Carolyn (McDonald) Nichols, Msc, PMP, PROSCI
Principal, Solve Consulting
Carolyn runs Solve’s Project Execution and Business Analysis service lines
Project Execution: Turn your strategic plan into delivered results
Solve helps organizations move from intent to impact. Our project consultants lead execution with clarity, discipline, and credibility, ensuring projects stay aligned, resourced, and on track. We apply Solve’s structured delivery approach or integrate with your existing frameworks to support delivery from initiation through to close-out.
From targeted expertise to full delivery teams, Solve leads execution with the right capabilities at every stage.
Areas of expertise
Post-merger integrations
Target operating models
Systems or technology implementations (ex. ERP, HRIS, SAS, ETRM (Energy, Trading and Risk Management))
Digital & business transformations
Operational excellence / Performance improvements
Supply chain enhancements
We’ve supported project execution across essential industries like energy, infrastructure, banking, and government. From ERP implementations and capital projects to operational redesigns and compliance initiatives, we help clients manage complexity, align stakeholders, and deliver results under pressure.
“I am pleased to provide this reference for Solve Consulting . . . They are experts in their field and were able to provide the knowledge we needed to make the transformation successful. They are extremely professional and cooperative. The [project] was undertaken to streamline processes, find efficiencies and ensure we were able to support a growing organization without adding additional headcount. Solve was instrumental in helping to manage the numerous stakeholder issues a project like this encounters. They had an innate ability to make our stakeholders feel comfortable during interviews and workshops to ensure they shared ideas on how to improve processes. Their continued support during the ‘go live’ phase contributed to the successful implementation. I would recommend this team to you without hesitation.”
— Director, Energy Asset Management (Oil & Gas)
Project execution services and deliverables
Project scoping to ensure initiatives start with clear objectives and measurable outcomes
Decision quality frameworks and facilitation to help leadership make timely, well-informed decisions that keep projects moving forward
Integrated delivery plans across workstreams, vendors, and internal teams providing seamless coordination and avoiding costly misalignment
PMO and governance structures to build accountability and decision discipline
Leadership alignment sessions to remove roadblocks, gain buy-in and accelerate decisions
Execution roadmaps & status tracking to give you full visibility and transparency at every stage of delivery
Risk and issue tracking and reporting so you can anticipate challenges early and protect timelines and budgets
End-to-end program management keeping initiatives on track from start to finish
Our approach to project execution
Execution is where most strategies stall. Shifting priorities, budget constraints, and unclear ownership can derail even the most well-scoped initiatives. That’s why we focus on what others overlook: the real-world delivery of high-stakes projects. We’ve successfully delivered capital expansions, emissions compliance programs, digital oilfield deployments and more.
Our approach is pragmatic, not proprietary. We draw from industry best practices like PMBOK, Agile, and Lean as well as industry-specific standards where applicable, but we don’t force-fit frameworks. We adapt to your environment, your tools, and your internal capacity, whether that means embedding a single senior consultant or deploying a full Solve-led team.
Every Solve-led execution includes a governance model tailored to your internal structure, whether that’s steering committees, stage-gate reviews, or vendor oversight protocols. We establish reporting cadences aligned with your leadership rhythms and define success metrics upfront to guide delivery and post-project evaluation. After go-live, we conduct sustainment reviews to assess adoption, surface risks, and recommend course corrections.
Our project team
Our project consultants are senior, credible, and hands-on, with the knowledge and experience to identify operational, regulatory, and reputational risks and recommend industry-specific mitigation strategies. We stay with your project from strategy through execution, bringing lessons learned from decades of complex initiatives to help you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate success.
Every engagement is staffed with the right mix of expertise, thanks to a resourcing model that combines full-time consultants, long-term contractors, and a trusted network of experienced specialists. This flexible approach ensures depth without compromise.
Solve’s consultants don’t sit on the sidelines; we roll up our sleeves and push the work over the line. We work alongside your teams from kickoff to close-out, helping you define, deliver, and sustain the outcomes your organization depends on.
Whether you’re launching a new system, standing up a transformation program, or navigating regulatory deadlines, we bring the structure, clarity, and momentum needed to get it done.