How is this different from hiring a consulting firm?

A firm sends a team and leaves you a recommendation. Lift 1A sends a senior operator who owns the outcome. There is no associate pyramid to manage, no weekly deck that restates what you already know, and no handoff at the moment the hard part begins. The work is execution, not advice. Decisions get made, the operating model gets built, and the program actually lands.

How is fractional different from a full-time hire?

A full-time search takes months to close, then months more to ramp, and it carries equity and severance long after the work is done. The problem in front of you will not wait that long. Fractional means senior operating leadership in days, sized to what the problem needs, and released once the system runs on its own. You get the seniority of a VP or COO without building a permanent seat for a temporary problem.

Can part-time leadership really own high-stakes work?

The question assumes hours are the constraint. They rarely are. Most stalled programs do not fail for lack of people. They fail because no one owns the critical path, decisions sit unmade, and accountability is split across leaders who each hold one piece. A senior operator concentrating on the few decisions that move the program will outpace a full team working around the absence of an owner. Fractional is not less attention. It is attention aimed at the part that is actually stuck.

What does Lift 1A own, and when is it finished?

Ownership means decision rights, not a dotted line. Lift 1A takes the problem, drives it to a defined outcome, and is accountable for whether it lands. Finished is not a final report. Finished is the integration closed, the operating model running, the program able to sustain itself, and the team able to carry it without the operator in the room. The exit is designed from the first week. The aim is to leave no dependency behind.

When is Lift 1A not the right fit?

When you need a pair of hands rather than an owner, this is the wrong call. Lift 1A is not staff augmentation, not a deck for a decision that has already been made, and not a stand-in for a role that should be filled permanently. The fit is the high-stakes, cross-functional problem that is missing a single clear owner. If the real need is steady-state capacity, a full-time hire or a larger firm is the better answer, and saying so early saves everyone time and money.

Turning complexity into coordinated execution.

Whether it’s an acquisition, a technology transformation, an AI initiative, or a period of rapid growth, success depends on how well people, processes, and priorities come together. Lift 1A helps organizations make that happen.

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Lift 1A Consulting

01/Approach

Complex initiatives require more than expertise. They require coordination and range.

Organizations rarely struggle because they lack smart people or good ideas.

More often, important work stalls because responsibilities span multiple teams, priorities compete for attention, and no single function owns the outcome.

Expertise is essential, but it only takes you so far. The moment the work has to actually run, what matters is range: someone who can see across the entire organization, connect the moving parts, and keep everything aligned as it gets complex.

I’ve spent more than fifteen years helping organizations navigate those moments. From enterprise software implementations and operating model redesigns to post-merger integrations and strategic transformation efforts, my role has been consistent: creating alignment, building momentum, and helping teams execute with confidence.

Problem 01 of 07

Enterprise software implementation

Looks likeInstalling a new system.

Is actuallyExecutive alignmentExecutive alignment, Business process redesign, Decision rights, Data migration and integrity, Integration across systems, Change management, User adoption, Vendor and SI governance.

Where Lift 1A helpsConnecting leadership, business functions, implementation partners, and operating reality so the organization changes alongside the technology.

Problem 02 of 07

Brand and website design

Looks likeRefreshing the website.

Is actuallyBrand strategyBrand strategy, Messaging and positioning, Visual identity, Brand guidelines, Information architecture, Content and copy, Design and build, SEO and launch.

Where Lift 1A helpsAligning brand, message, design, and build across stakeholders and vendors so the site reflects the business and actually ships.

Problem 03 of 07

Post-merger integration

Looks likeCombining two companies.

Is actuallyOrganization designOrganization design, Operating model integration, Systems and data consolidation, Governance and decision rights, Synergy capture, Talent retention, Cultural alignment, Customer continuity.

Where Lift 1A helpsBuilding one coherent business from several, with momentum kept and disruption contained.

Problem 04 of 07

AI transformation

Looks likeDeploying new technology.

Is actuallyUse-case prioritizationUse-case prioritization, Data readiness, Governance and risk, Process redesign, Tooling and model selection, Security and compliance, Adoption and enablement, Cross-functional execution.

Where Lift 1A helpsMoving AI from experiment and executive enthusiasm to practical business outcomes.

Problem 05 of 07

Operating model redesign

Looks likeDrawing a new org chart.

Is actuallyClear accountabilityClear accountability, Decision rights, Roles and spans of control, Leadership cadence, KPIs and incentives, Process and workflow, Resourcing and capacity, Execution discipline.

Where Lift 1A helpsDesigning how the work actually gets done across the organization.

Problem 06 of 07

Growth and transformation programs

Looks likeWriting a strategy.

Is actuallyCross-team executionCross-team execution, Competing priorities, Resource allocation, Commercial and pricing levers, Performance management, Measurable outcomes, Executive reporting, Sustained momentum.

Where Lift 1A helpsTurning strategic ambition into measurable outcomes that hold.

Problem 07 of 07

Founder and executive support

Looks likeMore meetings.

Is actuallyPriorities into executionPriorities into execution, Operating rhythm, Structure and accountability, Board and investor readiness, Hiring and org build, Decision support, Executive communication, Visible progress.

Where Lift 1A helpsDriving the critical initiatives forward while building structure and accountability around them.

01 / 07

02/About

Vashti Chandler, Principal of Lift 1A Consulting — Vashti Chandler · Principal

Meet Vashti Chandler.

For more than fifteen years, I’ve worked alongside executives and leadership teams to help organizations navigate growth, change, and complexity.

My career has spanned consulting, financial services, technology, and private equity-backed businesses, leading initiatives that require coordination across functions, stakeholders, and competing priorities.

I’ve managed enterprise software implementations, post-merger integrations, organizational transformations, operating model redesigns, strategic planning efforts, and large-scale business initiatives where success depended on bringing people, processes, and technology together.

What connects all of that work is a focus on execution. I help organizations move from strategy to action by creating clarity, building alignment, and ensuring important initiatives continue moving forward when the work becomes complex.

Lift 1A is a consulting firm designed to help your business see around corners and implement the changes that are necessary to keep it relevant.

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Independent consulting experience

Operations lead for an institutional private credit fund
Program management support for a Workday implementation
Founder-stage operating support for a hospitality platform venture

Full-time experience

Vice President, Strategy & Operations and Chief of Staff to the CEO, Crisp, a venture-backed AI and data company Post-merger integration, board and investor cadence, and AI-enabled operating systems.
Senior Director, Strategy & Transformation, On Location, a TKO company Enterprise strategy and revenue transformation across a global live-experiences business: Olympics, FIFA, the Super Bowl, the Masters.
Vice President, Client Services & Growth Transformation, Magnit A $100M+ growth program under EQT ownership, run alongside McKinsey.
Senior Technical Program Manager, Red Hat Global Workday rollout to 18,000 employees across 46 countries, on time and on budget. Then finance transformation, including Anaplan and Informatica implementations.
HR Transformation Consultant, Deloitte Workday and Oracle Cloud transformations for Fortune 500 clients in the Human Capital practice.
Solution Consultant, SaaS implementation, Jaggaer Enterprise SaaS implementations for global procurement and supplier management.
Business Analyst & Project Manager, Credit Suisse Enterprise technology delivered across the full software development lifecycle, between the business and engineering.
Chinese Works of Art Department, Sotheby’s An early chapter in the world of fine art.

Credentials

SPHR, Senior Professional in Human Resources
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Double major: B.A. International Studies (Economics) and B.A. East Asian Studies (Chinese), with a minor in Mandarin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

03/Selected Outcomes

Experience measured by outcomes.

18,000

employees across 46 countries onto one global HRIS platform, on time and on budget.

$100M+

growth transformation co-led with McKinsey within a private-equity-backed business.

40+

regional payroll providers consolidated into one unified operating model.

fragmented sales organizations unified into one global sales force on a single system, with revenue operations stood up from nothing.

acquired companies absorbed into one parent, across systems, people, and process, inside six months.

Ground up

institutional fund operations for a startup private-credit fund: banking, treasury, and day-to-day operations.

04/FAQs

What types of organizations do you work with?

I typically work with growing organizations, private equity-backed businesses, leadership teams navigating transformation, and companies undertaking strategic initiatives that require coordination across multiple functions.

What types of projects do you support?

Common engagements include technology implementations, AI initiatives, post-merger integrations, operating model redesigns, executive office support, strategic planning efforts, and large-scale transformation programs.

Do you work as a consultant, fractional leader, or interim executive?

Yes. Depending on the organization’s needs, engagements may range from advisory support and project-based consulting to fractional leadership and interim executive roles.

How do you typically engage with clients?

Every engagement is different. Some organizations need strategic guidance, while others need hands-on leadership to drive execution. Most clients engage me because they need both.

05/Contact

Let’s move important work forward.

If your organization is navigating growth, transformation, or a complex initiative that requires alignment across teams, I’d love to learn more.

Schedule a conversation

info@lift1aconsulting.com Lift 1A Consulting

Turning complexity into coordinated execution.

Complex initiatives require more than expertise. They require coordination and range.

Enterprise software implementation

Brand and website design

Post-merger integration

AI transformation

Operating model redesign

Growth and transformation programs

Founder and executive support

About Vashti Chandler

Experience measured by outcomes.

Frequently asked questions

Let’s move important work forward.