This blog is part of our on-going Women in Technology series. 
Beth Aneshansley-Leier is a Director of Project Management for the APAC and UK teams, as well as having several years working with the U.S. Project Management team. Beth has been with Consilio for 7 years and has 19 years of experience in the field of eDiscovery. Beth earned her Bachelor of the Arts in both Anthropology and Religious Studies. After graduating from college, Beth considered law school and wanted to get a feel for working at a law firm. To explore the field, she landed a job with a law firm’s litigation support department, making her entrance into the world of eDiscovery.
Are there any pivotal moments in your career that helped to get you to where you are today?
Instead of a single pivotal moment, I would say that I am where I am today due to a collection of guidance I’ve been fortunate to receive from colleagues of all levels. When you show that you are interested in learning and understanding an industry, role, or challenge, others recognize that fact and respond well by sharing their skills and experience, which helps you grow. I have worked with many tremendously talented and dedicated individuals over the years, several of whom I’ve worked with for well over 10 years. Learning from colleagues has made such a difference in my career. I’m very grateful and try to pay that forward when working with and coaching others.
What has been your experience with mentors during your career?
I have had a number of fantastic mentors throughout my career – some of whom were managers, while others were colleagues with more experience than I had at the time. As I said, when you show that you’re open to learning and growth, people see this and are often very happy to help guide and share their knowledge. Everyone, especially women, should feel empowered to reach out and have direct conversations about how they want to develop their skills and careers, and they’ll often find that people do want to provide opportunities to achieve those goals.
What is something that you are particularly proud of accomplishing during your career?
The thing I am most proud of having accomplished is the respect of my colleagues. We are in such a relationship-driven business, and I’ve always seen the benefit of fostering strong internal team relationships along with strong relationships with clients and counsel. We are all heading in the same direction in terms of the services we deliver to our clients, but the quality of those interactions really affects the overall experience for all concerned. Luckily, I work with great people, and I think most think the same of me. I’m quite proud of that.
What is your advice to other women working in the eDiscovery field?
Whether formal or informal, it is important to find mentors. For women, it can be extremely helpful to seek out a woman as a mentor, if possible, in order to get the unique insights and experiences of someone who truly knows what it is like to be a woman developing a career in our industry.
Also, I recommend keeping a growth mindset. No matter how much experience someone has in this industry, no one person knows it all and we are all constantly learning eDiscovery is a dynamic and ever-changing landscape and that won’t change anytime soon.
Finally, be open to communication and work hard to make your communication style effective. I’m a project manager and communicating is what I do all day every day, so I’ve had a lot of opportunity to recognize its importance. Communication is key to productive and smooth interactions with clients, counsel, and colleagues- we all always have room to keep developing these skills.
What do you think that companies could do to motivate more women to pursue careers in technology?
Consilio has put in place some measures which I think demonstrate a company that truly cares about gender and real equality in the workplace, including our various focus groups, company policy, and the employee survey. Generally speaking, employers should actively look for ways to be inclusive and supportive of staff, and when a staff member raises a concern, employers need to ensure those concerns are taken seriously. Companies should also regularly reflect on company policies to help create a healthy, functioning workplace reflecting feedback from staff, particularly women on staff, about how the company can improve.
When you’re not working, how do you spend your free time?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, watching movies, doing puzzles, and making things, including knitting, spinning yarn, and baking. I also like spending time with my cat- he’s pretty great.