PBN Leaders & Achievers 2023
Deborah Faulkner
Faulkner Consulting Group
President
MUCH OF DEBORAH FAULKNER’S LIFE has been about leveraging her skills to help others.
It’s Okay Not to Be Okay: Why We Need to Talk About Maternal Mental Health
Q&A with Megin Dalton, MD, Center for Women’s Health at South County Health Each May,…
Learn More
Her first job out of college was a high-paying consulting gig in Washington, D.C., which, if not fulfilling, at least paid off her student loans.
But consulting turned out to be a great choice. After a stint at a health insurance nonprofit, Faulkner struck out on her own and founded Faulkner Consulting Group. The Barrington-based company provides expertise in health policy, federal and state health program design, and an analytical perspective with an emphasis on data-driven decision-making.
“I never really thought of it as building a business,” she said. “I always thought of it as doing something that needed to be done, [which is] helping Rhode Island do health care better.”
Faulkner’s first job took her around the world and introduced her to the financial analysis that would underpin her career.
One key advantage Faulkner had in those days was her expertise with Microsoft Excel and Word, she said. The now-indispensable programs were relatively unknown among older colleagues.
“I could do fiscal models, financial assessments that most employees couldn’t because they didn’t know how to use computers yet,” she said.
One thing was missing. While she loved the work and the energy surrounding new projects, Faulkner said she didn’t love the topic of financial assessing. She didn’t love “helping big companies make more money,” she said.
Subsequently, Faulkner went back to school and focused on health policy. Faulkner described health policy as an “interesting intersection of business and policy and mission-based work.”
These days, even though it’s expanding to other states, Faulkner Consulting Group sticks to the health policy field. “My team has a passion for health equity, and equity generally,” she said.
Faulkner is quick to emphasize that she couldn’t have done it alone.
“FCG is not just about me,” she said. “I’m very proud of my team. I love having such an empowered group – of women, frankly. I’m proud that we’re a woman-owned business. I never would have predicted that we’d be here.”
