Andrew Servini '96

Andrew Servini ‘96 started his journey at Whitfield school towards the end of his sophomore year when his family was relocated from Milan, Italy to St. Louis. He graduated from Villanova University in 2000 with degrees in Management, International Business, and Italian. Upon graduating from Villanova, Andrew started working for Accenture, a global consulting organization, and has been with them ever since. Over the last 22 years, Andrew spent the majority of his time in Manhattan before deciding to trade in views of skyscrapers and Central Park for the breathtaking mountains and open spaces of Colorado. He and his wife, Amber, have three children, one son (4) and twin girls (2). 

Describe how Whitfield prepared you for college and beyond.

Without a doubt, Whitfield set the foundation that I needed to be successful both in college and in the professional workplace. During my years at Whitfield, I was able to spend a considerable amount of time focusing on both my written and verbal communication skills as well as learning how to build effective teams. Being an effective communicator and knowing how to adjust my style based on my audience is critical when working with executives across many different geographies on a daily basis.  

What are you most thankful for from your Whitfield experience, both in and outside of the classroom?

Overall, I have a lot to be thankful for from my Whitfield experience. Whitfield instilled integrity, stewardship, and leadership values that are still at the core of who I am today.  

Having transitioned from an Italian school system where the curriculum was vastly different (and English was taught as a second language), I couldn’t be more thankful for the one-on-one attention and support I received at Whitfield. It allowed me to focus on the skills that were most critical to my educational growth. The faculty all came together to build a curriculum tailored to my needs, and they always made themselves available both before and after school. If any of my Whitfield faculty are reading this, THANK YOU!!  

Equally as important, however, I am extremely thankful for my close group of friends with whom I still communicate on a daily basis. I distinctly remember the anxiety that came with preparing for my first day at Whitfield, yet within the first fifteen minutes of stepping into the classroom, those fears had completely vanished. The students welcomed me and made me feel as if I had known them for years. They were very eager to teach me how to rapidly assimilate into my new American lifestyle, making my transition exponentially easier and more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined. To this day we still laugh as a group about all the things that we did together. 

What are some of your favorite Whitfield memories?

Aside from the fun moments we had as friends inside and outside the classroom, our morning assembly was definitely one of my favorite memories since it was a time when we all came together as a community. Being together in that setting fostered an environment of inclusiveness, and it gave everyone an opportunity to understand what was happening at Whitfield. 

What skills do you use in your career that you began forming at Whitfield?

Critical thinking and how to be an effective presenter are the top two skills that I began forming while at Whitfield that I use on a daily basis.

I spend a significant amount of time engaging with senior corporate executives. Given that their time is quite limited, it is critical that I communicate in a concise and direct manner so that I can help them make important strategic decisions. In addition, when working on new and innovative projects for my clients, we are occasionally faced with unexpected challenges that, as a result, can delay timelines. The ability to quickly think outside the box and still meet the program’s objectives and timelines is definitely a skill that I started forming while at Whitfield.    

What opportunities did Whitfield provide you that you might not have had elsewhere?

As part of my Senior Capstone Project, I had the privilege to work at a school for children with special learning and developmental needs. Although I was there to help support the teachers, I genuinely believe that I learned more from the students than they did from me. I learned the life lessons of empathy, compassion, and, most importantly, that regardless of our backgrounds, we each have a lot to contribute to society. The experience genuinely changed my outlook on life and how I interact with people on a daily basis.   

Describe your career. 

I am a Managing Director at Accenture, one of the largest global consulting organizations. Over the last 22+ years, I have primarily focused within the Retail industry where I have helped my clients define and implement their strategic roadmaps. Whether it is helping my clients innovate or implement new business processes and technologies, no two days are ever the same. While at first I didn’t think that I was going to stay in this line of business for very long, I quickly found myself working on exciting and unique opportunities that I do not believe I would have had outside of Accenture. I have the privilege of working with teams from all different backgrounds and cultures. Given the global nature of my clients, I find myself traveling quite extensively across all parts of the world. Oddly enough over the years, I have randomly bumped into many of my close Whitfield friends at airports, which is always a pleasant surprise.