Women's Initiative

Why do you believe women are such an important asset to BCG?
Women are a key part of the talent pool. BCG needs to get its fair share of women to be successful, and getting more than its fair share creates opportunities for competitive advantage.

What leadership opportunities are available at BCG?
BCG offers many leadership opportunities for women and men in client and nonclient settings. Very early in my tenure I was meeting with CEOs of top companies, discussing their challenges and opportunities.

I also have had many internal leadership roles. For example, I led recruiting for the Washington office as a first-year project leader, guided the buildout of the then new D.C. office, and headed the D.C. career development process. More recently, I have been leading the America's Women's Initiative and the Americas Consumer Practice.

All of these leadership roles have been tenure-appropriate and have allowed me not only to help clients change but also to help manage BCG.

What has BCG done to help you network and build relationships with other women?
BCG has been quite active for a number of years in trying to build affiliation between women within and across all regions. Activities range from pan-regional (such as our annual offsite meeting for all female consultants) to very local (such as the annual Munich women's barbeque and similar activities in all offices). Women's events are hosted at our worldwide partner and practice area meetings, global trainings, and other functions.

Because it is not always easy to physically get together, we are also experimenting with different forms of electronic communication, including our own Women's Initiative Web page and several mailing lists (for example, one for mothers who are consultants). Finally, we are also reaching outside of BCG to support networking with other ambitious and successful women through organizations like the World Women's Forum in Deauville and regional women's groups.

How has BCG supported your learning and personal growth?
BCG has been immensely supportive to me throughout my career. After spending two years with the company, BCG sponsored my M.B.A. studies at INSEAD. Upon my return to BCG, I was able to continue to develop my skills through the training and career development program. That was complemented by a number of case assignments abroad, most importantly the opportunity to spend two years in our Shanghai office.

Why do you believe women are such an important asset to BCG?
We simply cannot afford to have less than our fair share of the female talent pool. I don't think any company can do without women these days—particularly a high-growth consulting firm, which is more resource-constrained than demand-constrained. Strategic projects demand far more than other kinds of projects: a multitude of perspectives, unbiased thinking, and open discourse. For this, it is vital to have a diverse set of employees, including a large share of women. 

What leadership opportunities are available at BCG?
You can take on a leadership role within your office very early in your BCG career. Leadership opportunities range from leading a function—such as career development, recruiting, or a practice area—to being the office administrator. There are also a number of regional roles, like running the European Women's Initiative. And finally, there are global roles such as industry practice area leader, head of the people team, and CEO.

Why do you believe women are such an important asset to BCG?
Women are an important asset to BCG for a number of reasons For example, I tend to work in the retail sector, and for many of my clients, women are the main customers and decision-makers. Our retail clients expect to have women on the BCG team, and they see this as important for driving consumer insight and value-adding change.

How does BCG manage personal development?
The formal way that BCG manages personal growth is through the career-development process. Everyone has a career advisor, with whom they meet regularly to discuss progress, development objectives, and career expectations. Beyond that, there is regular training at all levels and also mentorship programs in some offices. I would say the key way we all develop is by working directly with our clients, case teams, principals, and partners.