This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Sue Pellegrino. The two talk about the bold journey of acquiring and leading Everest Discovery, the critical importance of compassionate leadership in the high-stress world of eDiscovery and litigation support, and how building a strong, values-driven team has helped grow and sustain the business.

In this episode, we discuss:

How Sue Pellegrino transitioned from restoring classic cars and a background in accounting/business administration to leading a company in the eDiscovery field.
What she changed as a leader: creating a company that values work-life balance, cross-training, and multiple people who can do the same task so the team can support one another and step away when needed.
When Sue Pellegrino took over Everest Discovery, the initial challenges of entering a new, technology-driven industry.
Why compassion, open-door leadership, and work-life balance are essential values Sue Pellegrino wanted to instill in her company's culture.
How she leads with an open-door mindset in a fully remote environment, making herself accessible by Teams, text, phone, and calendar, and building a culture where people feel safe bringing both work and personal concerns to the table.

Sue Pellegrino, Owner, President, and CFO, Everest Discovery

From restoring classic cars to serving as an accounting executive and entrepreneur in eDiscovery, Sue Pellegrino has challenged the status quo around what a woman leader can be her whole life. Sue has spent her career managing organizations' finances, ranging from publicly traded companies to regional enterprises and small businesses. Now, she runs Everest Discovery, taking the business to new heights.

The humble beginnings in the mailroom at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, began Sue Pellegrino's journey to the top, which is a testament to her determination and work ethic. She steadily climbed the corporate ladder, eventually becoming an Accounts Payable Supervisor overseeing all vendors' accounts. Her career then led her to the role of CFO at Copy Secure, a regional paper and eDiscovery solutions company. Here, she led the accounting, human resources, investor relations, and tax departments, playing a pivotal role in growing the company to seven-figure revenues before its acquisition by KLDiscovery.

With over 25 years of experience in accounting and business administration, and a decade in eDiscovery, Sue Pellegrino is a seasoned leader. She now leads a dedicated team of litigation support specialists at Everest Discovery, ensuring the company provides the highest quality and most cost-effective solutions to its clients. Under her guidance, Everest's revenue has soared by 42%, and its reach has expanded across the country and even South America.

As a female business owner, Sue is a diversity, equity, and inclusion champion, proud to devote her time and resources to organizations that advocate for marginalized and underrepresented groups. She is the Director of the Philadelphia Chapter of Women in eDiscovery, serves on the Philadelphia Regional Steering Committee of Women Owned Law as well as Chairing the Membership and Marketing Committees and VP of the Executive Board, and is an active member of the National Association of Women Business Owners' Philadelphia Chapter. In addition, for 10+ years, Sue has been a vocal fundraiser and volunteer for Camp Achieve, a summer camp for youth with epilepsy.

Sue is also a classic car enthusiast who learned to work on cars with her dad from a young age. She recently rebuilt a custom 1966 Fastback Mustang, an accomplishment that resulted in first-place trophies at car shows and was featured in MotorTrend magazine. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, Sue was honored as a 2024 Enterprising Women of the Year, Corporate Counsel Business Journal (CCBJ) 2024 50 Women to Watch, 2025 Class of Top 100 Women to KNOW in America and Philadelphia Business Journal's 2025 Corporate Leadership Award Honoree. She recently was recognized with the Charley and Peggy Roach Founders' Award by the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern Pennsylvania and received the Distinguished Member Service Award from Women Owned Law. And, of course, her bulldog Louie is never far from her side.

Website: https://everestdiscovery.com/

Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suepellegrino/