When Sandra Forero stepped into the role of chief operating officer at ZS in 2021, she achieved a milestone that is increasingly rare in the modern corporate landscape: she reached the top executive tier of a major global enterprise without ever leaving the company where she first started her career. Forero’s journey with ZS, a prominent global management consulting and technology firm, spans nearly twenty-five years. Her institutional longevity is not merely a reflection of a supportive corporate culture, but rather a testament to the kind of intentional, empathetic culture-building that has defined her tenure and earned her recognition as one of Consulting Magazine’s "Top 25 Consultants."
Yet, Forero’s path to the upper echelons of the corporate world began thousands of miles away under vastly different circumstances. She still vividly recalls the profound transition of moving to the United States from Colombia as a newly married immigrant with virtually no financial resources and a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Faced with daunting uncertainty, she realized quickly that she had no choice but to rely on relentless hard work, rigorous self-discipline, and meticulous time management. In an environment where there was zero margin for procrastination or postponing critical tasks, Forero forged the resilience that would later define her professional identity. Rather than allowing those early hardships and pressures to harden her emotionally, those formative experiences cultivated her into a deeply capable, grounded, and empathetic leader who understands the human realities behind professional challenges.
That blend of empathy, operational rigor, and strategic vision was put to the test roughly a dozen years ago during a massive, high-stakes client engagement. Forero was tapped to lead a monumental transformation initiative for a major client that was evolving into a global analytics and technology shared services organization while simultaneously migrating its core operations to an advanced cloud-based technology infrastructure. Looking back, Forero recalls feeling privileged to steer such a complex and ambitious undertaking.
The project was far from easy, and the team navigated numerous hurdles along the way, but the initiative ultimately laid a strong foundation for Forero to forge enduring client relationships across a wide array of organizational functions. More importantly, it allowed her team to deliver transformative, measurable impact for the client. The initiative stands out as one of the earliest global implementations of its kind executed by ZS. It also served as a vital collaborative platform, bringing together diverse ZS subject-matter experts who had to pool their collective expertise to guarantee the program’s success. The demanding experience acted as a launching pad for the careers of many talented professionals within the firm while cementing real, lasting value for the client organization.
Stepping into the chief operating officer role gave Forero the expansive opportunity to channel those same transformative strategies inward, focusing on the continuous evolution of ZS to ensure the global management consulting and technology firm remains at the forefront of industry innovation. Her driving motivation remains deeply rooted in making a tangible difference in how people live and work. While acknowledging that the concept of improving life holds different meanings for different individuals, Forero maintains that this overarching vision provides her with absolute clarity of purpose within the firm. Her primary objective is consistently centered on delivering optimal impact for clients and helping them untangle their most difficult problems, operating under the philosophy that if client success is always the top priority, every other business metric and milestone will naturally follow.
This deep-seated passion for impact extends just as powerfully to the internal community at ZS. As the organization experienced rapid growth, Forero and several of her colleagues recognized a looming challenge: the unique, collaborative culture that formed the bedrock of ZS’s success was at risk of diluting or failing to translate effectively at such an accelerated pace. To safeguard the firm’s core identity, Forero proposed the creation of a dedicated worldwide team tasked with defining, nurturing, and actively broadcasting the cultural tenets that built ZS into the powerhouse it is today. This proposal led to the foundation of the firm’s People and Culture Team. Although the core concept mirrors the vision first established by ZS’s founders four decades prior, Forero and her team modernized and re-engineered the framework with an intentional focus on evolving the specific cultural elements that set the firm apart.
The resilience and strength of this shared culture were vividly demonstrated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the global health crisis devastated communities around the world, particularly in India where medical supplies fell drastically short of unprecedented demand, ZS mobilized its global network and resources. Leveraging international partnerships, the firm successfully located and secured critical supplies, including oxygen and ventilators, for ZS team members and their families facing dire circumstances.
Reflecting on that critical period, Forero highlights India as the most significant focal point of their relief efforts, though the overarching strategy prioritized the safety and wellbeing of ZS personnel across the globe. She expresses immense pride in having been an integral part of a leadership team capable of responding to a historic humanitarian crisis with profound empathy and decisive action, providing essential support to their workforce during an exceptionally difficult chapter.
Forero’s dedication to cultivating an equitable and supportive workplace is further underscored by her role as a founding member and former chair of the ZS Inclusion and Belonging Council. This critical governing body collaborates directly with the Shareholders’ Council, which functions as ZS’s board of directors, to foster an inclusive, high-performing environment across the firm. The Council represents another defining milestone in Forero’s tenure, advancing targeted policies and strategic initiatives designed to champion fairness, broaden professional opportunities, strengthen representation throughout the ranks, and build a deeply engaged, empowered workforce.
Prior to establishing the Council, the founding team conducted comprehensive external benchmarking alongside rigorous internal analyses to pinpoint specific areas where ZS could elevate its diversity and inclusion practices. They formulated a robust set of strategic recommendations and successfully elevated the initiative’s governance by establishing a direct reporting line to the firm’s board of directors. The Council continues to operate as a vital institution within ZS today, ensuring that as the firm diversifies its service offerings and expands its market footprint, the organization accurately reflects the diverse array of skills, backgrounds, and experiences demanded by the modern business landscape.
Forero’s commitment to leadership and equity extends well beyond the corporate boundaries of ZS. She lends her expertise to the wider professional community by serving on the Global Board of Directors for the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, where she currently holds the responsibilities of secretary and treasurer. Whether identifying a structural gap within her own firm or contributing to industry-wide initiatives, Forero operates with a clear, direct philosophy: when she identifies an unmet need, she steps forward to address it. As she explains, it is simply a reflection of who she is and how she approaches her life and career.
Embracing authenticity is central to her leadership style. Forero makes a deliberate effort to remain grounded, acknowledging her mistakes openly, embracing vulnerability, and resisting the urge to project an omniscient persona. She places immense value on investing in others, noting that building strong, capable teams not only drives organizational success but provides profound personal fulfillment as one watches colleagues grow and thrive. Collaboration remains a cornerstone of her daily routine, as she firmly believes that delivering the absolute best of ZS to clients is achievable only through true teamwork. Throughout her decades at the firm, ZS has consistently provided her with the platform to collaborate, lead, and remain entirely authentic, which she credits as the primary reason for her lifelong professional home.
Outside of the corporate sphere, Forero’s life is anchored by a deep devotion to her family. What began decades ago as a young marriage in Colombia has blossomed into an enduring partnership with her husband, Mauricio, whom she regards as her best friend. She speaks with immense pride about her daughter and son, playfully describing them as "Version 2.0"—improved, modern iterations of herself and her husband. Furthermore, she maintains a daily connection with her siblings back in Colombia, who remain a constant source of joy and grounding in her life. Whether she is orchestrating massive digital transformations for global clients, steering operational strategy at ZS, or nurturing the personal and professional growth of those around her, Sandra Forero continues to demonstrate a rare ability to bring the right people together to achieve greatness, both on and off the clock.
