We are dedicated to helping our clients succeed and proud to have received 100% "exceeds expectations" ratings from them.

Testimonials

"While at Genentech, I selected Sides & Associates for two major organizational change projects. Their situation assessments and best practices research helped the executive team to fully understand the root causes and business implications of issues and to chose a path forward. They designed complex solutions for large, matrixed organizations and successfully facilitated the required organizational change. I found them to be highly skilled, intelligent, and easy to work with and have recommended them multiple times since."
- Amy Burroughs Nader, Head of Commercial and Business Development, APT Pharmaceuticals (former Genentech Director)

“This initiative knocked the goals out of the park but also brought the organization together as a cohesive unit which was powerful and will be even more important as we grow. Having S&A’s facilitation of the process was absolutely critical to its success.”
– VP, Large Publicly Traded Company

“XenoPort was experiencing some delays and excessive costs in delivering clinical trial materials to clinical sites at a time of rapid company growth. Sides & Associates worked effectively with a senior cross-functional team, helping us sort through many strong and sometimes conflicting views to streamline critical path activities, establish clear accountabilities, and identify “quick wins” that resulted in an immediate impact on reduced costs and shorter timelines . S&A’s planning, timeliness and follow-through were all outstanding. They did a great job for us and I look forward to working with them again.”
- Dave Sevello, Senior Vice President of Development, XenoPort

“With the help of the S&A team, I have successfully led multiple major organizational change initiatives while continuing to run a large organization. They worked with us to conduct situation assessments, design solutions, and support implementation and continuous improvement efforts. These initiatives accomplished important corporate goals and positioned us well for the growth we have experienced since. They are a pleasure to work with and have regularly exceeded my expectations.”
- VP, publicly Traded Biotech Company

"Our challenge was to set up a corporate IT office to provide governance and coordinate the IT departments of several business units. Over a period of two years, Alejandro played the lead role in helping us define a strategy and a plan to achieve it; he then rolled-up his sleeves to drive the implementation. Alejandro’s ability to conceptualize complex problems, and to work collaboratively with myself and other senior leaders to define practical solutions, was critical to our success. In the end we formed a simple but effective "IT council", improved our project success rates, and realized important reductions in costs. I also developed a close working relationship with Alejandro which has involved many other collaborations."
- John Keast, COO, Vegas.com (former PG&E CIO)

“This organization was my #1 problem a year ago. Now it is not even in the top 50 problems. The changes in this organization have been overwhelmingly dramatic; well beyond what I had imagined was possible.”
– Chief Medical Officer, Publicly Traded Company (comments from post-initiative evaluation interview about initiative led by S&A)

"As we approached the launch of a new fund, Lynley Sides conducted a market assessment and worked with us to formulate a new positioning and communicate it through an integrated marketing plan. We successfully launched Outlook Ventures under a new brand and website which were received very positively, in large part due to the unique combination of experience Lynley brought to the effort – her understanding of the VC market, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and multi-media marketing were a great fit. I found Lynley to be a high quality, exceptionally professional and personable consultant - we subsequently invited her to become a "catalyst" for the firm and have requested her input on numerous occasions since."
- Randy Haykin, Managing Director, Outlook Ventures

“This initiative made clinical science, as a function, mean something.”
– VP, Biotech Company (comment post-organizational excellence initiative led by S&A)

“Sides & Associates first helped us to translate our somewhat unclear objectives into strong, agreed-upon project direction. They then worked with us to identify improvement opportunities in the areas of process, roles, and supporting tools and templates. The program infused new thinking and delivered a scaleable process that will benefit the team and company into the future. They also supported implementation, crafting communications and training to maximize the project’s positive impact. They were an absolute joy to work with.”
- Debbie Ogasawara, Director of Supply, XenoPort

“I normally have a severe negative reaction to team-building exercises but S&A led one that was fun, got people moving, and was appropriate for a group of jaded (at least some of us) senior level scientists. By the end, I was laughing, out of breath, and had truly bonded on another level with some of my colleagues. The off-site was focused, highly interactive, and well worth my time.”
- Director, Clinical Science Organization, Biotech Company

"Recommended to us by our VC, Sigma Partners, Lynley Sides filled the VP, Marketing role for an interim period during which we integrated an acquired company and repositioned our product offering to focus on Fortune 100 customers. Lynley is a top notch consultant whose experience and relationships with vendors and specialists enabled Sides & Associates to plug in and quickly make a positive impact at a critical time."
- George Weidemann, CEO, UMarketing (former CEO, Responsys and Chairman of the Board, Direct Marketing Association)

“This initiative and the associated improvements have had huge value in recruiting through ability to talk about it with candidates.”
– VP, Publicly Traded Company (comment in post-initiative interview)

“The promotions review process and Job Qualifications Matrix were essential nuts and bolts to help us manage growth. But, even more importantly, the process of creating them ensured that all management took ownership of what it means to develop and promote people.”
- VP, Product Development Leadership Team Member

“Through this initiative, this group became so highly functioning that it was no wonder several other functions tried to replicate the process S&A led us through.”
- Medical Director, Publicly Traded Biotech Company

“Lynley led one of the most productive off-sites I have ever participated in. The functional elevator pitches exercise taught us all critical lessons about our colleagues’ functions which has enabled me to work more productively with them since.”
- Senior Director, Product Development, Large Biotech Company