A Celebration of Nancy Lee's Life

(193? to 2021)

What was unique about Nancy Lee - working directly with Elliott on major projects, Elliott's close editorial advice and review of her books, one of the longest and most comprehensive RO interventions with Novus International

Her contribution to the GO Society -

Founding member of the Society. Nancy encouraged and advised the Society President over the years.
Served on the Board with an ongoing focus on professional development of RO practitioners
Participated in the effort to have Society members translate her book in Spanish and Portuguese. This book was distributed freely in South America through the efforts of Society members.
Active participant in every Society conference, making presentations and holding staffing clinics each time.
Brought numerous clients to six conferences and encouraged presentations with their experiences using RO in their organizations
Encouraged and mentored a long -term client in bringing customers and supplier to the 2009 Buenos Aires conference.
Gave away her 2^nd edition book to any Society affiliate requesting a copy
Donated eighteen boxes of RO consulting materials to the Society upon her retirement. These materials include work directly with Dr. Jaques and have become the foundation of the Legacy Time Capsule dedicated to keeping RO available to future generations
Remained active in her consulting work until the end. Guiding organizations in the practices of fully integrated RO-based management systems.

Nancy Lee's Memorial Service - youtube link

Eulogies and memories by RO practitioners

Sandi Cardillo
Mark Van Clieaf
Ken Shepard
Thad Simons

Teacher, Mentor, Wise Counsel, Writer - A personal statement by Sandi Cardillo

Following the loss of our dear Nancy in June 2021, I was asked to pay tribute to her amazing life at the service held in her memory. As one of Nancy’s many mentees, I was honored to be asked to try and make meaning of the contributions of someone who did so much for so many. Ken has continued to prod me as I’ve struggled with the grief of losing a mentor and a friend, but the time has emerged to celebrate Nancy and all she meant to the GO Society and the field of requisite organization design and management.

Nancy was the consummate teacher. The wise sage among us; always seeking to pass on her experience in a gracious, yet professional manner. From her earliest days at Cornell University, Nancy prepared herself as an educator and applied scientist. She was about “making sense of it all” and passing on what she could to those willing to listen. She was deeply committed to a key tenet of RO in making workplaces healthy for humans. She connected deeply to those less fortunate and spent a lifetime quietly supporting women seeking to better their lives.

Nancy’s answer on “Why RO?” was always followed with the story of the first time she heard Elliot speak at a management conference. She would say to whomever was asking the question “it is the only thing that ever made any sense to me in teaching management courses”. She was grateful for her many years of working side by side with Elliot Jaques in research, listening, writing, teaching and building the curriculum for many a Requisite Organization workshop. Out of that work came The Practice of Managerial Leadership with the goal of creating a simplified, easier to grasp book on the deep and innovative principles of Requisite Organization.

As Fred (Mackenzie) and I thought how best to honor Nancy’s memory, we decided to return to her roots in education and support for women navigating the challenges of career and family. As many of us know, Nancy quietly and effectively mentored many of us on our journey. Her quiet, yet strong and well-placed words of wisdom are what we will always cherish about Nancy.

A scholarship has been established in Nancy’s name at The Women’s Resource Center of Sarasota, Florida. Should you feel moved to make a contribution in Nancy’s name, please use the following contact information:

Women’s Resource Center
ATTN: The Nancy Marion Lee Scholarship Fund
340 Tuttle Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34237

Any questions should be directed to:
Anne Carter
Development and Communications Manager
[email protected]
(941)256-9721

With a grateful and grieving heart,

Sandi Cardillo

Biographical sketch

Nancy Lee was president of Requisite Organization Associates, Inc, and Lee Cornell Associates, firms specializing in helping organizations understand and utilize effective structure, staffing and managerial practices. She had extensive experience as a corporate manager and as a consultant to senior management in the areas of organization design, human resource development, succession management, management education, marketing and information technology.

Clients with whom Ms. Lee has worked include: Aer Lingus, Amdahl, Australian Health Systems International, the Royal Bank of Canada, Bechtel, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank, Digital Equipment Corporation, the First National of Nebraska, Inc., Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, HDM, Inc., Hoffmann-La Roche, IBM, IATA, the International Center for Information Technology, the IRS, Kellogg's, MCI, Massachusetts Medical Society, Metropolitan Life, Norsk Hydro, Novus International, Ontario Hydro, Scudder Stevens, Tandem, TWA and the U.S. Treasury.

Ms. Lee began her career in the Human Resources Department of General Electric Corporation's Advanced Electronics Center. She next spent five years working in HR, Training, Advertising and Public Relations at Macy's New York and then became Marketing Manager for Wedgwood, the English china manufacturer. Ms. Lee managed a firm consulting in information technology for ten years and founded her own companies specializing in requisite organization consulting in 1993.

Nancy Lee has been a speaker at major conventions such as the American Bar Association, American Institute of Banking, and the American Management Association addressing issues of organization structure and management practice. She has taught management courses throughout the U.S., the U.K. and Australia and at Simmons College in Boston and the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington in Seattle. She has been a resource participant at the Aspen Institute and a trustee of Russell Sage College.

Ms. Lee is listed in Who's Who in Finance and Industry, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World.

Career support for women

1981 - Book - Targeting the Top, Doubleday and Ballantine Books

RO full implementation - case description

Management development for managers