Noted for her tenure in human resources and expertise in organizational change management, Austin Kirkbride, MA, is currently an esteemed associate partner at DXC Technology Company, a multinational information technology services and consulting company headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia.
With over 30 years of professional experience, Kirkbride’s career includes numerous high-profile roles that have established her as a leader in project management and team leadership. Also adept at stakeholder analysis, Kirkbride carefully manages all change aspects.
Shifts in the Career Path
Kirkbride received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, cum laude, from West Chester University in 1992. She pursued a career in marketing and public relations after graduation. While she spent the first few years of her professional career furthering her skills in these fields, Kirkbride also dedicated much of her time to extensive training and communication efforts, which laid the foundation for her professional development.
Additionally, Kirkbride received a Master of Arts in organizational communications from West Chester University in 1996, as well as several professional credentials, including certification as a project manager through George Washington University and the Project Management Institute, a certified Scrum master from Scrum Alliance Inc. and a certified change management professional through Springboard Consulting LLC.
During her graduate studies at West Chester University, Kirkbride’s interest in the emerging discipline of change management grew. While she had not initially set her sights on becoming a change manager, combining her education and hands-on experience shifted her career down this fulfilling road.
Kirkbride’s extensive professional career includes serving as a project manager for organizational change management at Wyeth, Pfizer Inc., in 2009, the director of education services at I-many Inc., Model N, between 2009 and 2010, a Scrum master and instructional designer at The Vanguard Group Inc. from 2010 to 2012, and a change management lead at CSL from 2012 to 2013.
Among these noteworthy roles, Kirkbride was a manager and specialist master at Deloitte between 2012 and 2016 and a principal at A. Kirkbride Consulting from 2016 to 2017. She was also a senior consultant at Slalom Inc. between 2017 and 2020. Further, she developed her skills as a change manager at SVB Financial Group, First-Citizens Bank and Trust Company, from 2020 to 2021. In 2021, Kirkbride joined DXC Technology Company, initially serving as a principal consultant before advancing to her current role.
Professional and Personal Endeavors
Kirkbride is active in various industry-related organizations. Since 2011, she has been instrumental with the Association of Change Management Professionals, and since 2018, she has been affiliated with McKinsey’s Online Executive Panel.
Honing her public speaking skills, Kirkbride has also presented at multiple global conferences on behalf of the Association of Change Management Professionals.
Kirkbride’s expertise transcends into writing, having served as the technical editor for the Standard of Change Management for the Association of Change Management Professionals, which laid the groundwork for the certified change management professional credential. In 1997, Hysteria Publications released “Body Talk: Life as a Woman,” which Kirkbride co-authored.
Kirkbride’s pursuits include civic engagement, demonstrating her dedication to community service. She is an active volunteer with the Animal Rescue Preserve and Planned Parenthood.
Attributing her success to her strong work ethic, Kirkbride continues to improve herself and dedicates much of her time to achieving her goals. She hopes to continue excelling in her leadership role within change management and envisions herself making a positive impact through her work before she retires.
