Analysis, Brand Positioning, Sales, Enterprise Sales, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Retail Strategy, Retail Technology, Design Thinking, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, IT Program Management, Value Proposition, Training, Training & Training Content Development, Training Content, Microsoft 365, Customer Experience, Business & Digital Transformation, Executive Communication, Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation Program Management, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Team Coaching, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Analytics, Executive Presentations, Pitch Decks, Sales Pitches, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Deck Design, Pitch Deck Consultant, B2B Sales, Consulting, Corporate Culture, Culture Development, Culture Management, Soft Skills Coaching, Communication, Communication Strategy, Process Transformation, Executive Leadership, AI Pipeline, B2B Partnerships, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, SaaS, IT, Business Operations, Banking & Finance, Executive Consulting, Financial Services, AI Ethics, AI Governance, Growth Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Consulting, Data Science.Data.Data Management.Data Architecture, AI Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Modeling, AI Product Management, AI Product Strategy, B2B
Director
2019 - 2023
Slalom
- Led management consulting services for large-scale retail accounts, leading business development, selling management consulting services, overseeing project delivery, and leading teams of account managers and consultants.
- Spearheaded a team in setting up an innovation lab in a technology organization to test new technologies and digital product offerings in partnership with AWS and Salesforce.
- Directed a human-centered design research program to determine ways to optimize frontline store associates, promoting the store loyalty program.
- Managed a team in developing a story around the marketing organization's organizational development strategy and plan to deliver multiple work streams, including engagement events, mentorship programs, and people metrics.
Focus areas: Retail Strategy, Retail Management, Retail Technology, Change Management, Communications Management, Business Development, Client Services, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Branding, Digital Branding, Consumer Branding, Internal Communications, Design Thinking, Strategy, Program Management, IT Program Management, Operations, Operations Management, Change Leadership, Instructional Design, Training, Training & Training Content Development, Training Content, Business Strategy, Best Practices, Reporting, User Adoption, Coaching, Executive Coaching, Manufacturing, CX Strategy, User Personas, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Market Research, Competition Research, Benchmarking, GAP Analysis, Structure & Organizational Design, Organizational Design, Internal Communications, Consulting, AI Adoption, Agile, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, AI Design, COE, Storytelling, Sales Enablement, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Customer Experience (CX) Design, Data, Team Building, Value Stream Mapping, Capability Build-out, Vision Development, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Roadmaps, Workshops, Job Descriptions, Process Design, Product Management, Interviewing, Impact Assessment, Management Consulting, Enterprise Change Management (ECM), Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Innovation, Investor Presentations, Visual Storytelling, Advisory, Trusted Advisor, Product Planning, Digital Product Design, Project Management, Product Strategy, Market Research & Analysis, Market Opportunity Analysis, Brand Positioning, Sales, Enterprise Sales, Service Design, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Finance, IT Services, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Value Proposition, Microsoft 365, Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Business & Digital Transformation, Executive Communication, Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation Program Management, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Team Coaching, Analytics, Executive Presentations, Pitch Decks, Sales Pitches, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Deck Design, Pitch Deck Consultant, B2B Sales, Consulting, Culture, Corporate Culture, Culture Development, Culture Management, Soft Skills Coaching, Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, Process Transformation, Supply Chain, Executive Leadership, B2B Partnerships, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startups, SaaS, IT, Business Operations, Banking & Finance, Executive Consulting, Financial Services, AI Ethics, AI Governance, Growth Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Consulting, Data Science.Data.Data Management.Data Architecture, AI Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Modeling, AI Product Management, AI Product Strategy, B2B
Manager
2013 - 2019
Nike
- Led strategies, quarterly business reviews, budget forecasts, marketing analytics trainings, and authoring and localization spend as chief of staff to the Vice President of Brand Marketing and the Planning and Performance Senior Director.
- Led change management and communications strategies and tactics to boost engagement and adoption of Nike BIKETOWN, new campus buildings, and new ways of working across 15,000+ employees.
- Led a change management, communications, and creative team to deliver strategies and tactics to boost adoption of large-scale technology programs, processes, tools, and roles across 2,000+ employees.
Focus areas: Internal Communications, Communications Management, Operations, Change Management, Marketing, Enterprise Change Management (ECM), Agile, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, COE, Storytelling, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Customer Experience (CX) Design, Team Building, Vision Development, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Roadmaps, Workshops, Process Design, Interviewing, Impact Assessment, Management Consulting, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Innovation, Visual Storytelling, Trusted Advisor, Project Management, Market Research & Analysis, Market Opportunity Analysis, Brand Positioning, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Finance, Retail Strategy, Retail Technology, IT Services, Design Thinking, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, IT Program Management, Value Stream Mapping, Value Proposition, Instructional Design, Training, Training & Training Content Development, Training Content, Microsoft 365, Customer Experience, Employee Experience, Business & Digital Transformation, Executive Communication, Digital Transformation, Digital Transformation Program Management, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Team Coaching, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Analytics, Executive Presentations, Pitch Decks, Consulting, Culture, Corporate Culture, Culture Development, Culture Management, Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, Process Transformation, Supply Chain, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, CFO, Growth Strategy, B2B
Principal
2013 - 2015
Cargill Communications
- Managed an end-to-end consulting business serving 20+ accounts with digital strategies, branding, website builds, communications, social media content creation, and photography.
- Led creative direction for a comprehensive brand strategy and storytelling, including brand colors, key messages, photography, and website build for an online furniture store, a physician's office, a cycling studio, and a content marketing agency.
- Led social media marketing management, including campaign planning, content creation, and design for an education and training business, a cycling studio, and a women's business network.
Focus areas: Marketing Communications (MarCom), Communications Management, Branding, Social Media, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, Storytelling, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Interviewing, Management Consulting, Visual Storytelling, Brand Positioning, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Workshop Facilitation, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Journalism, Microsoft 365, Executive Communication, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Executive Presentations, Consulting, In-depth Interviews, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, Supply Chain, B2B Partnerships, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startups, B2B
Manager
2011 - 2013
Getting Smart
- Led social media, digital, and public relations strategies and tactics for the education consulting firm and its clients, such as McGraw-Hill and MIND Research Institute.
- Developed a network of 175+ writers, landing articles on Psychology Today and The Huffington Post.
- Interviewed Bill Nye the Science Guy, Jeb Bush, and Sal Khan.
Focus areas: Public Relations (PR), Marketing, Communications Management, Social Media, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, Storytelling, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Interviewing, Management Consulting, Visual Storytelling, Brand Positioning, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Journalism, Microsoft 365, Executive Communication, Executive Presentations, Consulting, Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, B2B Partnerships, Launch Strategy, Venture Funding, B2B
Specialist
2010 - 2011
Inspiration Software
- Managed social media strategy and content creation for the corporate blog, social media channels, podcasts, webinars, and sweepstakes.
- Ghost-wrote thought leadership articles for the president of the organization.
- Designed and managed a top-tier customer relationship program.
Focus areas: Marketing, Social Media, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, Storytelling, Apple Keynote, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Interviewing, Management Consulting, Visual Storytelling, Brand Positioning, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Google Docs, Business Writing, Gmail, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Journalism, Microsoft 365, Executive Communication, Executive Presentations, Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, Launch Strategy, SaaS, IT
Education
2017 - 2018
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
Quantic School of Business & Technology - Washington, D.C., USA
2006 - 2010
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism, Public Relations, and Economics
University of Oregon - Eugene, OR, USA
Skills
Finance
Market Research, GAP Analysis, Market Opportunity Analysis, Venture Funding, CFO
Output Software
Google Docs, Apple Keynote, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
Industry Expertise
Banking & Finance, Financial Services
Other
Strategy, Business Writing, Communications Management, Change Management, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Retail Strategy, Design Thinking, COE, Team Building, Organizational Design, Vision Development, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Workshops, Interviewing, Impact Assessment, Management Consulting, Value Proposition, Change Leadership, Instructional Design, Training, Training & Training Content Development, Training Content, Business Strategy, Best Practices, Coaching, Executive Coaching, User Personas, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Competition Research, Structure & Organizational Design, Internal Communications, Consulting, AI Adoption, AI Consulting, Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Design, Business Planning, Business Plan Consulting, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Innovation, Investor Presentations, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling, Advisory, Trusted Advisor, Product Strategy, Brand Positioning, Sales, Sales Enablement, Stakeholder Management, Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Client Presentations, Presentation Design, Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Business & Digital Transformation, Executive Communication, Digital Transformation, Business Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Executive Presentations, Pitch Decks, Sales Pitches, Pitch Preparation, Pitch Deck Design, Pitch Deck Consultant, B2B Sales, Consulting, Culture, Corporate Culture, Culture Development, Interviews, B2B Partnerships, Business Consulting, Launch Strategy, Startup Consulting, Startups, Business Operations, Business Transformation, Communication, Communication Strategy, Executive Leadership, Executive Consulting, Growth Strategy, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Consulting, AI Product Strategy, B2B, Marketing, Retail Technology, IT Program Management, Value Stream Mapping, Capability Build-out, Agile, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Roadmaps, Job Descriptions, Product Management, Reporting, User Adoption, CX Strategy, Benchmarking, Enterprise Change Management (ECM), AI Design, Product Planning, Digital Product Design, Project Management, Market Research & Analysis, Enterprise Sales, Service Design, Employee Experience, Customer Experience, Customer Experience (CX) Design, Gemini, Digital Transformation Program Management, Team Coaching, Culture Management, Soft Skills Coaching, SaaS, IT, Process Transformation, AI Pipeline, AI Governance, AI Product Management, Economics, Operations Management, Journalism, Public Relations (PR), Branding, Digital Branding, Consumer Branding, Internal Communications, Marketing Communications (MarCom), Leadership, Team Leadership, Retail Management, Finance, Healthcare IT, Business Development, New Business Development, Client Services, IT Services, Microsoft 365, Gmail, Canva, Program Management, Operations, Data, Process Design, Manufacturing, Social Media, AI Automation, Figma, Analytics, In-depth Interviews, Stakeholder Interviews, Exit Planning, Supply Chain, Agentic AI Systems, AI Ethics, Data Science.Data.Data Management.Data Architecture, AI Architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI).AI Modeling
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