Org Design in Practice
From Startup to System:
How a New State Program Built for Continuous Evolution
Rachael McCombs – CO FAMLI + Sara Watson – Accenture
How do you build systems capable of adapting as they operate? Discover how Accenture and Colorado’s FAMLI Division turned start-up chaos into continuous evolution, designing an adaptive operating model that kept strategy, structure, and culture in dynamic alignment.
In this engaging session, participants will explore:
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- How Colorado’s FAMLI Division moved from start-up intensity to sustained, high-performing operations while serving every worker and employer in the state
- What it looks like to intentionally design for continuous evolution rather than a one-time “future state”
- How to create a living operating model that connects strategy, structure, governance, culture, and communication
- How decision rights and ways of working were designed to support stability and agility as the organization matured
- How to move beyond reorgs and redesign cycles
- Practical frameworks, mindsets, and design tools participants can apply immediately to organizations transforming while their work continues
Rachael McCombs has served as Operational and Shared Services Director for the Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division since the program launched in 2023. She uses over 20 years of experience leading teams across business process improvement, customer relations, and communications strategy to guide FAMLI’s key operations through rapid growth and continuous improvement.
Rachael is a graduate of The Women’s College at University of Denver and a crucial member of FAMLI’s leadership team. Prior to FAMLI, Rachael contributed to nation-wide conversations about operations and technology. She remains a sought-after speaker in fields spanning customer success and revenue operations.
Sara Watson partners with executives to reimagine their organizations to solve their most pressing business imperatives. Common challenges to solve for include: spurring growth and innovation, reducing complexity and cost, integrating acquisitions, achieving enterprise agility at scale, gaining the benefits of a digital transformation, and delivering on sustainability commitments. Using a collaborative and inclusive approach, Sara helps executive teams design the operating models and organization conditions that bring enterprise strategies to life.
Sara has a strong track record of going from strategy design to benefit realization, and is especially skilled at bringing people together around a common cause, crafting holistic and pragmatic solutions, and implementing change programs to achieve sustainable results.