Most 5-year-olds aren't known for their problem-solving skills. Karen Hamilton was. She coveted a canopy bed her neighbors were selling, but her parents resisted on the grounds that her bedroom was too small. So the little girl used newspapers to measure the bed, then plotted out the space in her room to prove it would fit.

"I don't give up; I don't let go; and I work until I figure out an answer," says Hamilton, who today is the business development director for the Lante Corporation.

Interviewed on "Information Technology Leaders," Hamilton describes how not taking no for an answer can be a career asset -- if you have the self-confidence and talent to prove "there's always a way." It's what got her into the business world, and it has proved to be her most valued skill in the competitive realm of consulting.

"Information Technology Leaders," produced by the University of Washington’s School of Business, presents multi-faceted portraits of the people filling the top IT positions at major corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing, and AT&T Wireless Services. The revealing interviews show that personal characteristics often play an important role in the unpredictable career trajectories of this industry.

Hamilton said her ability to manage change and help clients feel comfortable comes from her nomadic upbringing. Her father's job with the government relocated the family every few years, and Hamilton loved it and allowed it to form her outgoing, adaptable personality. In college at Virginia Commonwealth University, she majored in psychology, intending to become a social worker serving abused children. But when she got her first taste of the work while still a student, she realized she wasn't emotionally built for it.

The change in plans didn't hamper Hamilton for long. She called her brother, who worked for IBM, hoping he could help her land a job there. The only position available to a recent college grad was secretary. Reluctantly, Hamilton interviewed, but before she accepted the job she worked out an agreement with her boss. "I'll be the best secretary you've ever had for six months," she promised, asking him to help her transfer to professional services in return. She even got it all on paper.

That deal kicked off her ascent at IBM, where she eventually became the first female project executive. Hamilton took advantage of company training classes to catch up on business and technology, but she found she was naturally good at working with clients. Among her accomplishments was turning around a souring relationship with Washington Mutual, which later resulted in a $540 million contract.

But even a rising young star has hiccups along the way. Hamilton winces at the memory of making a $10 million mistake with Washington Mutual. She remembers calling her father for comfort before she had to face the music, and he told her about a $500 million error he'd made, something he had to appear before Congress to fix. "If I can do that," he told her, "you can do this."

After 10 years with IBM, Hamilton was ready for a change. She wanted to work at a smaller company where she could have a greater personal impact. "IBM was a "good-old-boys" network, and I was a woman who went up the ranks quickly, and I was fairly young when I got there," she explains. "I was typically the only woman in a roomful of 20 executive IBM men. My voice was very small. I wanted to work for a company where I had a stronger voice."

Hamilton found the right fit at MCI Systemhouse, which was looking to grow the Northwest office. In a quick two and a half years, she did just that, transforming the team of 12 people with one core account to more than 70 people with eight major accounts. Hamilton left when EDS acquired Systemhouse -- she didn't want to rejoin a big company.

Providentially, Lante came calling. At the time, the corporation had shifted focus to e-business, working with start-up dot-coms as well as Fortune 2,000 companies. Starting as principal, she was promoted to director of the Northwest region, and recently she became west region managing director. She likes running one of Lante's three regions, quipping, "You can be the sideline ref or the sideline quarterback, or you can get in the game -- I'd much rather get in the game."

Hamilton's foray into the brave new world of e-business has had its challenges. Many of her clients get caught up in the hype, and she has to ground them in the reality of operational issues, which are often more difficult than with a traditional business channel. Since the economic downturn, the company has endured two rounds of layoffs. Lante also went public in 2000, which raised $100 million in cash but has opened them to a greater level of scrutiny and higher expectations from Wall Street, shareholders, and their board in addition to their clients and employees.

But Hamilton is proud of her work with Lante, especially recently winning the business of the largest foundation in the world. "To work for a company that is all about making the world a better place is really different," she says. "Most of the time you work for a company that's all about making money."

Believing that "having a balance in your life is number one," Hamilton tries to keep work from overtaking her home life with her husband and 14-year-old daughter. She has been able to manage the travel demands of her role by being on the road just two days every other week.

Meanwhile, Hamilton is committed to Lante's journey in the burgeoning business and technology sector—a journey that dovetails with her own. "I joined Lante to make a difference, and we're not done," she says. "So I'm not done. I'm here for awhile."

Produced By: Christopher Redner

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