Welcome Chelsea Jurman

We’re thrilled to welcome Chelsea Jurman to the team as a Principal at ghSMART. Chelsea’s investing experience, paired with her genuine passion for leadership and behavioral science, makes her a fantastic addition to our team. Her career reflects a deep commitment to excellence, outcomes and a drive to make meaningful contributions to the organizations she supports.

A Stellar Education and Professional Journey

Chelsea’s journey to ghSMART is marked by a series of remarkable milestones in both education and professional experience. After graduating from Yale University, phi beta kappa, Chelsea began her career at Goldman Sachs in Global Investment Research. Her role in equity research allowed her to engage with public company management teams and investors, while developing thematically-driven stock views and building a global network. It was here that Chelsea began developing her strategic thinking and ability to assess the impact of strong leadership on organizational outcomes.  

Chelsea went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she graduated with high distinction as a Baker Scholar (top 5% of the class). At HBS, she particularly enjoyed courses that explored organizational behavior, negotiation, and strategic decision-making. These experiences illuminated the wide variety of ways to be successful as a leader, and how strong leadership directly impacts culture, performance, and sustainable, long-term success.  

Following HBS, Chelsea transitioned into private equity investing at Summit Partners. At Summit, Chelsea served most recently as a Principal on the firm’s Growth Products and Services team and played an active role in several investments representing over $1 billion in invested capital. Post-investment, Chelsea often served on the Board of portfolio companies and worked with management teams on value creation plans. She enjoyed working alongside founders and executive teams to drive toward a common goal and help see around corners as they scaled. In 2023, she was named to GrowthCap's List of Top Women Leaders in Growth Investing.

These formative educational and professional experiences have shaped Chelsea into a well-rounded advisor to sponsors, Boards and management teams. At ghSMART, she is excited to leverage her expertise to guide leaders through their most complex challenges and help organizations build the leadership capabilities and depth they need to compete and thrive.  

A Passion for Leadership and Psychology

Throughout these experiences, Chelsea’s interest in psychology has been a consistent aspect of her professional and personal life. Her passion for understanding psychology and human behavior started early, when she embarked on a multi-year behavioral science research study on parent-child relationships as part of her high school’s independent study program. She was fascinated by the experience of using psychology to analyze and understand individuals’ trajectories. This curiosity guided her academic pursuits at Yale, her time at HBS, and her career choices, as well as her enthusiasm for serving in a range of mentorship programs. Along the way, Chelsea developed an insightful approach to understanding others, their motivations and aspirations, and how organizational dynamics can have an outsized impact on results.  

Chelsea’s approach to leadership advisory is rooted in empathy, curiosity and a desire to connect with clients on a deeper level. By combining her analytical expertise with her passion for understanding the factors that drive decision-making, communication and influence, she provides holistic insights that help leaders and organizations thrive.  

ghSMART So Far

Since joining ghSMART, Chelsea has been inspired by the firm’s unique culture and mission. She appreciates the collaborative environment, where colleagues bring diverse perspectives to tackle complex challenges together. Chelsea has found it especially rewarding to work with leaders who are not only striving for business success but are also committed to building strong, people-centered organizations.  

The intellectually stimulating nature of the work has been another highlight. At ghSMART, Chelsea is constantly challenged to think critically and push boundaries, which aligns with her love for learning and problem-solving. She also values the firm’s emphasis on building deep, trusted relationships with clients, a cornerstone of ghSMART’s leadership advisory approach.  

Life Outside of Work: Finding Balance and Inspiration

Outside of work, Chelsea loves traveling with her husband, playing tennis, getting out into nature, reading, and spending time with family and friends. During her time at Yale, Chelsea wrote and performed in a sketch comedy group, a skill that helped her to find the humor and light in everyday life and not take herself too seriously.

Looking Ahead

Chelsea’s career reflects a unique blend of analytical expertise, business acumen, psychological insight, and a commitment to fostering strong leadership. Her time in equity research and private equity, combined with her world-class education at Yale and Harvard Business School, gives her a distinctive perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s leaders.  

At ghSMART, Chelsea is excited to continue making an impact by helping organizations build effective leadership teams and achieve lasting success. Her ability to connect with clients on both a strategic and personal level sets her apart as a trusted advisor. Chelsea’s dedication to leadership development, combined with her passion for human behavior, positions her as a key contributor to ghSMART’s mission of helping leaders achieve their full potential.  

We’re delighted to have Chelsea on board and look forward to seeing her contributions to the ghSMART team and our clients. Welcome, Chelsea!  

Chelsea’s full bio can be found here.