Nouser Spotlight - Kelly Rowe

Meet Kelly Rowe, a Director in Nous Group's Toronto office

Drawing on her public policy experience, Kelly Rowe is a Director in the Toronto office, where she works with our team to grow our presence in the government and public sector. She is also working with a large Canadian university client, supporting it through an exciting multi-year transformation.  

Prior to joining Nous in September 2020, Kelly worked as a public sector management consultant at a large consulting firm, and before that held various roles in the public sector: strategic political advisor, public servant, and academic researcher focused on elections and voter turnout.  

We know that no two days are ever the same, but what might you do on a typical day at Nous?

A typical day at Nous involves at least one project team and client meeting to align on our major activities for the day or week. It also involves dedicating time to business development, which could include reviewing requests for proposals (RFPs), growing internal or external networks, or developing a proposal. 

What three words best describe working at Nous?

Nous is a place where you feel creative, connected and genuine. 

What sets the Nous culture apart from the culture of other organisations?

Nous’ culture is truly unique. There is an emphasis on doing good work that is impactful, being who you are (diversity of backgrounds and mindsets is preferred!), putting your client at the centre, and supporting your colleagues without a hierarchical mindset. Many companies will say this is their culture but in reality it might not be. 

Tell us about the moment you knew you’d made the right decision to join Nous.

I knew I made the right decision once I started to meet colleagues in Canada, the UK and Australia and heard about the amazing and impactful public sector projects those colleagues had worked on. I also realized how down to earth and genuine my colleagues were and I felt accepted right away. 

What part of working at Nous has most surprised you?

Three things (of course, we are consultants after all!) have surprised me: 

1. Transparency: The degree to which the Managing Principal shares information (good and bad) and engages with us is a pleasant surprise.  
2. Working across jurisdictions: We really do work with each other across countries. In Canada, every day we are working with colleagues in the UK and Australia. Many firms don’t do this well. 
3. Balance: Consulting work ebbs and flows, naturally. When it ebbs, you’re not expected to find ways to overextend yourself.  

How does Nous support your career progression?

Nous (refreshingly) enables continuous improvement. I see the mindset of continuous improvement cut across several levels: company, project and individual. At each level, we continuously reflect on how to improve. And we are all expected to grow and learn, which enables better conversations around performance. 

How does your work at Nous deliver positive influence?

My work at Nous is delivering positive influence by solving difficult and long-standing challenges with a large Canadian university. We are working closely with the client to deliver ongoing improvements over three years – and we are already seeing first-hand how welcome the improvements are. When you see the positive results of your work, that’s when it feels truly meaningful. 

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you as a consultant at Nous?

The funniest thing that happened to me at Nous, or perhaps the funniest and most fun experience, was gathering virtually with colleagues for Nous Days (a twice-yearly celebration for the company). One team member led a delightful pizza-making session for the team while in disguise as an over-the-top character he had dreamt up. He had us in stitches.  

Keen to build your career in public policy? To find out more about opportunities at Nous Group visit our careers page.