butternut design home page

sample projects

awards and
certifications

partial client list

work experience

education

personal

contact us

Since 1996, Linda Lin has been working as an independent consultant. Linda previously worked for over six years for two of the foremost international strategy consulting firms: Boston Consulting Group and Monitor Company.

As a strategy consultant, Linda had an opportunity to work closely with people in virtually every functional area and rank - including manufacturing, engineering and design, marketing, and sales, from maintenance engineers, line supervisors, and admins, up to Fortune 500 VPs and executives. Her projects were mostly long-term, ranging from 3 months, to 2 years in duration, so she was able to really learn about different industries and different jobs; to see how different people like to work, how they learn.

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP Boston, MA and Chicago, IL, 1993-1995
Consultant

Led joint BCG/client teams to solve strategic problems and implement solutions for Fortune 500 clients. Provided leadership, coaching, research, and analytical tools to client team members. Designed and conducted research and analysis to support recommendations. Presented findings to senior management. Selected projects:

	Product Design Strategy: Recommended changes in design philosophy and tactics by “tearing down” competitive products for a $2 billion consumer electronics firm. Personally commended by the client COO and VP of R&D for identifying $24 million in annual savings on product lines totaling $500 million.
	R&D Strategy: Aligned R&D and marketing priorities for a $4 billion consumer products manufacturer. Assessed the competitor's technical strengths, historical product evolution and determined the company's likelihood of entry into client markets. Recommended R&D initiatives prevented entry by a formidable competitor, and yielded several major, successful new products.
	Strategic Modeling and Forecasting: Developed an industry profitability model for a $400 million global telecommunications manufacturer. Predicted industry evolution led to exit from an unprofitable but well-championed business. Integrated competitor behavior, pricing trends, and internal cost structure to forecast client revenues and profitability.
	Change Management: Change Management: Guided the implementation planning effort for a $4 billion automotive components supplier attempting to reverse decades of market decline. Co-led 8 cross-functional teams comprising 55 managers charged with removing barriers to change during a major, company-wide reorganization. Oversaw deployment of an employee survey and internal focus groups which identified a widespread lack of employee concern or awareness of competitive circumstances. Realigned evaluation and rewards systems, communications, and training programs to initiate the major cultural changes required to enable business process changes.

MICROSOFT CORPORATION Redmond, WA, Summer 1992
Product Manager and Program Manager
Database and Programmability Group

Product Manager and Program Manager, Database and Programmability Group (DPG) Macintosh specialist on the Fox/Access product marketing team.

	Represented Microsoft at several trade shows; demonstrated product features.
	Conducted initial post-acquisition analysis of Fox competitive position. Reviewed competitive products; recommended changes. Developed sales demo to showcase Fox.
	Managed two FoxPro Beta testing programs. Relayed customer feedback to development team.
	Winner, the Microsoft intern T-shirt design contest.

KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Evanston, IL
Lead Consultant

	Hired, trained, and managed staff of over 40 consultants providing help-desk services.
	Evaluated, specified, and supported lab software. Recommended and led implementation of over $200,000 in lab improvements at an institution with minimal prior history of technology spending.

SELF-EMPLOYED Cambridge, MA, 1991
Freelance Graphic Designer/Writer

Established business focusing on computer-based design and desktop publishing for local advertising agencies, businesses and non-profits.

MONITOR COMPANY Cambridge, MA, 1986-1990
Consultant

Promoted from Associate Consultant (January 1988), Summer Associate Consultant (June 1987), and Senior Production/Research Assistant (June 1986).

Worked with joint Monitor/client teams to resolve strategic issues. Selected projects:

	Retail Consolidation: Developed methodology to identify least profitable retail branches for closure for a $10 billion financial services company. Implemented an ongoing weekly scorecard; used performance and manpower data to isolate causes of productivity problems. Isolated best practices to improve profitability of continuing branches.
	Labor Negotiation Strategy: Advised client labor negotiations team and EVP in preparation for a scheduled negotiation at a 1,800-employee insurance company. Increased profitability by $12 million while averting an anticipated strike.
	Market Sizing and Segmentation: Identified and sized market segments to develop a targeted marketing strategy for a $1 billion industrial gases company. Designed and conducted in-depth phone and in-person interviews.
	Cost Reduction: Using activity-based cost analysis, recommended product and customer rationalization for a $280 million automotive components plant. Led seminar on activity-based costing for client management team.
	Business Unit Strategy: Led client teams in implementing an ongoing strategic planning process for three divisions of a $100 million non-profit educational foundation. Established baseline performance measures; identified strengths and weaknesses, market opportunities, and threats from new providers. Developed preliminary action plan.

Internal responsibilities:

	Edited chapters of an internal software reference manual.
	Designed training program and trained both professional and production staff on the UNIX-based Interleaf graphics system. Designed and taught training classes on spreadsheets and analysis tools.