We combine the best of the museum and consulting industries.
Andrew Simnick, Ph.D. - Founder
Andrew created Operationally to help cultural organizations understand, improve, and transform their operations, a critical yet oft-overlooked component of mission delivery. He believes cultural organizations build community, tell stories, and define cities, and the best way to protect them for future generations is to improve operational and financial sustainability today.
Andrew brings deep experience from both the cultural and consulting sectors, most recently as the senior operations and finance executive for the Art Institute of Chicago. Andrew has seen firsthand, both as a museum executive and as a McKinsey manager, the significant value that operational improvement can bring to all types of companies independent of tax status.
His unique approach combines elements of engineering, consulting, operational management, and executive leadership to quickly learn, understand, and find practical solutions for cultural organizations in a mission-aligned way.
Museum Experience
Andrew worked with the Art Institute of Chicago for seven years across several roles, most recently as its Senior Vice President for Finance, Strategy, and Operations. Named to the Crain’s Chicago Business 40 under 40, he pursued initiatives on organizational transformation, financial sustainability, complexity reduction, and applied data and analytics. Highlights include operational transformation and organizational redesign of legacy functions, creation of multiple strategic plans, financial improvement via revenue growth and cost reduction, and understanding attendance and audiences via predictive modeling.
Consulting Experience
Andrew worked with McKinsey & Company for four years, most recently as an engagement manager focused on advising on strategy and operations topics. He worked across a wide range of non-profit and for-profit clients, including heath care providers, pharmaceutical companies, global distributors, civic organizations, and museums. Highlights include engagements focused on corporate strategy, pre/post merger integration, sales optimization, supply chain management, organizational design, staff development and training, and recruiting non-traditional talent.