Consultant Spotlight: Elaine Needleman
Strategic Program Manager Who Helps Clients and Communities Flourish
Elaine Needleman
Collabry Consultant and Strategic Program Manager
What makes a great consultant? Just ask the Collabry client who described Elaine Needleman like this: “Just wanted to tell you how wonderful Elaine is! I’m sure you already know this, but she is truly a great partner to have…and I’m glad you found her! She’s highly collaborative, thinks strategically, provides a POV, and delivers on important execution.”
Whether she’s analyzing data, spotting trends, or tackling challenges, Elaine brings strategy, structure, and simplicity to high-profile projects. Leadership relies on her when they need someone who can see both the minute details and the big picture. “Executives tap me to break down complex topics into translatable and actionable information, ensuring their projects take off,” said Elaine. “I often speak on their behalf with investors, customers, and leadership teams.”
“Just wanted to tell you how wonderful Elaine is! I’m sure you already know this, but she is truly a great partner to have…and I’m glad you found her!”
Cultivating client advantages
When a major financial institution brought her on to support the four-year integration of their prominent online brokerage, Elaine delivered. Focusing on identifying, prioritizing, and implementing synergy savings across 15 lines of business, as well as working with business leads to identify key dependencies and potential gaps to target, Elaine and her team achieved 101% of the target.
For this same client, she led the strategic response to the DOL Fiduciary Rule. Tracking industry intelligence, she researched competitors’ strategies, evaluated compensation models, determined impacted areas, and developed options for leadership. “Analyzing large amounts of data, spotting trends, and developing implementation strategies are my calling card!” said Elaine. The outcome of her efforts on this project? A successful balance of legal exposure and business objectives plus a competitive advantage.
Growing community awareness
“I’m always up for an adventure,” said Elaine. “Give me something new to learn, see, fix, and do — I’m in!” After she led a seminar on investing for the Professional Women’s Network of Vienna, Elaine was struck by the urgency with which European investors approach climate-related initiatives. It inspired her to pursue executive coursework in sustainable and responsible investing to better determine the significance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues when assessing portfolio risk.
Elaine also helps new Marin Master Gardeners flourish under the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) Cooperative Extension. As a volunteer with the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), she helps preserve farmland, promote biodiversity, and support climate-smart agricultural processes.
“Executives tap me to break down complex topics into translatable and actionable information, ensuring their projects take off.”
Connecting with Collabry
Collabry clients can count on our consultants for everything from high-level strategy to on-the-ground execution. Elaine’s clients call her a “great partner” — and for good reason! If you’re looking for an expert who can simplify complicated projects, collaborate with all stakeholders, and deliver impressive results like Elaine, let’s connect!