New York – September 11, 2026 -- Ankura Consulting Group, LLC has appointed Joanne Taylor as Chief Operating Officer, tasking her with running the firm's global day-to-day operations and building the infrastructure needed to scale efficiently.
Taylor brings 25 years of transformation experience to the role
Taylor has more than 25 years advising boards, private equity sponsors, and executive teams, with expertise in business transformation, operating-model design, and operational excellence. Before joining Ankura, she held senior leadership and general management roles across global consulting, technology, and services organizations, leading enterprise-wide transformations and large-scale operational turnarounds.
Ankura CEO ties the hire to a new growth phase
"Joanne is a proven operational leader with a track record of building the infrastructure and discipline that enable firms to scale," said Kevin Lavin, CEO of Ankura. He said her ability to align the firm's operating model and strengthen enterprise performance will elevate how Ankura runs and delivers for clients as it enters its next phase of growth.
New COO to broaden AI use across operating functions
In her new role, Taylor will work to unify Ankura's businesses, expand AI adoption across operating functions, and enforce consistency across markets and service lines. Taylor said she aims to strengthen how the firm operates, connect its businesses, and build technology- and data-driven corporate services to support disciplined scaling.
Taylor's credentials include industry recognition and elite education
Her leadership was recognized by Consulting Magazine's Women Leaders in Technology, which named her Mentor of the Year. Taylor holds an MBA from Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business and is a graduate of the Harvard Leadership Consortium and the Wharton Executive Education Program.