Janice DiPietro ’79 isn’t happy doing a single thing — only several at a time will do.
Any given moment might find her presenting to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, meeting with fellow members of the Bentley Executive Club Board of Directors, and helping to plan her eldest daughter’s wedding. These commitments are on top of her day-to-day role as a managing partner with the consulting practice of Tatum LLC.
“I’m really high energy,” she says. “My husband teases me, ‘If you don’t have 50 things going on simultaneously, you’re not satisfied.’ It’s just part of who I am.”
This passion for tackling many diverse projects is a real plus in DiPietro’s work at Tatum, a professional services firm with offices around the country. Promoted to national managing partner in January, she continues to oversee the firm’s East region and New England practice. The team she works with as national consulting leader focuses on solution development and go-to-market strategy, and is involved in professional recruitment to align to those solutions.
“It’s a wonderfully varied role,” DiPietro says. “It allows me to stay close to our clients, while being involved on a strategic level in the firm’s growth.”
A Great Fit
DiPietro is used to keeping a lot of balls in the air. She started working at age 15, as a high school student in Billerica, Mass. A business career was on her radar even then, and research on several Boston-area schools would lead DiPietro to Bentley.
“When I walked on campus and met the faculty and students, it just seemed to be a great fit,” she remembers. “I have a master’s and a doctoral degree from another university, but the school I feel the deepest attachment to is Bentley. There is such a community for an undergraduate there. And I received a phenomenal, solid business education.”
During her Bentley days, DiPietro worked full time at pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beckham (now GlaxoSmithKline). The company named her an assistant controller even before she received the BS in Accountancy.
Upon graduation, DiPietro joined Ernst & Young. “It was exactly what I wanted to do: begin my career in public accounting with a large firm.”
After nearly seven years, the alumna decided to take her career in a very different direction. Rather than electing partnership at E&Y, she left to start a consulting firm that served middle-market companies, primarily in the business services, technology and life sciences sectors.
The move was worth the risk. After 13 years, DiPietro sold the firm to an international buyer. She went on to hold a number of executive-level roles with various companies, before joining Tatum.
“I love client service and solving business problems,” she says. “Shaping the further development of Tatum’s consulting practice will be a wonderful challenge over the next few years.”
Ready Resources
In building its New England practice, Tatum has found Bentley students to be a valuable resource. DiPietro made sure that her alma mater was on the list of schools to tap when the company launched an internship program.
“We hired our first Bentley intern three years ago and now exclusively hire Bentley students,” she says. “Their knowledge, work ethic and professional demeanor have helped tremendously, and are a testament to the value of a Bentley education.”
On a personal level, DiPietro strives for balance in juggling her work and her role as a wife and mother of four.
“I plan ahead, but not too much,” she says with a smile. “Part of the fun is being flexible and open. I’m enjoying the moment at hand.”