McLean Forrester

McLean Forrester is a woman & service-disabled veteran-owned technology and consulting firm based in the Midwest, focusing on generative AI, automation, application modernization, cloud migration, and agile software development capabilities.  Our Founders each have over 20 years experience in designing and delivering technology solutions for private and public sectors.

Co-Founder & CEO

World Wide Technology

Strategic leader for 400+ person Application Services Division spanning software engineering, devops, technical program management, product management, quality assurance, and agile coaching.  Change catalyst for the organization, working across business lines to increase operating efficiencies and collaboration.  Led Strategic Program PMO to include development and implementation of operational models, policies, procedures, key performance indicators, resource utilization, and budget management.  Ensured portfolio management strategy aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.

Sr Director Software Delivery & Product Management

United States Air Force

I held many positions throughout my 20-year military career, from global supply chain management for the Department of Defense and recruiting operations for the Air Force, to management of an IT portfolio worth over $400M for the US Transportation Command, the nation's global military logistics provider.  No matter the role or the organization, I excelled in building high performing teams and driving results.  My military career taught me how to be an adaptable leader, a change agent, and a strategic thinker, ready for any challenge thrown my way.

Lt Col Retired

Park University

Online and in-person instructor for seven logistics, science and management courses; content developer for two of the courses.

Adjunct Professor

CEO @ McLean Forrester | I help organizations leverage technology to increase efficiency, agility, and profitability.

At McLean Forrester, we build AI solutions that bring you the highest ROI, increasing operational effectiveness and improving the bottom line. 

I started McLean Forrester for a simple reason: I knew we could do better.  Better for clients, and better for the people doing the work. Those are my highest priorities, and they’re the reason we consistently deliver exceptional value.

For over 25 years, I’ve been in the thick of leadership, technology, and program management, watching how the right strategy and the right team can completely transform an organization. But I also saw where companies fell short: chasing deliverables without caring enough for the people or the clients who make success possible.

At McLean Forrester, we change that equation. We take care of our people so they can take extraordinary care of our clients. It’s not fluff.  It’s how we achieve results that last.

My career has been built on turning big challenges into “I can’t believe we did that” moments. From rescuing a company on the brink of collapse to creating platforms that help families in crisis, I’ve seen the power of pairing smart, innovative solutions with genuine human care.

I believe in leading with empathy, executing with excellence, and making sure every solution connects directly to the real-world needs of the people it serves. Because when clients feel valued and teams feel supported, the results speak for themselves.

Checkout my YouTube Channel here where I share the lessons, stories, and systems that help leaders cut through the hype, modernize with confidence, and lead with impact. 

https://www.youtube.com/@HeatherMcLean1

Heather McLean

Someone says, "Thank you for your service," and I know they mean well.
But here's what I always tell them:
"You were worth it."

Most people pause, a little surprised.
I’m not trying to be clever.
I really mean it.

Raising my right hand, swearing an oath to the Constitution... that moment shaped me more than any job title on my resume ever could.

That sense of belonging, of being part of something bigger than yourself...
It's hard to explain if you haven't felt it.
Ask any veteran, and you’ll hear the same story. Service isn't just a job, it's a community with purpose build into every day.

In the corporate world you can care about the mission, feel proud of your team, even believe in what your company stands for.
But it's never the same as standing shoulder to shoulder with people who’d do anything to keep each other safe.

Sometimes I forget how different it is.
And sometimes I struggle to understand folks who don’t feel that deep pull of patriotism.

You don’t need a uniform to make a difference, but you do need to care about something bigger than yourself.

So I’ll keep saying it, every time:
"You were worth it."

To my fellow vets - Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you for your service!

And for those on the outside looking in, what builds that sense of purpose for you?

#Veterans #Service #Leadership
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Founder & CEO, McLean Forrester | I build high-value AI solutions that transform organizations. | People-First Leader in Tech & Transformation

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The magic of Glühwein!

Spent a week in Germany exploring  Christmas markets across a few famous cities, and it's been an amazing trip!

The food, festive atmosphere,  welcoming locals, and of course the Glühwein has made this very memorable, and even better than we could've expected! 

If you're looking for a fun Christmas adventure, you won't be disappointed. 

Have you been?  What was your favorite part? 

PS: We visited Cologne, Mainz, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Rothenberg ob der Tauber

Being a woman founder in tech feels like I'm always auditioning for the lead role, even though I created the part.

I'm proud, excited, but also pressured. 

Pressure to prove I belong. To be twice as prepared, twice as resilient, twice as patient. To be seen as competent.

Some days it's exhausting. Carrying the burden of leadership... people counting on me for their livelihood. And doing it alone.

But then there are moments when I see my team thrive. Or when I watch another woman step up, speak out, and own her space. 

It's then I realize I'm not just building a company. I'm building a path. Creating something amazing people want to be part of.

A path for others to walk, run, and maybe even dance down. 

It’s not easy. But it’s worth it. And I keep going because I'm also loving every minute of it.

Who’s inspired you to keep going when the road got tough?

#WomenInTech #Leadership #WomenFounders #TechTransformation
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I used to think work-life balance was a myth. 

That if you wanted to build something meaningful, you had to sacrifice weekends, vacations, even sleep. 

But then I looked around and realized what I was missing. 

Dinners with family. Long walks with my husband. The simple joy of doing nothing for a while. 

So I made a change. 

I started blocking off time for life, not just work. 

At first, it felt selfish. But then I noticed something: I was better at my job. More creative. More patient. 

Turns out, rest isn’t a reward. It’s a requirement. 

If you’re waiting for permission to take a break, here it is. 

What’s one thing you do to recharge outside of work?

#WorkLifeBalance #Leadership #Family
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It's Saturday.  Here's your reminder to stop thinking about work.

Do something fun.

Do something for yourself!

Be with family.

Enjoy life!

If you post on LinkedIn regularly, something weird happens.

You start to build a little community of friends.

You comment on each other's posts.

You lift each other up.

You start finding ways to promote each other. Send referrals their way.

It's been pretty cool how this has evolved for me over the past year.

Thanks to all my friends in my little club. 

Let's keep lifting each other up!

Here’s something I wish more leaders would say out loud: I don’t have it all figured out. 

There’s this myth that CEOs are supposed to be bulletproof. Always confident, always decisive, never rattled. 

Truth is, some days I feel like I’m figuring it out as I go. 

And you know what? That’s okay. 

Because leadership is about creating space for others to bring their best self. 

It’s about being honest when you’re stuck, and asking for help when you need it. 

I’ve found that the more vulnerable I am, the stronger my team becomes. 

They step up. They innovate. They surprise me. 

So here’s my challenge: next time you’re not sure, say so. 

You might be amazed at what happens next. 

When was the last time you admitted you didn’t know?

#Leadership #Vulnerability #BeYourself
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One of my favorite client success stories ⬇️

A communications firm spent $100K and 12 months building an AI product...
and ended up with zero usable results.

We stepped in with our Prototype-to-Production Method.

✅ In just 1 week, they had:

A working mock-up

A pitch video

A customer feedback loop

From there, we refined their idea with real-world input with a roadmap for a scaled SaaS product that will drive exponential revenue, creating an advantage their competitors won't see coming.

Lesson: Sometimes the best way forward isn’t to keep building.
It’s to stop, reframe, and prototype fast.

#Innovation #RapidPrototype #McLeanForrester #AILeadership
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Walking into a 5-star hotel, you feel it immediately:
The warmth. The speed. The way the staff anticipates what you need before you even ask.

That’s the standard we aim for in consulting.

For us, “great service” isn’t about saying yes and sprinting toward a solution. 

It’s about:
- Friendly, human engagement
- Fast clarity 
- Proactive guidance
- Frictionless communication
- Thoughtful details that remove cognitive load from the client

In the clip below, I share a story from a recent client engagement:

They came to us with a proposed solution. Instead of just executing, we hosted a day-long scoping workshop designed around their outcomes, not our template.

We:
- Curated a distraction-free room
- Brought in coffee, lunch, and small touches that made focus easy
- Seated our team interspersed with theirs to reinforce “one team,” not “us vs. them”

By the end of the day, it didn’t feel like two companies. It felt like one product team with a shared vision.

That isn’t “hospitality for hospitality’s sake.”
It’s deliberate service design to accelerate trust and decision-making.

You don’t need a huge firm to do this.
You just need to be faster, clearer, and kinder... consistently.

🎥 Watch the clip below and tell me:
What’s one small “5-star hotel” touch you could bring into your client experience this quarter?

https://lnkd.in/gr8dwGqX

Wouldn't you love to finish Q4 with an AI win?

When the CEO asks about AI progress, you show a working prototype built in just 4 weeks.
• It uses real company data.
• It proves the idea is feasible.
• It shows a clear ROI path.

Leadership is impressed. And you’re the leader who turned “do something with AI” into “we did the right thing with AI.”

That’s the power of our 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 offer.

Build credibility, momentum, and wins for your organization.

What would it mean for your career to be the one who delivers the first AI success story in your org?

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘼𝙄 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮.

#AIHero #LeadershipWins #ExecutiveSuccess #AIResults
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Women are adopting AI 25% less than men. 

That number should shock you, but maybe it doesn't.

So why is this happening? It's about barriers and bias.

Some barriers are easy to spot:
- Lack of representation in tech teams
- AI tools designed without diverse perspectives
- Training that skips over real-world, people-first scenarios

Others are hidden:
- The old myth that some jobs "aren't technical" enough for AI
- The assumption that everyone feels confident experimenting with new tech
- Worried that using AI will make you look like you are not an expert

Here's why this matters for every business:
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
You miss the insights, the use cases, the practical feedback that only a truly diverse team can provide.

Your products get less relevant.
Your teams get less resilient.
Your culture gets less innovative.

If you care about growth, you have to care about who gets a seat at the table.

So, how do we close the gap?

- Open up training and pilots to every function, not just the "usual suspects"
- Build AI programs around real problems your people face 
- Make sure your mentors reflect the diversity you want to see in your teams
- Celebrate and share the wins when women drive real value with AI

Research has proven that 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨.

How does your organization ensure equal access AI?

#WomenInTech #AIDiversity #PeopleFirstLeadership #AIAdoption
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Change is hard. 

Even when you’re the one leading it. 

I’ve seen organizations pour millions into new tech, new processes, new org charts... only to end up right back where they started. 

Why? Because they forgot the people part. 

You can automate a workflow, but you can’t automate trust. 

You can roll out a new platform, but if your team doesn’t feel safe to experiment, it’s just another tool collecting dust. 

The real work is in the conversations. The messy, sometimes uncomfortable, always human conversations. 

That’s where resistance melts. That’s where buy-in happens. 

I’ve learned to spend as much time listening as I do planning. 

Transformation isn’t a checklist, it's a relationship. 

What’s one thing you wish leaders understood about change?

#ChangeManagement #BoldLeadership #TechLeadership
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Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Ever had someone call you their secret weapon?

That’s exactly what a client said to us the other day.

Not “best vendor,” not “consultant,” not “AI magician.”

Secret weapon.

That made me smile. Here’s how that happens.

Most companies want AI to work for them, but they’re chasing shiny stuff or stuck in endless planning.

We do it differently:

✔ We help them identify the right AI projects, not just shiny ones
✔ We deliver clarity in 2 weeks with our AI ValuePath Sprint
✔ We prototype in 4 weeks to prove value with real data
✔ We build production solutions that actually work

The result? They look like the hero. The C-suite sees impact.
People start asking, “How did you pull that off?”

We stay behind the scenes making sure they succeed.

That’s the kind of partnership we’re proud of.

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘼𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨? 𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙩.

#ExecutiveSuccess #TrustedPartner #CIOCommunity #EnterpriseAI
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Are you an expert in your industry? Can you identify opportunities where AI and emerging tech can solve real-world problems?

We are inviting select partners to co-develop solutions, earning up to 10% of the build. Apply to partner at:

https://lnkd.in/e87hfYka

Want clients to say, “You read my mind”? 

In my latest podcast episode, I break down the 6-step, client-first system we use at McLean Forrester to turn first projects into long-term partnerships without burning out your team or blowing the budget. From concierge-level kickoffs to real working demos and radical transparency, this is the exact playbook.

What you’ll learn:
- How to set expectations so projects start (and stay) aligned
- The rituals that turn vendors into trusted partners
- A simple ROI gate to say “no” to the wrong features
- Boundary scripts and guardrails that protect people and profit

Who this is for:

Founders, product leaders, and consulting teams who want white-glove service that scales, even with tight budgets or demanding stakeholders.

#Podcast #TechTea #ClientFirst
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Amboseli Park in Kenya is a whole new level of wild. 

On our final safari day, it felt like elephants owned the place. Family groups everywhere. Almost every group had a baby or two tagging along.
I lost count of the zebras. At one point, I could see stripes scattered out to the horizon. Miles. Literally. 

It was unreal. The kind of moment where you just want to stand still and soak it in.

After that experience I felt a little uncomfortable.

Watching all these animals roam free on their own turf, thousands of acres, no fences, no enclosures... I couldn't stop thinking about zoos back in the US.

Sure, some zoos have very high standards of care. They create solid habitats. They teach kids to love wildlife. But after seeing how elephants and zebras actually live, it doesn’t feel close.

We say it’s for education, conservation, breeding programs. Maybe it is.

But what if, someday, we look back at zoos the same way we now look at sending elephants to the circus? Or keeping orcas in tiny pools?
What if this is another one of those things we’ll regret?

There are no easy answers, just an uncomfortable feeling that maybe “good enough” for animals isn’t really good at all.

Anyone else wrestle with this? Or is it just me standing there, surrounded by elephants, suddenly questioning everything?

Would love to hear how others feel about zoos after seeing animals in the wild.

#NoZoos #WildNature #Leadership
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Are you an expert in your industry? Can you identify opportunities where AI and emerging tech can solve real-world problems?

We are seeking select referral partners  who can earn up to 10% of a build.  Apply to partner at:

https://lnkd.in/e87hfYka

Want Long-Term Clients? Start With These 3 Moves

- Map their outcomes BEFORE jumping to solutions.
- Build rituals that drive transparency, like regular demos of real working software.
- Flag friction early and fix it together.

You don’t earn trust once. You earn it weekly, continuously building upon the foundation.

That’s how short projects become multi-year partnerships.

What’s your secret to turning first projects into long-term relationships?

#ClientPartnership #GrowthStrategy #Leadership
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Many AI conversations start with: “We don’t have the budget.”

But you don’t need millions to deliver value.

At McLean Forrester, we help leaders maximize every dollar by:
1️⃣ Prioritizing projects with the highest ROI
2️⃣ Avoiding hype-driven distractions
3️⃣ Starting with rapid prototypes to prove value before scaling

We focus on working smarter, not spending bigger.

The result? You deliver real business outcomes without blowing the budget.

👉 If you had $50K to spend on AI, where would you put it?

#AIOnABudget #CIOPriorities #SmartAI #DigitalROI

Senior Engineering Manager

Software Engineering Manager

Developer Performance Manager

Senior Software Engineer

CACI International Inc

Worked on an Agile team in support of a USTRANSCOM AT21 project that optimized scheduling and resource utilization for deployment and distribution solutions across air, land, and sea.

Participated in Agile practices including test driven development (through JUnit tests utilizing Mockito and PowerMock), behavioral driven development (through Cucumber utilizing Selenium, steps written in Ruby), continuous integration (using Jenkins), scrum, pair programming, and kanban. 

Developed a J2EE web application in the form of a portlet written in Vaadin that was deployed within the Liferay portal using JBoss.  The portlet was backed by SOAP (using Apache CXF) and REST (using Jersey) web services, utilizing Spring and Hibernate, deployed in Tomcat.  Modified stored procedures and performed basic database operations in SQL.  Version control in Git and SVN.  Used Gradle for builds.

Maintained and developed a set of web services and portlets that worked in conjunction to pull JOPES data, parse it, run business logic against it, write it to databases, and display the data in a portlet.  Deployed all components to integration stacks hosted on Linux environments and performed formal releases of the code.  The data that was obtained from this process was fed into the above mentioned Vaadin portlet.

Served as the subject matter expert for a “sandbox” environment that was used for formal User Acceptance Testing (UAT).  Deployed software to the environment on Linux and provided support for UAT.

Java Developer

Rockwell Collins

Developed and modified an existing J2EE application for the Navy’s E-6B Block1A Modification.

Developed an interface between an existing client and a new device component.  Also worked on development between the client and an existing graphical user interface. Development was done in Java using Eclipse IDE.  Utilized Oracle Application Server 10g and performed basic tasks on the associated database.  Developed and maintained simulators for testing purposes.

Participated in requirements analysis, design (maintained in Enterprise Architect), implementation, and testing.  Led and attended peer review meetings for all previously mentioned stages of development.

Wrote and executed JUNIT tests during development and ran EclEmma for code coverage purposes.  Wrote Unit Test Plan’s to document the testing and the results for the customer. Executed subsystem testing on the test system against the requirements.  Wrote the Software Test Description document.  

Assisted systems engineering on a full-time basis with component level testing and Formal Functional Test Verification against higher level requirements that required interaction with multiple devices on the system.  Found defects which were entered into ClearQuest for evaluation by the Change Control Board.

Subject Matter Expert and primary builder for the software developed by my team.  Deployed builds to multiple machines in the test system during early integration through Formal Functional Test Verification which were witnessed by Quality Engineering.

Lead engineer assigned to perform a formal merge of the latest main branch into existing modified code.  Performed regression testing to verify the integrity of the software.  Completed the task early, allowing engineers of other disciplines to start integration earlier than anticipated.  Also was responsible for completing the monthly SLOC count.

Attended and participated in the weekly Change Control Board meetings as a representative from software engineering.

Software Engineer

L-3 Communications Integrated Systems

Developed and maintained a large code base that controlled graphical user interfaces used by operators flying in various platforms.

Charter group for CMMI Level 5 Certification.  Excelled at creating and maintained documents that defined proper process.

Developed new code primarily for a graphical map and associated panels.  

Most coding was done in C++, Java, and often utilized several utilities such as Motif, Qt, Rogue Wave.  All development was on Red Hat Enterprise with KDE.

A primary builder in the group.  Utilized and often modified perl scripts to perform the build, participated in regression testing, delivering the software set to the platform, and performed configuration management duties to baseline the code set that was delivered.  Served as a mentor to train other employees on the build process.

Software Engineer I

Chosen as an SMU School of Engineering Industry Scholar sponsored by EDS Corporation. 

Worked directly on the Teamcenter Requirements product which is used to capture and manage requirements and deliver them to all users involved in the product lifecycle.  

Employed as an intern to aid in development with a team using Extreme Programming.

Development Engineering Intern

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) working in the Advanced Network Technology Division.

Researched a self-adaptive strategy for assigning and adjusting the length of leases in distributed systems which required close consideration of resource utilization, responsiveness, and system size.

Modified an existing Service Location Protocol (SLP) simulation model written in SLX, a simulation language.  Modifications included implementing a self-adaptive algorithm that enables a SLP system to vary lease periods, implementing data collection and measurement analysis code in the model, and implementing experimental control code.  

Co-authored a paper based upon research, see “Publications” for specific information.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow

Senior Engineering Manager specializing in career development, performance management, tracking of goals, and promoting a coaching culture. Strong consulting professional with a BS & BA in Computer Engineering & Mathematics from Southern Methodist University.

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Heather McLean

Mackenzie Britton

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Heather McLean's LinkedIn Performance

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