Jen Keister is currently helping a US state combat the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate its vaccine rollout. She has also worked across McChrystal teams to support a range of commercial, government, and non-profit clients improve their working rhythms, and developing new approaches to do so.
Education
- B.A. The College of William and Mary
- M.A. University of California, San Diego
- Ph.D. University of California, San Diego
Meet Jennifer
What did you do before joining McChrystal Group?
Prior to McChrystal Group, I worked as a consultant for the World Bank and Catholic Relief Services on development challenges in conflict zones. As a management consultant, I specialized in communications, media, and technology clients, and solving and cross-cutting data analytics challenges. I also served as Research Director for Gartner’s risk management practice. As an academic, my research investigated how rebels structure and implement governance; I spent over 21 months doing fieldwork in conflict-affected areas of the southern Philippines, conducting survey and interview research with rebel groups and civilian populations, and developing quantitative and game-theoretic models of rebel behavior.
I served as a fellow at the Cato Institute, Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the United States Institute for Peace, and the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.
Why did you join McChrystal Group?
McChrystal Group offered an opportunity to leverage an unusually wide range of my experiences and skills, and the latitude to develop and pursue new ideas. I enjoy building things and using as much of my skillset as possible.
What has been your proudest moment at McChrystal Group?
Helping our teams see the opportunities Artificial Intelligence creates for McChrystal Group and the ways in which we can harness it to support our clients.
What sport or hobby do you have outside of work?
I stay busy skiing, scuba diving, traveling, taking up occasional carpentry and electrical projects, and rehabilitating retired racehorses.