Name: Anne Leifer
Title: Senior Project Manager
Company/firm: GEI Consultants, Inc.
Years with company/firm: 27; Years in field: 29; Years in real estate industry: 23
Address: 400 Unicorn Park Drive, Woburn, MA 01801
Telephone: 781-721-4066
Email: [email protected]
URL: www.geiconsultants.com
Responsibilities include:
Project management and technical consulting for property transactions, construction, and environmental investigation/remediation projects

Who has been the strongest influence on your career and why?
I've had lots of different mentors throughout my career. The most influential ones have probably been two of the founding principals of GEI. They were smart, demanding, and determined to teach their employees the right way to do things. The right way was, of course, their way. They were also quick to give credit to the project staff and include them in all of the aspects of the project, not just the menial work. I learned an enormous amount from them, from technical lessons to more intangible things such as always remembering the client's objectives.
What advise would you give to a woman just starting a career in your field?
Be flexible. Always be willing to learn new things. Don't turn down opportunities because you never know where they will lead. Following a straight line is not always the best career path. You can pick up all sorts of useful experience and contacts while you follow a more crooked path. For example, I started at GEI in the geotechnical division, even though I'm a geologist, and later switched to environmental work. Things I learned in my geotechnical work come in handy all the time.
Anne Leifer is project manager at GEI Consultants, Inc., Woburn, Mass.