Women in Technology - Clarise Chichizola

This blog is part of our ongoing Women in Technology series.

The Project Services team’s mission is to coordinate with the clients and stakeholders to implement and execute routine processes to achieve the highest and best use of time and talent.  Along with the other Directors, Clarise focuses on mentoring the team to fulfill that mission with accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, she analyzes trends and processes to identify places for efficiency and scalability improvements and works with stakeholders to implement and develop new workflows.

Clarise has been in the Ediscovery space since 2001 and draws upon her experience as a Paralegal at law firms and as a Project Manager for various vendors to analyze situations in order to develop processes and tools to bring value and satisfaction to clients and employees alike. She enjoys the supportive role the PS Team has offered and looks forward to continued growth with Consilio.

How did you get into this industry?

I started my career as a Paralegal and had an internship at the Oakland City Attorney’s office. In that role, I discovered I liked litigation – the pace and energy, the interesting cases and the people. It was great! During that time, I became a Concordance Administrator which introduced me to the wonderful world of eDiscovery and I have never looked back.

What were some pivotal moments in your career that helped to get you to where you are today?

My first pivotal moment was being exposed to and learning about eDiscovery but many other significant moments have revolved around people. It’s probably no surprise that many of the folks I worked with then are now also at Consilio. The initial introduction to Concordance started a domino effect leading me through several positions with vendors and law firms where I met, worked with and learned from some amazing people. More recently, Sean McMechen and Staci Garcia who took a chance on me as a PM and led me to Consilio and our fantastic Project Services crew.

Have you ever noticed a time in your career where your gender proved to differentiate you?

While I believe that the things that have differentiated me are not necessarily related to gender, I think that some of the qualities that have helped me succeed are more acceptable and encouraged in women. For example, I am an emotive and empathetic person, qualities that I have cultivated and were encouraged, and I have learned how to use these qualities to connect with people, grow members on my team and encourage a culture of openness and appreciation within our department.

What is your advice for someone working in a predominately male workplace?

I think some women have been shaped to believe there are things they just can’t understand or do in the same way as males. I am grateful that both of my parents vehemently believed, and taught me to believe, that I am a strong, intelligent and capable person, limited only by my own determination (or lack thereof). The advice I would give anyone is that your abilities are not rooted in gender. If you are interested in exploring a field that is predominately one gender over another, then explore it! Don’t let others make you think that you can’t succeed for any reason. Try to find people from all genders within your chosen field who can be your guides, champions and friends. Then dig in and do the work.

What do you think companies could do to motivate more women to pursue careers in technology?

Invest in STEM programs so that younger generations are exposed to and encouraged to pursue careers in the Sciences, Technology, Engineerin