As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it’s a privilege to highlight the journey of Christy Fultz, Deputy Director at Ardent. With a career spanning across diverse industries, Christy’s story is a testament to her relentless pursuit of excellence in the technology and consulting sectors.

The Journey: Could you share with us your journey in the technology/consulting industry? What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

“My journey has been awesome,” says Christy. “I studied event management in undergrad, and I worked for a large arena in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area after I graduated. I absolutely enjoyed bringing together all the moving pieces that it took to make the customer happy.” This passion led her to her next opportunity with AT&T, where she sold websites and various technology to small businesses, saying “It was there that I was formally introduced to the world of technology.”

“After AT&T, I worked for Coca-Cola for over six years where we implemented a new software for logistics across all of North America,” Christy reflects. “This experience pushed me towards project management and motivated me to get my PMP so I could impact software development.” She then moved on to Verizon where she learned about agile, lean six sigma, and software development.

However, it was her move to Ardent that marked the beginning of her technology consulting journey. “I have learned so much from my time at Ardent and truly appreciate all my mentors that have paved the way on my journey.” Since she started working at Ardent, she received her Master’s in Cybersecurity and even worked on one of Ardent’s largest contracts where she had the opportunity to manage all aspects of software development.

Making an Impact: Can you share a project or initiative you have been involved with at Ardent that you feel had a significant impact on the organization or customers and the role you played?

As the Deputy Director at Ardent, Christy has had the opportunity to work on “one of Ardent’s largest and most technologically diverse projects for the past two and a half years.” This contract helped expand Ardent’s capabilities in DevSecOps, Zero Trust, Testing, and Governance, ensuring excellence in customer delivery. “My role as the Deputy Director is to ensure that all of our work is exceeding the expectations of our customer, which so far has proved through our scorecards that we are continuously improving and gaining high marks from the government,” she emphasizes.

Overcoming Challenges: Throughout your career in technology or consulting, what challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, Christy says that staying updated is the most significant challenge. “The most challenging thing to me is keeping up with emerging technology,” she says. “Everything changes so fast, and artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic process automation have really changed the landscape in the past few years.” Despite this, she remains undeterred, actively pursuing certifications and participating in technology groups. “This will never not be a challenge; I am motivated by learning new technology,” she affirms.

Words of Wisdom: Reflecting on your career journey, what advice would you give to those just starting their careers in the technology or consulting sectors? Is there anything you wish you had known earlier in your career?

Reflecting on her career, Christy offers invaluable advice to aspiring professionals in the technology and consulting sectors. “I would advise anyone starting out to find the niche in tech that inspires them to want to continuously learn,” she advises. She underscores the importance of hands-on experience, acknowledging, “I wish I had been more hands-on earlier in my career so I could have been a better technical leader.” Despite this, though, Christy affirms that “experience is golden, so I have no regrets in my journey!”

Starting from event management, then to steering major projects at Ardent, Christy’s professional background reflects a commitment to ongoing learning and adaptation. Her story not only enriches our celebration of Women’s History Month, but also serves as an inspirational guide for those looking to explore tech, project management, and consulting.