The dream of Meraki International was born on a flight from Malaysia over 18 years ago.  Louis Huston and Christy Dillard were returning home following two long weeks of business travel.  We were leading a global project where we were consolidating and offshoring the Shell call center.  One of our Shell colleagues had just announced his retirement at the ripe age of 52.  Yes 52!  We were only a few years into our Shell careers. We talked about “what’s next” for us after Shell.  What’s our 2.0?  We often marveled at the amount of talent inside Shell.  Most were “Shell babies” who had never worked anywhere outside of Shell and were recruited straight out of University.  Louis and I both were “experienced hires” and had lived life outside of the Shell walls.  We knew we had a good gig.  We knew we were working with some of the top talent in the entire world.  We also were struck by how hard Shell people worked.  Most worked 12 hour days as a normal day.  Major projects found people work 70+ hours per week, often traveling around the globe multiple times per year. 

We also had the opportunity of working with many big external consultant firms.  They showed up on every big project.  These were the big guys, the Accentures, IBMs, etc.  They also had really bright people who started the work but then back filled with young, inexperienced talent as the work started.  They brought good ideas but never did the hard work.  Never implemented.  We also found that very few had any true business experience outside of the consulting world, even the most senior partners.  They were lifetime consultants, advisors but rarely did they implement.  

It was through these observations that Louis and I decided our 2.0 after Shell would be to start a consulting firm.  Our talent pool would be young Shell retirees who still have a lot to offer.  These folks would be some of the top leaders in this Fortune 50 company.  They would have sat behind the desk with their cheeks in the seats.  They would have built the change plans and project plans themselves. Hands on. They would have done the implementation.  Themselves.  People in Shell often forgot how big Shell is compared to the rest of the businesses in the world.  Working on what we deemed a normal project might mean you’re creating the world’s largest Trading & Supply organization.  

The projects we were doing were life changing for at least 150k people located in 72 countries.  We saw our firm working with small to medium sized businesses in all industries, not just big oil.  We would have professional associates from the field of HR, Finance, Upstream, Downstream, IT.  These people would have the best of the best change leadership skills, be the best communicators, be certified project managers, be coaches.  Our consulting firm would manage change projects from soup to nuts.  We would not only build the plans, we would also implement them.  We also were stunned by the rates Shell was paying for these external consultants.  Insane prices.  Even for big oil.  Our consulting firm would have reasonable rates for some of the top talent around the globe.  Our approach would be a win-win for the clients and the young Shell retirees.  Our clients would benefit from the reasonable rates for top talent.  Our associates would benefit from drawing lucrative Shell retirement payments while still doing meaningful work and making a difference.  Our rates could be kept reasonable because our associates are not looking to make millions.  They did not want to have a big impact on their taxes.  They want to continue to work hard and know they are making a difference.  A win-win for everyone!  

One of my last assignments in Shell before retirement found me working once again after many years with my old friend Louis Huston.  We revisited our plan and since he was retiring in October 2017 and Christy was retiring in June 2019, the timing was right.  Now we need to make it a reality.  

We started our quest to find the perfect name.  It had to be unique and meaningful.  After many idea exchanges and researching we found the perfect name.  Meraki. It is defined as a Greek action verb which is when someone puts their heart and soul into the work they do.  What better tribute to our future associates.  They had left a piece of themselves in every assignment, every project.  We knew our consulting firm had to be Meraki International.  We would bring world class talent to the small and medium size businesses in many industries.  We would deliver individualized, customized solutions.  No smoke and mirrors.  No throw down recommendations or plans to be used over and over with each client.  Our solutions would be tailored to our clients needs.  Their needs.  We would listen.  We would work hard.  We would stay through implementation.  We would make a difference.  Everyday.  

Where we are today

So today, Meraki International is a two year old “boutique style” consulting firm committed to helping companies facing changing business environments with increased globalization and technology. In other words, we invest our heart and soul into helping clients identify, design, and implement solutions from beginning to end. We hold so steadfast to this mission that it is rooted in the name of our company. 

The name “Meraki” is a Greek word and adverb that means putting your soul, creativity, and passion into your work, or leaving a part of yourself in your work. We focus on building change resilience in leaders with the intent to improve profits and increase Business Value.