Driving firm growth through connection

Grace Lee on how to deepen relationships and unlock new commercial opportunities by leveraging community

Nobody understands you quite like your people–but we also grow when we connect with those who are different from us. That’s why AlixPartners invests in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These volunteer-led networks create inclusive spaces where employees from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can come together, build connections, and learn from one another.

Grace Lee, a Partner and Managing Director in Technology, Media & Telecommunications, found her people by joining the firm’s Asian Leadership Insights and Growth Network (ALIGN) ERG. The value of the connections she made there, encouraged her to curate a leadership series of her own that's drawn more than 400 participants nationwide—many of them meeting AlixPartners for the first time. 

Here, Grace shares how these gatherings often turn first introductions into lasting relationships, client conversations and opportunities to expand the firm's presence into new networks.

AlixPartners: You and your team's events have brought together senior leaders from technology giants, private equity firms, and high-growth startups, all in the name of fellowship and networking. Why was it important for you to create this kind of community?

Grace: Once we did the first event, we realized how impactful and powerful it was to reach out to people who didn’t know who AlixPartners was but were willing to join and participate in this cause. The event is a great conversation starter. I can easily reach out to people that I would not have previously. 

These events create a safe space for attendees to connect with each other, share knowledge and build a strong network. We figured out that there’s huge potential for this from a business development perspective, and if that’s the case then we have to use it more proactively.

AlixPartners: What insights have you taken away from these events?

Grace: Two things stand out. First, I have learned that there is a strong demand for connection and understanding of AlixPartners' offerings. These events reveal how many executives are discovering us for the first time, which shows how much room we have to grow our brand with Tier One clients in the TMT sector.

Second, I have also seen how much people value our investment in inclusive leadership and community building. It sends a signal that we are committed to supporting leaders, not just delivering a service. That trust is what keeps them engaged with us long after the event ends.

AlixPartners: From a business development perspective, what has been the most powerful takeaway?

Grace: Our attendees are very much willing to go out on a limb in order to help us. For example, one woman had previously worked at Cisco, a company where we had been trying to build a stronger commercial relationship. After the event, she connected us with a former colleague who is now a senior leader there and personally recommended AlixPartners. That introduction led to a meeting with their leadership team, something we had struggled to secure through traditional outreach.

She told me, “I got so much out of your event, so I'm more than willing and happy to help you. Whoever else that you find within my LinkedIn network, just let me know and I can connect you with that person.”

At these events, we get to see people in a more casual environment and in the process of talking, they naturally talk about some of the pains they’re experiencing on a business front. To the extent that we can solve their business pains, it becomes a lead and a conversation. 

I’ve found that this is a very effective top of the funnel activity. And it is also pretty good at building a “daisy chain” network because if one person does not have a need for consulting right now, they can always introduce us to someone in their network.

AlixPartners: In addition to the leadership series, you recently joined a cross-firm event that featured speakers from AlixPartners, Blackstone, Partners Group and Weil for AAPI Heritage Month. Tell us more about that experience.

Grace: Joining forces with other professional service companies was meaningful in the sense that we could share common experiences, backgrounds, and challenges as people in and allies of the AAPI community, while also learning from our differences and uniqueness.

I shared lessons from my own leadership experience, including moments where I struggled and what helped me overcome those challenges. The themes of identity, resilience, and growth resonated across the group, regardless of where we worked.

AlixPartners: Interesting. How important do you think shared identity is for events like these?

Grace: It's often what gets people in the door. During these events, we have so much conversation going on very naturally and that’s because we all have a shared understanding and common ground. 

With our leadership series, we usually do cold outreach. So not only have attendees never heard of AlixPartners, but they also don’t even, in most cases, know who the host is. The very fact that they still come is a great sign of success and strengthens the idea that shared backgrounds and experiences can lead to meaningful business outcomes. 

AlixPartners: Knowing that, how do you see ERGs, like ALIGN, expanding business development opportunities in this same way?

Grace: These events accomplish several goals at once. They raise brand awareness, deepen relationships, and open doors for business development in a way that feels natural and authentic. We do not lead with a sales pitch. Instead, we focus on empowering leaders, creating community, and building trust. When you put relationships first, commercial can opportunities follow.

Our team has gotten it down to a science. The guest list is curated to spark meaningful dialogue, the seating and format are designed to encourage connection, and even the music and lighting are chosen to create an environment that feels welcoming and reflects the quality of our brand.

For anyone looking to build something similar, the key is to be clear about your purpose and willing to experiment. You rarely get it perfect the first time, but each iteration gets closer to an authentic and effective experience.

AlixPartners: And what happens after the event? How do you keep the momentum going?

Grace: One of the things we’re doing is creating a database of all the people we’ve reached out to, whether they were actually able to come out to the event or not. Since we want to build a genuine relationship with these people, we want to create a virtual community where these hundreds of people we’ve touched upon can directly connect and communicate with each other. 

The one-time event is important, but providing people with an opportunity to stay connected with each other is how relationships grow and can be leveraged for both attendees and the firm.