Pathway To Partner: Equalising Women’s Progression to Leadership in Life Sciences Consulting

Purpose of this Report

Following several discussions with Life Science consulting firms actively pursuing female talent at the leadership level, KRS-Associates sought to unravel the circumstances behind why consulting firms struggle to attract and retain women into leadership positions.

To understand how gender parity measures within the consulting industry, we first analysed the distribution of gender at the leadership level among Vault’s 2023 Best Consulting Firms focused within Life Sciences. Our analysis included US, UK, Germany, France, and Switzerland across the top 20 businesses. We analysed the Partner equivalent-level (including Managing Directors, Vice Presidents and Executive Directors), specialised exclusively in the areas of Commercial, Corporate or Product Strategy, Market Access, HEOR, and Data & Analytics.

After analysing over 500 leaders, we found that less than a third of these leaders were women, and only 8% were Women of Colour – this is despite women accounting for around 50% of qualified individuals available for top executive positions [1].

Our research reveals that the scarcity of female leaders in consulting is not the result of one specific obstacle to advancement to Partner. There is also not a ‘glass ceiling’: women have and will continue to reach the top. However, their journey to leadership is shown to have the potential to be more complex & convoluted.

We hope to demonstrate exactly where these hurdles to women’s progression exist, and what consulting firms can do to proactively dismantle them.

Introduction

“Women in consulting are ambitious and motivated. Men and women are equal in their willingness to do what the Partner role requires.” - Katya Svoboda, Partner at EVERSANA MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

In the consulting industry, women are entering at encouraging rates, and so we find ourselves in a continuous cycle of asking the same question:

Why are women still a minority in leadership positions?

In our effort to understand this, we interviewed 23 industry leading women in Life Science consulting, discussing their individual paths to partnership, hearing about the unseen hurdles they overcame, and unravelling their perspectives on why there are fewer women in leadership in consulting. Our interviews concluded that while there is an element of personal choice involved in women’s advancement, there also exists a series of factors that can steer women away from the Partner track or cause them to leave the consulting industry altogether. Gendered performance evaluations, familial dynamics, and limited networking opportunities contribute to the curtailing of women’s options and, in some cases, stunt their ambitions for leadership.

When taking the intersection of gender with racial axes of inequality, our conversations with women of colour highlighted a distinct set of disparities that further complicates the path to leadership.

Our Talent Consulting team at KRS-Associates wish to thank all the women who took part in these discussions, and welcome subsequent conversations with decision-makers wanting to push diverse, equitable and inclusive best practices.

Action Points

Our research has highlighted several obstacles that women in the workplace still tend to experience throughout their consulting career trajectory, which complicates their path to leadership.

There are some aspects of this that women should continue to tackle individually when structuring their own progression paths:

• Women can take responsibility by promoting their own talent, highlighting both strengths and asking for areas of improvement. This will show management teams they are looking to progress and want clarity regarding how to fulfil the next steps required for a promotion.
• Women who choose to start a family may not be on the same path short-term but are able to carve their path to leadership within their own timelines. Re-adjusting into the workplace can often be difficult after leave – it is crucial that there is clear communication of expectations for both the individual and the organisation.
• Networking does not necessarily have to be accessed internally. Most women also join external networking groups, hearing fresh perspectives, guidance, and support to fuel their learning and development.

However, some of these obstacles to women’s progression can be definitively mitigated by organisational action:

• Performance evaluations can convey feedback that is both gendered and unactionable, providing no value to women’s professional growth.
• There is a lack of mentorship available at senior levels. This reduces the opportunities available to learn the skills of business development and client relationship building necessary at the Partner level.
• With widespread adoption of mandatory return-to-office (RTO) policies that may finalise the end of the remote-working privilege, consulting firms are failing to fully comprehend the impact this will have on gender equity in the workplace (particularly working mothers) and the overall impact on employee work-life balance.
• Women tend to find informal networking opportunities less accessible, as these are often geared towards male-dominated interests. Due to this, the opportunity to find sponsors to advocate their talent can be similarly limited and is not always as equally accessible in the workplace.

Success in Consulting: The Qualities Essential for a Successful Consulting Leader

In consulting, successful leadership has been fundamentally characterised as the ability to form lucrative relationships that drive new business and lead to establishing a reputable book of business.

The conventional consulting model of ‘sell and deliver’ designates leaders as those who can cultivate, leverage, and nurture deep client relationships. However, for some of the industry’s most accomplished leaders, success extends beyond the confines of surpassing a revenue generation target.‍

“Leadership in consulting, because of the sell and deliver model, requires reasonably flexible leaders, with a few different characteristics or traits associated with the ability to engage with clients and sell. But that has to be balanced internally with the ability to train, teach, mentor and guide, which are two very distinct traits and personalities. True leaders in consulting try to find a balance in both.” - Monica Martin de Bustamante, Senior Partner, Head of Advisory Services & Evidence, Value, Access & Pricing at Trinity Life Sciences

“While most people track my revenue and profit numbers, that is not how I measure my own success. I am much more interested in tracking my impact. I monitor and measure the impact that I make with our clients and with our team. As a leader, I have both an opportunity and a responsibility to lift others. This involves helping them achieve their goals, find their own success, and be their very best.” – Dr. Allison Dupuy, Partner & Managing Director at Simon-Kucher Healthcare & Life Sciences

“I’ve always thought it was about being at the top edge of sales. My observation is that the best salespeople rise to the top of the organisation, but they aren’t the best leaders. Top line is great, but they don’t develop people.” – Aileen Nicoletti, Managing Director at Ambit Consulting

The additional characteristics that distinguish a successful leader include displays of creativity, empathy, and authenticity, which have shown to positively correlate with employee performance and retention, bottom-lines, and contribute to upholding the reputation of a consulting business [2],[3].

“A combination of curiosity, compassion, and creativity.” – Naina Shehzeen Ahmad, Partner at Blue Matter Consulting

“I believe that empathy is really important in business. I learned really young in my career that it’s all about the people. If you can see the talent in people, and help them find it in themselves, that’s a trait of really strong leaders that also drives results.” – Susan Nemetz, CEO of TheNemetzGroup LLC and Corval LLC

“Being visionary. Having a clear vision of where you want the organisation to go and bringing people along with that. But also being humble, taking accountability when things don’t go as they should and supporting newer consultants navigate the challenges of handling clients as well as leading without authority internally.” – Rachel Cummings, Principal Consultant at Decisive Consulting

“I decided that I was going to be some level of myself, and people were going to take it or leave it. I was less successful because I was uncomfortable, and people can tell if you’re being inauthentic in certain ways.” – Heather Rae Martin, Principal at Triangle Insights Group

The Three I’s: Leading with Intuition, Innovation, and Individualism

Consulting leaders who exhibit empathy can intuitively recognise the feelings and concerns of their consultants, creating an environment grounded on trust and support. It is by appreciating another’s viewpoint and encouraging healthy debates that consulting teams can develop novel ways of thinking; this, in turn, contributes to increases in employee innovation, engagement, and retention [4].

For the consulting business, empathetic leaders are adept at developing deep relationships and fostering long-term partnerships that pave the way for repeat business and referrals – ultimately, bolstering the organisations bottom-line.

Innovation is also an integral quality for consulting leaders – having the ability to devise novel strategies and solutions to solve complex client problems. Creative leaders can inspire consultants to think outside the box, encourage fresh perspectives and fuel diversity in thought. In an industry where success is often measured by the quality of advice and problem-solving, innovation in leadership becomes indispensable. These leaders outperform their peers on key financial metrics and can establish market differentiation to secure a competitive edge [5].

Displays of individualism diminish the cognitive burden that comes with concealment, encouraging trust, and allowing consultants to bring forth their whole selves to their work. In consulting, authentic leaders maintain high standards of integrity, take accountability for their actions, and execute decisions based on principle and long-term goals rather than short-term success. Personable and individualistic leaders do not hide who they are, which promotes honest and effective communication within discussions, leading to collaborative problem-solving and efficient project delivery.

“Not everyone in leadership you know is going to be that dominant salesperson that often you think of as having to be a Partner. By bringing your own authentic self from your home life to work and showing people your personality, your humour, your sense of empathy – all of that can be incredibly powerful and important to people of all levels to see that in the workplace.” – Lauren Grant, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

By recognising that leadership is a mosaic of styles, that it transcends rigid definitions, and that it is adaptable to various contexts, challenges, and individuals, we can embrace the differences that characterise a successful consulting leader – one that is not exclusively defined by a revenue target.

Challenging Gender Stereotypes: Can’t Women Be Assertive?

Despite the evolved definition of successful leadership, gender stereotypes persist and continue to shape the expectations placed upon women in leadership roles. They create significant challenges to women’s progression, who must navigate societal biases in an environment that is not always equitable.

Historically, the representation of an ‘ideal’ leader was rooted in stereotypically ‘masculine’ qualities of assertiveness and dominance, coining an unfortunate quote “think manager – think male” [6]. The perpetuation of such language has seemingly reinforced gender stereotypes which associate idolised leadership with men, and which view women’s embodiment of the same traits as transgressions, and therefore worthy of criticism.

65% commented on receiving gendered criticism directed to their leadership style

Specifically, women viewed as equally agentic to their male counterparts are considered to violate traditional gender stereotypes that women should be ‘likeable’; contrastingly, women who enact a conventionally ‘feminine’ style of leadership may be liked, but are less respected, being viewed as less competent than men [7].

“I do think it’s absolutely true what a lot of research has shown about women having to walk a fine line between being agreeable and being considered seriously. This is especially true of women in leadership.” – Jenna Riffell, Managing Partner at Kx Advisors

“The most inspirational leaders have two qualities: they have strength, and they have warmth. It’s quite difficult I think for women to be able to have this combination of strength and warmth because if you’re too warm people perhaps form a negative perspective, they think you’re pretty much a rollover, and don’t think that you’re qualified as a leader. But, if you’re too strong, nobody actually wants to work with you.” – Sophie Schmitz, Managing Partner at Partners4Access

As such, women must establish credibility in a culture that is deeply conflicted about whether, when, and how they should exercise authority, creating unjustifiable barriers to leadership. This helps to explain the underrepresentation of women in positions of leadership, and highlights a continuing hurdle to gender parity in the workplace.

From our discussions, these gendered descriptions placed upon women are still entrenched within, and often reinforced by, performance evaluations. When used as a decision-making tool for promotional opportunities, this can hinder women’s professional development [8].

Biased Feedback: Are Performance Evaluations Failing Women?

‍“Women often face a disproportionate emphasis on their personality rather than their performance, a dynamic that differs from the evaluation criteria applied to men.” – Mansi Vithlani, Co-Head of Value, Price & Access at Dolon Ltd.

A woman’s journey to leadership is littered with chasms and mountains; the discrepancy in performance evaluations between men and women contributes as one of those hurdles, for which women are almost twice as likely as men to receive an unactionable and gendered piece of feedback [9].

“On my first review ever, I was told ‘the guys are threatened by your performance,’…That’s not an actionable piece of feedback for me.” – Aileen Nicoletti, Leader in Life Science Consulting

Black women and Latina women, who are the most underrepresented at all levels within consulting, receive a disproportionately higher volume of unhelpful and unactionable feedback [10].

This not only perpetuates the systemic disparities that hinder their professional growth, but also contributes to the lack of racial diversity present within senior leadership consulting teams.

“Early on in my career as a Manager, I got feedback that I was abrasive or aggressive; my peer group were seen as confident or assertive. It’s not that we had different behaviours or different skill sets or different competencies, a lot of times it was the biases of the people that were observing us.” – Heather Rae Martin, Principal at Triangle Insights Group

Organisations invest a substantial amount of time, energy, and resources to building diverse workforces; biased evaluations influencing decision-makers hinder this effort and limit substantial progress.

Using objective and quantifiable measures in performance evaluations that define clear, tangible, and actionable goals can create a levelled playing field where consultants are assessed solely on their merit and abilities. Furthermore, it is important for firms to take the initiative in this, and not rely on individual, female consultants to point out the gendered bias as they receive it.

“The only way that I have been able to scale the awareness building, and accelerate the learning curve regarding gender diversity, equity, and inclusion at our firm, was to bring it to the agenda of the highest governance / leadership bodies in our organisation. I learned from experience that this was much more powerful and far more effective than me constantly pointing things out on my own.” – Dr. Allison Dupuy, Partner & Managing Director at Simon-Kucher & Partners (Healthcare & Life Sciences)

Reviewers should communicate feedback that is specific, constructive, and consistent, focusing on developing a consultant’s skillset and competencies. Equally important is the encouragement for consultants to actively engage in the feedback process, allowing them to express their thoughts, seek clarification, and ask questions. By eradicating bias in performance evaluations, consulting firms can catalyse the empowerment and progression of ambitious women into leadership roles, harnessing a pipeline of untapped talent and experience.

“Working hard and producing results should be the only things that matter.” – Claire Hempshall, Head of Value and Payer Evidence Practice, EMEA at IQVIA

Empowering Mothers: How Can Flexible Working Arrangements Equalise the Gender Gap

The popular conception that fewer women hold leadership positions due to familial responsibilities is not entirely misplaced. As most often the primary caregiver, women tend to be the ones who interrupt their careers, work part-time, and take extra days off [11]. Although a personal choice, and a journey that many women successfully navigate, our interviewees reported that the decision between children and work can seem like an irreconcilable, binary one.

“Consulting, which is really hard and used to be taken up with a considerable amount of travelling, alongside working very long hours and having the flexibility to meet your clients’ needs, is very, very difficult to do whilst having a family.” – Hannah Mann, Founding Partner at Day One Strategy Ltd.

“We do lose a decent chunk of women [in consulting] as they start to have a family, and it is a choice. I think the career is time consuming, and in consulting the more senior you get, the busier you get. There are those who simply choose that they are going to go, and stay home, or have a fully part-time career somewhere else.” – Donna Hochberg, Partner at Health Advances LLC

Alongside the practical hurdles of childcare responsibilities, many mothers must simultaneously overcome the obstacle of opinion bias. Organisational decision-makers form the assumption that a mother’s domestic life makes it inappropriate for her to be promoted to demanding positions, or at the very least plays a factor when evaluating her suitability for opportunities; the same assumption does not exist for fathers [12].

“In past roles, I didn’t hear personal life brought up when seniors were discussing male opportunities… that is the big difference. I have never heard anyone say of a male colleague ‘oh I don’t know if he will deliver that project because he has two kids under the age of five’. There is an assumption that men can just pack up their bags and go. My current role has male leaders who talk about and block off time for family, which creates a flexible culture for all.” – Moira Ringo, Principal at Clarivate

However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic presented the opportunity for positive transformation:

“The burdens of travel have significantly gone down in consulting. Women in leadership in consulting can have a great work-life balance and can actually have the flexibility that you might not have in other roles, because you can somewhat set your schedule, and structure how your days look. It’s not this long scary environment where you won’t see your children. You can now do both.” – Lauren Grant, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

Incorporating working arrangements such as flexi-hours, hybrid, or remote-working methods, as well as significantly reducing travel requirements has allowed caregivers to fulfil their parental responsibilities without productivity or utilisation suffering. Instead, consultants can restructure their working day, ensuring client needs are met effectively and their contributions to the firm are sustained. If project staffing models are efficiently structured, when or where a consultant completes a project deliverable should assume less importance.

“Allowing women (or any team member) the flexibility to return to the office in a way that balances the needs of the business and the individual reduces the risk of losing them from the team, reinforces the talent pool and the performance of the firm as a whole.” – Claire Hempshall, Head of Value and Payer Evidence Practice, EMEA at IQVIA

Firms that revert to ‘pre-pandemic’ working styles, which curtail geographical and temporal flexibility, will systematically alienate women who choose to be mothers from the workforce. Moving forward, consultancies must be more intentional about institutional policies aimed at recruiting and retaining working mothers, ensuring the protection of flexibility to promote a healthy balance between both work and family commitments.

Sharing the Load: How Extended Parental Leave Can Support Mothers in the Workplace

“A significant barrier hindering women’s ascent to leadership often stems from family obligations, particularly the challenges associated with raising children. A potential remedy for this issue lies in promoting gender equality in parental leave policies. By ensuring that men receive an equivalent amount of paid parental leave and fostering an environment where they feel comfortable taking it without facing judgment, society can contribute significantly to breaking down this barrier.” – Mansi Vithlani, Co-Head of Value, Price & Access at Dolon Ltd.

Creating the Balance at Home

Shared parental leave is a vital policy designed to support dual-career couples divide parental responsibilities and create a balance where both parents can fulfil their career aspirations. However, the challenge in achieving this is often complicated by gender stereotypes – and this is reinforced largely within heterosexual dual-career couples [13].

In a 2023 survey, 63% of women in heterosexual relationships reported doing more than their fair share of household labour, compared with 22% of men [14]. Although attitudes purporting this view have declined to only 9% of the population, actions in heterosexual dual-career couples have yet to catch up [15].

Contrastingly, in homosexual dual-career couples, only 28% of women feel that they do most of the household responsibilities [16]. In short, within homosexual dual-career couples it is more common to ‘share the load’, as traditional gender stereotypes have no place. An equitable split of housework and childcare means neither parent has to downshift their career after having children, and thereby enables continued career progression for both.

Working parents often report feelings of fear and judgement when committing to caregiving responsibilities. This has subsequently contributed to missing out on promotional opportunities, salary raises or other forms of career advancement [17]. Consulting firms can support working couples to find sustainable approaches to maintaining a positive work-life balance by, for example, ensuring flexible working methods, displaying positive workplace role models, and encouraging employees to capitalise on parental leave policies.

“If maternity/paternity leave equalises, it means the male is leaving and the female is also leaving; if society accepts both of those it’s putting both in a similar position.” – Monica Martin de Bustamante, Senior Partner, Head of Advisory Services & Evidence, Value, Access & Pricing at Trinity Life Sciences

Removing Societal Stigma for Fathers

In heterosexual couples, there is an undue societal stigma placed on fathers which often creates a hostile environment where men feel unable to fully utilise their parental leave. Specifically, the main barriers preventing men from taking extended paternity leave are: awareness of legal rights, undue complexity, and stigma, which can be fuelled by the lack of perceived support from employers [18].‍

“Ten years ago, it was almost laughable for a man to take more than two weeks off. I think that’s changing and I think it needs to change because when you have that equitable leave, you’re not putting one gender at a disadvantage, or you give them the choice to not have that burden.” – Lauren Grant, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

One study found that 95% of men sought cultural workplace transformation to normalise extended paternity leave [19]. By enforcing equitable leave policies, where fathers can adopt greater childcare responsibilities and have more involvement in their child’s development, mothers can also benefit – they are almost twice as likely to progress in their careers [20].

In some countries, non-transferable periods of paid leave have been introduced to promote equity within parental leave policies [21]. This ensures that a portion of parental leave is allocated specifically to each parent and cannot be transferred between them, helping to break traditional gender roles, foster equal participation and support a healthy work-life dynamic.

It is crucial that parental leave policies are accessible and openly communicated to all employees. Similarly, flexible working arrangements must be equally available. Currently, fathers are almost twice as likely as mothers to: (1) have requests for flexible working turned down, and (2) fear that asking for flexible working will damage their careers [22], [23].

Some effective strategies which organisations can incorporate are sharing internal informational guides, implementing ‘Keeping-In-Touch’ days, allowing phased returns to work, and encouraging individual conversations surrounding flexible working arrangements.

As well as ensuring working policies are equitable, consulting firms must limit their conscious preferences for compressed progression timelines, which often present a bias that disregards situational considerations such as familial commitments.

Furthermore, having mandatory retirement ages, refusing interviews with candidates who have held their past position for longer than the expected time frame, or promoting a culture that expects fast sprints to leadership positions, all work to exclude those who wish to take extended parental leave, or work flexibly to manage caregiving responsibilities.‍

“Let’s take stock of reality, you can’t be out for 9 months and expect to be on the same timeline, and there isn’t a problem with that. Long-term it’s a career, and we have forty years to work, so what happens in one year or six months doesn’t matter, and I think we need to verbalise that and be more OK with the fact that everyone has their own path, and these life decisions are incredibly important. It’s OK if they set you back two months, ten, eighteen, or two years. I think that is what organisations can do a better job at in terms of supporting the individual.” – Monica Martin de Bustamante, Senior Partner, Head of Advisory Services & Evidence, Value, Access & Pricing at Trinity Life Sciences

Creating Alternative Pathways: Is There Only One Route To Partner?

“In consulting, what we ‘sell’ are our people and their brains. Therefore, a big part of leadership in consulting is how you grow and develop your team so that they deliver really solid client work consistently.” – Rathi Suresh, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

“In the realm of consulting, it is imperative to recognise the paramount significance of people, they are our engine. Yet, numerous leaders tend to overlook this fact, resulting in inadequate treatment of individuals within the organizational framework.” – Nerea Blanqué, Managing Partner Pricing & Access at Alira Health

Consulting is an industry that sells projects based on the capabilities of its people and their productivity. This is facilitated by both the ‘external’ and ‘internal’ firm development activities within a Partner’s responsibilities. The ‘external’ elements are tailored primarily to the ‘selling’ component of business development – effectively, the ability to generate diversified and consistent streams of revenue within new client accounts.

The ‘internal’ elements centre on maintaining and developing these relationships, which subsequently leads to repeat revenue within these accounts. This requires operational efficiency, team leadership and development, and knowledge management to ensure successful project delivery. However, from our discussions, these internally focused responsibilities tend to be overlooked, undervalued, and unrewarded.

‍“I think there should be a path where you’re still a Partner, but you aren’t in a selling-heavy role; then we can say we value the internal labour as much as we value selling. The only way we continue growing is selling, and we recognise that we’ve got to have revenue, but the internal actions facilitate the sellers, allowing them to focus on selling and building their book of business. They enable effective execution of those projects and all of the other internal order needed.” – Krista Perry, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

Partners with the ability to generate substantial streams of revenue can be limited if they are not supported by efficient and collaborative project delivery teams. Equally, those who are exceptionally proficient at the internal capabilities – excelling in delivery, retaining talent, managing the timing and budgets of projects, and maximising employee utilisation – are often constrained by the expectations of high revenue generation targets.

Consultancies can maximise profitable returns by enabling individuals to carve their own focus in leadership, one which capitalises upon their individual skillsets – whether that be the ‘external’ or ‘internal’ responsibilities. This will create synergy between the two ‘types’ of Partners, mutually beneficial to both, and ultimately contribute to long-term business growth.

Perhaps it’s time we rethink the model of consulting altogether:

“We need to really rethink our delivery model, structure, compensation: a lot has to change. Having “tracks” or different customized metrics in place might allow women to continue to senior leadership while meeting other needs.” – Rathi Suresh, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

Mentorship Matters: Why is Mentorship Less Accessible for Senior Leaders?

In consulting, the capabilities of what makes a Partner successful extends beyond the responsibilities of just ‘sell and deliver’. Having a strong professional network that will aid your development, vouch for you, and provide the opportunity to cultivate new relationships, constitutes an equally important component when building a solid book of business in the consulting industry.

Mentoring therefore assumes importance to aiding professional growth. It is a valuable investment to leadership development, designed to develop skills, enhance learning, build confidence, and create new opportunities [24].

‍“I had a great mentor for business development who was a man. I never would have figured out how to do it on my own if someone hadn’t taken me [to a networking event] and physically shown me how to develop a network.” – Moira Ringo, Principal at Clarivate

When stepping into a Principal/Partner role, a position that is anchored mostly by a revenue generation target, we seem to see formal mentoring schemes dissipate. The ability to generate new business, in tandem with developing existing client accounts, requires the development of new skills, techniques, and approaches: these require guidance and experience.

‍“Shortly after promotion to Principal, I quickly became the leader of the European business, which was a big step up in responsibility. I definitely needed mentorship, especially during that period, when I was trying to work on business development and learn how to be a leader, mentorship was really crucial.” – Jenna Riffell, Managing Partner at Kx Advisors

74% mentioned the importance of formalised mentorship in consulting across all consulting levels

“One of the misses is that as you get more senior in your career the level of mentorship decreases, and is often not there. I think there’s a lot of value in having mentors all the time.” – Rathi Suresh, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

Although our interviewees report that informal mentoring occurs, benefitting those who receive it, the lack of formal mentoring practices tied to seniority levels can impact growth and future opportunities.‍

“The formal mentorship programmes dry up when you reach the mid-level because they largely focus on new employees; your next focus becomes building advocates of both genders. The higher you go in those ranks, it’s predominantly more men. So having advocates and mentors in your corner that are men, becomes more important as you rise in the organization." – Sarah Burlew, CEO at Omlie, LLC

“I dedicate considerable effort to identifying the strengths of my mentees, recognising that it’s these strengths that will set them apart. Once identified, my role as a mentor is to focus on developing these strengths. By doing so, I position myself to actively seek and create opportunities that align with their capabilities. Guiding my mentees in leveraging their strengths becomes a key aspect of our collaborative journey.” – Mansi Vithlani, Co-Head of Value, Price & Access at Dolon Ltd.

Connections that Count: The Role of Sponsorship and the Impact of Informal Networking

“You need sponsorship, and you need to be popular. If they don’t like you, you won’t make it.” – Heather Rae Martin, Principal at Triangle Insights Group

Where mentors provide advice, offer empathy, and help to build confidence, sponsors provide an additional benefit: they advocate the capabilities of their protegees to senior leaders, thereby helping to secure promotions and advantageous assignments. Sponsorship cannot be enforced and is largely created through informal networking – finding connections with others in the business. Research has shown that men are more likely to have sponsors, and those sponsors are more likely to carry significant organisational clout [25].

“What people don’t recognise is that to be a successful leader, you need a community, both internally and externally. As I continued to rise in the ranks at our firm, feelings of loneliness became very pervasive. In order to survive, particularly as a female leader with very few women at my level in the organisation, that was not a “nice to have”, but rather an absolute necessity.” – Dr. Allison Dupuy, Partner & Managing Director at Simon-Kucher & Partners (Healthcare & Life Sciences)

“Having a network helps, but keeping the network warm is critical! You need to start networking as soon as you enter the workforce. As you progress through your career, your contacts are advancing through theirs. You realize the importance of the breadth and depth of your network later in your career when you rely on them to support you, mentor you, serve as a sounding board or help open doors to new opportunities.” – Nida Khan, Founder & President at Arya Consulting Partners

Informal networks can create opportunities to secure the most favourable work assignments and access to larger client accounts. Often, these communities are geared towards male-dominated interests which can then hinder women’s access to exclusive opportunities [26], [27], [28], [29].

“There are still some barriers to women getting opportunities that can help them get the experience needed for advancement. For instance, men leaders may subconsciously reach out and partner with other men, or strengthen their connection through events like work travel or golfing together. Ultimately, the person who is offered more opportunities for development will have more experience and will likely be more qualified for the promotion." – Katya Svoboda, Partner at EVERSANA MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

Moreover, studies show that the existing influential networks are predominantly White, meaning that ethnic minority women face a double hurdle when attempting to access opportunities for career development and advancement. Not only must they navigate traditionally male-dominated activities, but they often must do so in a culturally distinct setting – an environment which can foster a sense of exclusion and discomfort; this thereby limits the desire to be involved in collegiate networks, as well as making it harder to be accepted within them [30].

48% explicitly raised the point that networking was less accessible for women

However, the onus is not solely on organisations: Women can also look to existing, external networks that will enable them to grow professionally.* These external groups have a multitude of benefits, including: practical advice, such as how to find sponsors or respond to microaggressions; emotional support, enabling women to connect and build genuine relationships with like-minded women; and long-term support – discussing career opportunities, connecting with senior leaders in the same industry, and providing resources for growing leadership.‍

“I joined [CHIEF] because I really wanted to build more of a network of women in similar senior leadership roles. I think I’ve met some very inspiring women, who have encouraged me to think differently about things and helped me see different perspectives or different career opportunities: I have learned from them, exchanged ideas. I think it is a very good resource for senior women.” – Jenna Riffell, Managing Partner at Kx Advisors

“I think that you can learn from people around you internally as well as externally without it being a formal mentorship relationship. When you’re at the senior leadership level, you can invest in your own professional coaching, or you can invest in joining a Country Club or CHIEF. I think it’s more incumbent upon you to take ownership, to get whatever it is you feel would be important to help you progress.” – Keshia Maughn, Senior Principal at STATinMED

While external networks can lead to sponsorship opportunities, women should equally advocate their talents and act as their own sponsor. Although it is clear that women are somewhat constrained by societal expectations of modesty, even at the highest levels of seniority, they should be reminded that you fail 100% of the job applications you don’t apply for – similarly, you get 0% of the promotions you don’t ask for [31].‍

“I sometimes also have the feeling that women set incredibly high standards for themselves to make it to the next level; they think that ‘well if I’m not fulfilling it all, I can’t ask for it.’ Also, if they are not sure they can perform well they would rather not go for it. I think there are social and cultural components that women hold themselves back, and don’t ask for too much too early.” – Life Science Strategy Consulting Leader at a Big Four Consulting Firm

“Women don’t put themselves forward as much. Women that are super successful leaders adapt the mindset of ‘well, let me try it; I can do it.’ They don’t sit there and outline the reasons they can’t do something.” – Moira Ringo, Principal at Clarivate‍

“There should be more objective ways of identifying, supporting and nourishing talent, but at the end of the day we’re not robots and as much as you can try to put those systems in place, they’re never perfect. So, you’ve also got to have somebody that’s pushy: I think women do have a responsibility to push for what they deserve.” – Sophie Schmitz, Managing Partner at Partners4Access

Conclusion

‍“I think that there is a lot more openness to the conversation. Ten years ago, if I were aware of these issues and brought it up to my male Partners, they would likely say ‘sure, go ahead, you spear-head it.’ And they would not mentally engage. Now, when I bring it up, I have the language to connect it to business impact.” – Naina Shehzeen Ahmad, Partner at Blue Matter Consulting

Although consulting has matured into a more accommodating profession, offering flexibility and increasingly using meritocratic measures on the path to partnership, diversity remains a pivotal issue across the industry; many consulting firms still struggle to achieve gender and racial parity at the senior leadership level.

Consulting organisations lacking in diversity inhibit their potential and often lose exceptional talent. The absence of inclusive and diverse hiring practices continue to perpetuate systemic biases that may exclude qualified individuals from underrepresented groups. Female candidates look for diversity within a workforce, with a recent study showing that 61% of women will evaluate gender diversity of a prospective employer’s leadership team when seeking new opportunities [32].

If organisations are not evaluating gender diversity internally, they will limit innovation and exclude novel ways of thinking that hinder creative problem-solving – all factors that are crucial to the optimal functioning of a successful consulting team. In a competitive market, embracing diversity in all its forms is a strategic imperative for establishing long-term growth, with gender and racially diverse organisations 21% more likely to outperform on profitability [33]. Consulting firms should actively be addressing how to create, improve and implement organisational policies that scale the business without compromising DE&I.‍

“In Life Sciences, we’ve leaned into the innovation; it doesn’t matter where the innovation comes from and what it looks like, we’re embracing it. I think that the commercial side of it is going to embrace that as well. We’re going to really lean into the innovation, the creativity, the big ideas, and that levels the playing field because it can be from places where we wouldn’t have necessarily seen or looked before, especially in marginalised minority communities. We won’t just rely on the loudest voice in the room.” – Krista Perry, Partner at Trinity Life Sciences

Contact Us

At KRS-Associates we are proud of our effort to tackle the issues surrounding DE&I in all its forms within the consulting workforce. We will continue supporting our clients with fair and inclusive talent acquisition strategies and processes that incorporate a focus on DE&I as they grow their consulting teams.

Further Discussions

If you are interested in discussing more on this topic, please speak to a member of KRS-Associates’ Talent Strategy & Intelligence team. We strongly advise you do not contact our interviewees referenced in this article and welcome any questions or further information on their behalf.

Please note that the information provided by our interviewees in this article reflect their individual thoughts, views and expressions on the topic and are not, in any way, tied to their organisation.

To speak to a member of the team directly, reach out to to our Talent Consulting team at: talentconsulting@krs-associates.com

* Examples of professional external networks available to women: CHIEF, LeanIn, Women of Influence+, How Women Lead