Who is a woman who has been a role model or mentor in your career and in what ways did they shape your approach to leadership?
"Sandy Moose has been with me since my first year as a consultant at BCG, and now as an alumna too, giving me guidance on things like how to be a great board member. Sandy has taught me so much and has given me bite-sized leadership advice constantly throughout my career. I’d like to share some of my favorite tips from her.
She always reinforced the importance of spending time outside with clients in the market and not over-invest in internal processes. In the end, both are important but as a young partner it was important advice for me to always keep the external perspective.
A key rule I imbibed from her has been “no typos, even in footnotes.” It’s a reminder of the professionalism and perfection in what we deliver to clients. As a young consultant, she reminded me that each slide was worth X number of dollars to the client—and she was a master at catching these typos too.
I learned to take control of my calendar. Time is the most precious resource we must manage. Ruthless discipline needs to be practiced on where you need to be, with whom, and for how long. Make sure to make time for life, and not just work.
Another key lesson was to always “call out the moose on the table” (funny, given her last name!), but a reminder to speak up, and speak the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable. That’s the perspective we should always bring to every leadership setting to move things aggressively forward.
We’ve all heard her interview story with Bruce Henderson. Upon reflection, how bold it was to debate, using a black board, on the fundamentals of business economics. That boldness and braveness has been inked in my mind: to debate with passion and facts as you know them.”
Miki Tsusaka
President, Microsoft Japan
CVP, Microsoft Corp
BCG New York & Tokyo, 1984-1986, 1988-2023
She always reinforced the importance of spending time outside with clients in the market and not over-invest in internal processes. In the end, both are important but as a young partner it was important advice for me to always keep the external perspective.
A key rule I imbibed from her has been “no typos, even in footnotes.” It’s a reminder of the professionalism and perfection in what we deliver to clients. As a young consultant, she reminded me that each slide was worth X number of dollars to the client—and she was a master at catching these typos too.
I learned to take control of my calendar. Time is the most precious resource we must manage. Ruthless discipline needs to be practiced on where you need to be, with whom, and for how long. Make sure to make time for life, and not just work.
Another key lesson was to always “call out the moose on the table” (funny, given her last name!), but a reminder to speak up, and speak the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable. That’s the perspective we should always bring to every leadership setting to move things aggressively forward.
We’ve all heard her interview story with Bruce Henderson. Upon reflection, how bold it was to debate, using a black board, on the fundamentals of business economics. That boldness and braveness has been inked in my mind: to debate with passion and facts as you know them.”
Miki Tsusaka
President, Microsoft Japan
CVP, Microsoft Corp
BCG New York & Tokyo, 1984-1986, 1988-2023
"Anita Zaidi is a pediatrician, a mother, and the President of the Gender Equality division at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In many corners of global health where you see a woman in charge and thriving, she seems to have had a hand in helping that person get there. She showed me the power of having a very wide circle of care and defying the normal ‘this or that’ kind of thinking. She cares about big ambition and ruthless prioritization. She cares about overarching strategies and detailed execution. She leads with both heart and head. She’s comfortable being vulnerable while also taking a lot of risks.”
Janet Zhou
Director, Strategy and Interim Director, Digital Connectivity
Gates Foundation
BCG San Francisco, 2006-2013
Janet Zhou
Director, Strategy and Interim Director, Digital Connectivity
Gates Foundation
BCG San Francisco, 2006-2013
"At BCG, I was lucky to work as a consultant and project leader with Christine Barton as a partner. She inspired creativity in her teams and also led with a high-quality bar. Most importantly, she did this while also holding herself accountable and always being prepared. The ‘shadow of a leader’ is important, by role modelling what you want to see in the team.
At my previous role at Yum! Brands, I was given an opportunity to take on a VP Finance & Strategy role working for Melissa Lora. At that point, I’d had no experience with Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) or Franchise Finance. Melissa was great in believing in young talent, knowing that curious leaders would rise to the occasion. She gave me an opportunity and took a risk. I have done this many times as a leader, where I believe in someone and know they can figure out a new role. It’s so gratifying to see the risk pay off.”
Liz Williams
Chief Executive Officer
El pollo Loco
BCG Dallas, 2004-2010
At my previous role at Yum! Brands, I was given an opportunity to take on a VP Finance & Strategy role working for Melissa Lora. At that point, I’d had no experience with Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) or Franchise Finance. Melissa was great in believing in young talent, knowing that curious leaders would rise to the occasion. She gave me an opportunity and took a risk. I have done this many times as a leader, where I believe in someone and know they can figure out a new role. It’s so gratifying to see the risk pay off.”
Liz Williams
Chief Executive Officer
El pollo Loco
BCG Dallas, 2004-2010
Hear From More Alumnae
“A woman who has deeply influenced my approach to leadership is my mother. She studied engineering and, despite the challenges of balancing her career with raising a family, she has always demonstrated extraordinary discipline and dedication. Her ability to excel in a traditionally male-dominated field while also being an unwavering source of support for us as children has shaped how I view leadership. She taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance, and the value of nurturing both professional and personal commitments. Through her, I learned that true leadership involves not just making decisions but also uplifting others and managing multiple responsibilities with grace and balance.”
Astrid Rauchfuss
Board Member & Strategic Advisor
BCG Munich, 2000-2021
“My mother is my greatest role model and the unwavering support behind my journey. She has stood by me through the highs and lows of my career, always encouraging and guiding me. From her, I have received two of life’s most invaluable gifts: optimism and grit. Despite facing numerous setbacks, these gifts have propelled me forward, enabling me to rise to greater heights with each challenge.
Through witnessing her navigate the complexities of life as both a woman and a mother, I have absorbed the most profound lessons that have shaped my leadership style. My mother has instilled in me the importance of leading with both empathy and intention. Empathy, to me, means truly understanding others by seeing the world through their eyes—recognizing the motivations behind their actions, regardless of their performance level. Intention, on the other hand, is about acting with integrity and speaking from a place of truth, always leading with good intentions, especially in times of difficult decisions and adversity.”
Mei Lee
Managing Director
Omnicom PR Group Singapore
BCG Singapore, 2021-2024
"Rather than choosing one specific woman, I would like to highlight the important role that my female colleagues have had throughout my career, and especially those I met at BCG. While sometimes we expect role models or mentors to be much more senior women that will have clear answers to our career concerns, we might miss the opportunity to learn a lot from our peers. At BCG, I met amazing women I deeply admire, who have accompanied me ever since: we get together to share experiences, discuss career plans and concerns, and offer advice to each other. In my experience, women can benefit a lot from building strong communities with their colleagues, pushing each other to grow.”
Lucía Lammertyn
MBA Candidate (Class of 2026), Harvard Business School
Former Regional Business Senior Manager—Supermarket, Mercado Libre
BCG Buenos Aire, 2018-2021
“My mother is my role model. She got married at a very young age and worked as an accountant after my sister and I were born, and went on to become the CEO of the company my father founded, and which she co-led for years before taking the helm. My mom does an incredible job of taking perspectives. She examines the different facets of a situation before coming to conclusions or making decisions. That enables her to be cool, calm, and collected in even the most trying of circumstances, as she doesn’t immediately judge, or assume the worst. I’ve found this to be useful not only in my personal life, but also in my professional growth as a leader in how I evaluate situations from all angles, and particularly by incorporating the perspectives of those around me: team members, peers, and other leaders.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Service (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“Apple’s Tim Cook says "Being a CEO is a lonely job." I would say that being a female CEO is even lonelier, as there are less women leaders at the top of an organization. That is why I think it is of utmost importance to have role models. Even if they are not within the organization, you can listen to their TED Talks, podcasts, or read their interviews and books. All of this can also be very much empowering! I definitely remember the eye-opening moment when—after the first shock—I literally started laughing as I was reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In: her way of telling women to sit at the table and speak out is so simple (and an everyday issue), and on the other hand, fabulous! Up to that moment, I had thought it was a problem I faced alone. Also, the way Sheryl teaches us to encourage our daughters in their careers is so important.”
Magdolna Tokai
Deputy CEO
ALTEO Group
BCG Budapest, 2004-2005
“My mother has undoubtedly been my first and most important role model, both as a professional, as medical doctor, with her dedication and service to others, but also as a mother, a friend, and a member of our community. I strive (and fail) every day to live a life as meaningful as the one my mother lives. I would also like to refer Teresa Espírito Santo, a dear friend and the reason I joined BCG. If it wasn’t for Teresa convincing me BCG would be THE place to work, my life would have been totally different—I even met my husband at BCG! And she continues to inspire me with her work ethic and strong personality. Finally, I refer to Paula Amorim, my chairman and founder at Amorim Luxury, and a great businesswoman, who has taken the time to teach me every day real-life business and politics, how to think really big, and provided me with a full education in luxury, making me a better and more ambitious professional every day.”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“My role model is a partner I know at an investment fund. She, herself, is a mother of four and in her track record, she has been able to find and back multiple breakout founders—some of whom became unicorn founders. Despite her high rank and track record, she is always approachable and full of wisdom, and is patient in explaining things. She is also insightful and sharp when it comes to looking at an investment, being knowledgeable in a vast array of topics. She is stellar in guiding through questioning. When I look at her, I am inspired of a model of feminine leadership that she proves to be realistic in a world where it seems to support a different mode of leadership idealism.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
“Unintentionally, but perhaps typical in the area I’m working in, I’ve never had a classical female role model or mentor. The women I have learned from were, rather, peers or colleagues, especially in the leadership teams I’ve been a part of. It has helped me a lot with sparring as needed in certain situations where I’ve felt puzzled by the reactions of my male colleague and to rework my approach when needed.”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“I have had several inspiring female role models in my career. While each of them had a unique leadership style and capabilities, they had common traits such as sparing the time to listen and appreciate those around them, their ability to celebrate others’ success, embracing diversity of thought, and being tenacious in their desire to develop themselves and others. However, the key thing I have learned from their collective wisdom is to balance being courageous with being compassionate—have the courage to stand for others; courage to voice an opinion even if it’s different; courage to fail, and compassion to accept that people have different needs or might be at different paces; compassion towards their unique abilities before looking at their mishaps; compassion to listen and learn from those who might seem less experienced; compassion towards leaders who are burdened by the expectation that they should have the answers to everything.”
Leila Naguib
Gulf Corporate Affairs Manager
Mars
BCG Dubai, 2016-2021
"I would say that the two women who have influenced me the most are the late Dr. Angelika Amon (MIT Professor in Cell Biology and Genetics) and Dr. Shannon Turley (former faculty member at Harvard Medical School, now VP at Genentech), because they both taught me to trust myself and really believe that I could achieve anything in the professional world, without having to sacrifice my personal goals. They made me realize that openly showing our vulnerability is not a detriment, but rather a lever for us to lead by example and to empower ourselves and others.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“When I was pregnant with my first child 24 years ago—while coordinating the HR integration of New Zealand’s largest merger—I met Alison. She took me under her wing, mentored me, and has since become a lifelong friend. She recently retired from a pivotal CEO role in New Zealand. Watching a senior woman lead authentically—always staying true to her core values—showed me the power of stepping into my own authenticity. She taught me to be proud of who I am and to lean into it, unapologetically. We don’t choose to be role models; we become them by staying true to ourselves. That’s one of the most powerful lessons of my career—the impact senior women have on the ambitions of other women.”
Galia Barhava-Monteith
Founding Director
Oro Group Mentoring
BCG Auckland, 1999-2001
“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with and learned from so many incredible and accomplished women, which makes it tough to answer with only one role model. I feel very fortunate to be part of such a strong community of female leaders who have each had an incredible impact on both my professional and personal growth. They not only shaped my professional style and management ethos, but also reiterated the important role women have in mentoring other young female professionals rising in their careers.”
Hannah Mara
Head of Food & Beverage
YETI
BCG Washington DC, 2012-2013
“There have been many women through my career who I looked to as role models, but the one constant woman that has inspired me has been my mother. She has never worked professionally in her life; however, has an empathetic leadership style through which she has built strong equity in trust and loyalty. She lives in India and seamlessly manages house help and other external suppliers (grocery delivery man, milkman, etc.), which have their own complexities and dependencies but are committed to going above and beyond for her. I have learned to ‘listen’ actively to people to understand their problems and motivations. Rightly, she is the ‘agony aunt’ for everyone but has been a great example for me as a leader. It has shaped my fundamental view of engaging people by active listening and understanding. The commitment and delivery that you receive when people feel cared for is unparalleled. They see their success in your success, and I truly believe this is the only way to becoming a successful leader.”
Supriya Mundra
Group Strategy & Transformation Director
Holland & Barrett
BCG London, 2019-2020
“My mother. She showed me that helping others is the best way to make connections and gain trust.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & Co
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“I am privileged to have had many pleasant experiences with women in leadership roles from the beginning of my career. But I want to highlight some BCGers whose impact in my career is still felt: Jacqueline (Jackie) Foster-Mutungu and Meghan Taylor.
My first experience of Jackie was during a women’s breakfast hosted by BCG in 2018. She spoke about being a working mum and how BCG was supporting her in this. But I got to experience more of her when I was placed within a project that she was leading and even more so when she became my career development advisor. I appreciated how firm and honest she was in providing feedback. Although those sessions were tough, I know that she did it because she cared about my career progression. Lastly, during my transition out of BCG, we connected about my next steps. I remember in one of our sessions sharing with her that I needed to move out of my place but didn’t have a place to move into yet. I had to be out within the week. I remember her slightly panicking on my behalf (like a mother would). That moment stands out for me more than everything else. It displayed a sense of care and compassion that I had not expected to receive in a professional setting.
As a junior associate, I had the privilege to be staffed on a project that Meghan was leading. I absolutely enjoyed her fun and lighthearted approach to team meetings. Though most of our interactions were on Zoom, I had the most fun in Meghan’s team. I experienced care and compassion from her as well in how she sacrificed precious time within her day to guide my learning and delivery for the project. She gave me plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. She invested in people, and had a way of making them feel comfortable with her.
I would hope that my approach in building relationships, leading projects, giving feedback, mentoring, and leading meetings in the workplace and my personal life has traces of both Jackie’s and Meghan’s honesty, firmness, care, compassion, fun, investment, and warmth. This reflection challenges me to be more intentional about bringing their influence into my leadership.”
Thembelihle Nyembe
Fellow
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
BCG Johannesburg, 2020-2021
“I have great admiration for Melanie Perkins. She is a serial entrepreneur, a builder, an athlete, a leader, and someone committed to both building a very successful enterprise and doing as much good in the world as possible. I greatly admire her resilience (100 no’s from investors didn’t stop her), her commitment to diversity and inclusion (41% of Canva employees are women), and her drive (Canva is the most valuable female-founded company in the world). In addition, she and her partner have donated 31% of Canva’s equity to the Canva Foundation, so the more successful Canva is, the more impact they can have. She takes risks, she has a lot of heart, she leads with conviction, and she is a kite surfer! We all could learn a lot from her leadership.”
Jes Wolfe
Chief Executive Officer
Rebel Girls
BCG Washington DC, 2010-2013
Astrid Rauchfuss
Board Member & Strategic Advisor
BCG Munich, 2000-2021
“My mother is my greatest role model and the unwavering support behind my journey. She has stood by me through the highs and lows of my career, always encouraging and guiding me. From her, I have received two of life’s most invaluable gifts: optimism and grit. Despite facing numerous setbacks, these gifts have propelled me forward, enabling me to rise to greater heights with each challenge.
Through witnessing her navigate the complexities of life as both a woman and a mother, I have absorbed the most profound lessons that have shaped my leadership style. My mother has instilled in me the importance of leading with both empathy and intention. Empathy, to me, means truly understanding others by seeing the world through their eyes—recognizing the motivations behind their actions, regardless of their performance level. Intention, on the other hand, is about acting with integrity and speaking from a place of truth, always leading with good intentions, especially in times of difficult decisions and adversity.”
Mei Lee
Managing Director
Omnicom PR Group Singapore
BCG Singapore, 2021-2024
"Rather than choosing one specific woman, I would like to highlight the important role that my female colleagues have had throughout my career, and especially those I met at BCG. While sometimes we expect role models or mentors to be much more senior women that will have clear answers to our career concerns, we might miss the opportunity to learn a lot from our peers. At BCG, I met amazing women I deeply admire, who have accompanied me ever since: we get together to share experiences, discuss career plans and concerns, and offer advice to each other. In my experience, women can benefit a lot from building strong communities with their colleagues, pushing each other to grow.”
Lucía Lammertyn
MBA Candidate (Class of 2026), Harvard Business School
Former Regional Business Senior Manager—Supermarket, Mercado Libre
BCG Buenos Aire, 2018-2021
“My mother is my role model. She got married at a very young age and worked as an accountant after my sister and I were born, and went on to become the CEO of the company my father founded, and which she co-led for years before taking the helm. My mom does an incredible job of taking perspectives. She examines the different facets of a situation before coming to conclusions or making decisions. That enables her to be cool, calm, and collected in even the most trying of circumstances, as she doesn’t immediately judge, or assume the worst. I’ve found this to be useful not only in my personal life, but also in my professional growth as a leader in how I evaluate situations from all angles, and particularly by incorporating the perspectives of those around me: team members, peers, and other leaders.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Service (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“Apple’s Tim Cook says "Being a CEO is a lonely job." I would say that being a female CEO is even lonelier, as there are less women leaders at the top of an organization. That is why I think it is of utmost importance to have role models. Even if they are not within the organization, you can listen to their TED Talks, podcasts, or read their interviews and books. All of this can also be very much empowering! I definitely remember the eye-opening moment when—after the first shock—I literally started laughing as I was reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In: her way of telling women to sit at the table and speak out is so simple (and an everyday issue), and on the other hand, fabulous! Up to that moment, I had thought it was a problem I faced alone. Also, the way Sheryl teaches us to encourage our daughters in their careers is so important.”
Magdolna Tokai
Deputy CEO
ALTEO Group
BCG Budapest, 2004-2005
“My mother has undoubtedly been my first and most important role model, both as a professional, as medical doctor, with her dedication and service to others, but also as a mother, a friend, and a member of our community. I strive (and fail) every day to live a life as meaningful as the one my mother lives. I would also like to refer Teresa Espírito Santo, a dear friend and the reason I joined BCG. If it wasn’t for Teresa convincing me BCG would be THE place to work, my life would have been totally different—I even met my husband at BCG! And she continues to inspire me with her work ethic and strong personality. Finally, I refer to Paula Amorim, my chairman and founder at Amorim Luxury, and a great businesswoman, who has taken the time to teach me every day real-life business and politics, how to think really big, and provided me with a full education in luxury, making me a better and more ambitious professional every day.”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“My role model is a partner I know at an investment fund. She, herself, is a mother of four and in her track record, she has been able to find and back multiple breakout founders—some of whom became unicorn founders. Despite her high rank and track record, she is always approachable and full of wisdom, and is patient in explaining things. She is also insightful and sharp when it comes to looking at an investment, being knowledgeable in a vast array of topics. She is stellar in guiding through questioning. When I look at her, I am inspired of a model of feminine leadership that she proves to be realistic in a world where it seems to support a different mode of leadership idealism.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
“Unintentionally, but perhaps typical in the area I’m working in, I’ve never had a classical female role model or mentor. The women I have learned from were, rather, peers or colleagues, especially in the leadership teams I’ve been a part of. It has helped me a lot with sparring as needed in certain situations where I’ve felt puzzled by the reactions of my male colleague and to rework my approach when needed.”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“I have had several inspiring female role models in my career. While each of them had a unique leadership style and capabilities, they had common traits such as sparing the time to listen and appreciate those around them, their ability to celebrate others’ success, embracing diversity of thought, and being tenacious in their desire to develop themselves and others. However, the key thing I have learned from their collective wisdom is to balance being courageous with being compassionate—have the courage to stand for others; courage to voice an opinion even if it’s different; courage to fail, and compassion to accept that people have different needs or might be at different paces; compassion towards their unique abilities before looking at their mishaps; compassion to listen and learn from those who might seem less experienced; compassion towards leaders who are burdened by the expectation that they should have the answers to everything.”
Leila Naguib
Gulf Corporate Affairs Manager
Mars
BCG Dubai, 2016-2021
"I would say that the two women who have influenced me the most are the late Dr. Angelika Amon (MIT Professor in Cell Biology and Genetics) and Dr. Shannon Turley (former faculty member at Harvard Medical School, now VP at Genentech), because they both taught me to trust myself and really believe that I could achieve anything in the professional world, without having to sacrifice my personal goals. They made me realize that openly showing our vulnerability is not a detriment, but rather a lever for us to lead by example and to empower ourselves and others.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“When I was pregnant with my first child 24 years ago—while coordinating the HR integration of New Zealand’s largest merger—I met Alison. She took me under her wing, mentored me, and has since become a lifelong friend. She recently retired from a pivotal CEO role in New Zealand. Watching a senior woman lead authentically—always staying true to her core values—showed me the power of stepping into my own authenticity. She taught me to be proud of who I am and to lean into it, unapologetically. We don’t choose to be role models; we become them by staying true to ourselves. That’s one of the most powerful lessons of my career—the impact senior women have on the ambitions of other women.”
Galia Barhava-Monteith
Founding Director
Oro Group Mentoring
BCG Auckland, 1999-2001
“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with and learned from so many incredible and accomplished women, which makes it tough to answer with only one role model. I feel very fortunate to be part of such a strong community of female leaders who have each had an incredible impact on both my professional and personal growth. They not only shaped my professional style and management ethos, but also reiterated the important role women have in mentoring other young female professionals rising in their careers.”
Hannah Mara
Head of Food & Beverage
YETI
BCG Washington DC, 2012-2013
“There have been many women through my career who I looked to as role models, but the one constant woman that has inspired me has been my mother. She has never worked professionally in her life; however, has an empathetic leadership style through which she has built strong equity in trust and loyalty. She lives in India and seamlessly manages house help and other external suppliers (grocery delivery man, milkman, etc.), which have their own complexities and dependencies but are committed to going above and beyond for her. I have learned to ‘listen’ actively to people to understand their problems and motivations. Rightly, she is the ‘agony aunt’ for everyone but has been a great example for me as a leader. It has shaped my fundamental view of engaging people by active listening and understanding. The commitment and delivery that you receive when people feel cared for is unparalleled. They see their success in your success, and I truly believe this is the only way to becoming a successful leader.”
Supriya Mundra
Group Strategy & Transformation Director
Holland & Barrett
BCG London, 2019-2020
“My mother. She showed me that helping others is the best way to make connections and gain trust.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & Co
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“I am privileged to have had many pleasant experiences with women in leadership roles from the beginning of my career. But I want to highlight some BCGers whose impact in my career is still felt: Jacqueline (Jackie) Foster-Mutungu and Meghan Taylor.
My first experience of Jackie was during a women’s breakfast hosted by BCG in 2018. She spoke about being a working mum and how BCG was supporting her in this. But I got to experience more of her when I was placed within a project that she was leading and even more so when she became my career development advisor. I appreciated how firm and honest she was in providing feedback. Although those sessions were tough, I know that she did it because she cared about my career progression. Lastly, during my transition out of BCG, we connected about my next steps. I remember in one of our sessions sharing with her that I needed to move out of my place but didn’t have a place to move into yet. I had to be out within the week. I remember her slightly panicking on my behalf (like a mother would). That moment stands out for me more than everything else. It displayed a sense of care and compassion that I had not expected to receive in a professional setting.
As a junior associate, I had the privilege to be staffed on a project that Meghan was leading. I absolutely enjoyed her fun and lighthearted approach to team meetings. Though most of our interactions were on Zoom, I had the most fun in Meghan’s team. I experienced care and compassion from her as well in how she sacrificed precious time within her day to guide my learning and delivery for the project. She gave me plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. She invested in people, and had a way of making them feel comfortable with her.
I would hope that my approach in building relationships, leading projects, giving feedback, mentoring, and leading meetings in the workplace and my personal life has traces of both Jackie’s and Meghan’s honesty, firmness, care, compassion, fun, investment, and warmth. This reflection challenges me to be more intentional about bringing their influence into my leadership.”
Thembelihle Nyembe
Fellow
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
BCG Johannesburg, 2020-2021
“I have great admiration for Melanie Perkins. She is a serial entrepreneur, a builder, an athlete, a leader, and someone committed to both building a very successful enterprise and doing as much good in the world as possible. I greatly admire her resilience (100 no’s from investors didn’t stop her), her commitment to diversity and inclusion (41% of Canva employees are women), and her drive (Canva is the most valuable female-founded company in the world). In addition, she and her partner have donated 31% of Canva’s equity to the Canva Foundation, so the more successful Canva is, the more impact they can have. She takes risks, she has a lot of heart, she leads with conviction, and she is a kite surfer! We all could learn a lot from her leadership.”
Jes Wolfe
Chief Executive Officer
Rebel Girls
BCG Washington DC, 2010-2013
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received that you’d like to share with other women?
"One of my very early bosses at BCG spoke to me about leading with compassion. By leading with empathy and kindness, you create and foster a culture of support within your team and organization. I believe that compassionate leaders will understand the need to create an environment where staff feel valued, and most importantly, they understand that they are people first before they are staff. I’ve seen over my years in HR that compassion and kindness lead to better staff retention, improving job satisfaction and creating a happier and more motivated workforce. I’ve now been with Blackstone for almost 17 years and really value the quality and commitment to this in our leadership team. I valued this approach from my time at BCG as well.”
Anna Mignot
Managing Director, Head of Human Resources for EMEA
Blackstone
BCG London, 1999-2006
Anna Mignot
Managing Director, Head of Human Resources for EMEA
Blackstone
BCG London, 1999-2006
"The best advice that I have received is, ‘You cannot do it alone.’ What is great about this advice is that there are built-in support systems within every professional space that I have had the privilege of being a part of—some more structured than others. Nonetheless, it is my responsibility to recognize these structures and utilize them to the best of my ability. Yet, somehow this is an area where I can still get stuck in tunnel vision and be so determined to lean on my own strengths instead of sharing the load and asking for help. I am grateful to God for constantly reminding me of this truth in my daily life and placing people around me to support my journey of growth and remind me that I don’t need to do it alone and that, in fact, I cannot do it alone.”
Thembelihle Nyembe
Fellow
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
BCG Johannesburg, 2020-2021
Thembelihle Nyembe
Fellow
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
BCG Johannesburg, 2020-2021
"It was at Christine Lagarde's Davos dinner: Dress, Address, Redress.
Dress: First impressions matter, especially, as you are in the minority in a room. How you take care of yourself and make your presence known is an indication of how important the setting is;
Address: Work never speaks for itself – you do – so, you must be clear and convincing in whatever comes out of you to a group; and
Redress: YOU are responsible to ensure that we move forward fully and inclusively, by making sure you let the small voices be heard in the room, and leaning in to insist on inclusivity, thereby do your part as a female leader. There is no choice here.”
Miki Tsusaka
President, Microsoft Japan
CVP, Microsoft Corp
BCG New York & Tokyo, 1984-1986, 1988-2023
Dress: First impressions matter, especially, as you are in the minority in a room. How you take care of yourself and make your presence known is an indication of how important the setting is;
Address: Work never speaks for itself – you do – so, you must be clear and convincing in whatever comes out of you to a group; and
Redress: YOU are responsible to ensure that we move forward fully and inclusively, by making sure you let the small voices be heard in the room, and leaning in to insist on inclusivity, thereby do your part as a female leader. There is no choice here.”
Miki Tsusaka
President, Microsoft Japan
CVP, Microsoft Corp
BCG New York & Tokyo, 1984-1986, 1988-2023
Hear From More Alumnae
“You are your own best advocate. Whether in your career, relationships, or personal growth, no one will fight for you the way you can fight for yourself. Speak up for what you deserve, set boundaries unapologetically, and don’t wait for permission to go after what you want. Confidence isn’t about always knowing the answer; it’s about trusting yourself enough to figure it out.”
Astrid Rauchfuss
Board Member & Strategic Advisor
BCG Munich, 2000-2021
“The most valuable piece of advice I’ve ever received came from a male colleague. At a time when I was struggling in my role, feeling lost and contemplating resignation, he told me, ‘Don’t leave when things get tough. Stay, analyze what went wrong, and work your way back to success. You may never find yourself in a situation with so many obstacles, and if you don’t learn to persevere, rise above, and thrive in such circumstances, you’ll be doomed to fail when faced with similar challenges again.’ I took his words to heart, remained in the role for another two years, and ultimately left after having not only overcome the difficulties but also flourished in the position.”
Mei Lee
Managing Director
Omnicom PR Group Singapore
BCG Singapore, 2021-2024
“Feedback is everywhere if you pay attention. It’s in how people react to you, the words they use to describe you, and how they respond. Pay attention. Learn from it. Bank your wins—don’t downplay them—and own your impact. Back yourself. Don’t settle. I never actually received this advice, and I wish I had!”
Galia Barhava-Monteith
Founding Director
Oro Group Mentoring
BCG Auckland, 1999-2001
“In times of adversity, harness your resilience and maintain faith in your own capabilities. While progress may not always unfold at the pace you anticipate, stay committed to your journey and you will eventually reach extraordinary destinations.”
Verónica Soares Franco
Executive Committee Member & Chief Human Resources Officer
Pestana Hotel Group
BCG Lisbon, 2006-2010
“This may be dated, but I came into the workplace around the time of Lean In, and the only thing I remember from the book is ‘Don’t leave before you leave,’ which is the only piece of advice that I’ve held onto for my entire career. For me, it means saying yes to new opportunities and fun messy challenges, even if they may not be the right thing for me in the distant future. This allowed me to take on extraordinary opportunities in my 20s, in jobs that perhaps would not have allowed for the kind of balance I want in my 30s. It also gave me the experience and learnings to pivot to something that more suited my needs when those needs arose later in life.”
Nan Hu
VP, Head of Strategy/Chief of Staff to CEO
Marc Jacobs
BCG New York, 2012-2015, 2020-2022
“‘The right person for the right position varies, so rather than comparing oneself to others, it's important to focus on one's strengths.’
These words were shared with me by both my mentor and my boss during feedback sessions. Currently, this advice influences my approach to managing my company, focusing on people's strengths and identifying the positions where they can best utilize their abilities. It has helped me avoid being misled by weaknesses. Moreover, as a CEO, it has led me to objectively assess my own capabilities, acknowledging what I can and cannot do well, and seeking out individuals who excel in areas where I may lack proficiency.”
Junko Kemi
Founder
kay me
BCG Tokyo, 2005-2007
“One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to build a diverse personal board of career mentors and sponsors. One of my mentors told me that he loved to mentor me because I am so coachable and receptive to feedback and advice. I look at those relationships as two-way streets, where it is just as important for the mentor to feel heard and appreciated as it is for the mentee to receive advice. These are people that have been incredibly successful in their careers, and part of the joy for them in mentoring is paying it forward, so I want to make sure that the people that are investing in me see me being appreciative of their time and wisdom.”
Dru Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer
AffiniPay
BCG San Francisco, 2008-2012
“To shape my own path and find a model that would work for me and only me. It came from a female principal I was working with at the time. As a mother of a young child under 2 years of age, she once told me that if the model you’ve chosen works for you and your family, don’t bother about anyone else. A lot of people will be tempted to have an opinion and criticize you, such as you’re an absent mother because you can’t be at every school event, or you’re not working 100% because you have young kids, etc. But the reality is, there is not one way to be a mother and a professional. If the model you’ve chosen makes you feel happy and fulfilled, that is the most important.”
Cécile Novion
CEO and Co-founder
Kora Fertility
BCG Bogotá, 2012-2018
“Work hard from day one. Hard work brings knowledge, and it compounds over time. By the time you’re 30, you will have many more years of work experience than other people, and you will be in a whole new league.”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“For your career, the best piece of advice I have received is that you should consider every professional meeting as an opportunity to network, since the power of your network impacts your career more than you think. In today’s digital world, you can network on a wider scale quite efficiently. However, it still does not beat the power of a good in-person impression. For the working moms out there, the best advice I have received for dealing with mom guilt is to remember that the quality of your time with your kids can outweigh the quantity of time. If you put away distractions and concentrate fully on your kids when you are with them, this will be appreciated and remembered by them more than the number of times you had to work late.”
Tamara Fiona Wenneck
Senior Strategy Lead
Hempel
BCG Copenhagen, 2016-2019
“‘Soar with your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.’ In an environment where the focus can be what you could be better at and areas of improvement, there is an opportunity to instead double down on those things that you are uniquely good at. Use those strengths to make a difference in a way that only you can. It also means not to overly focus on those areas where you have opportunities to improve. Be aware of those areas, surround yourself with people who are strong and can help fill those potential gaps for you, but don’t try to work on them to the detriment of putting your strengths to good use.”
Chidinma Asonye
President
S by Serena
BCG New York, 2013-2015
“Everything has its own time, so be patient. Make sure to understand yourself and what makes you happy, and go for it.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
“A person once told me that the best lesson I can pass on to my kids is that their mom is a successful professional who can achieve amazing things and still be present in their everyday lives. That is something that I have strived to teach my kids (especially my boys) from day one. Today, I know that they are proud of me as a working mom and have never felt ignored.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“The best piece of advice that I would like to share with other women is around how to maintain a happy family life while not sacrificing your professional goals. As a proud mother of three and a CEO, I have always followed three simple guidelines: don’t be afraid to set boundaries, surround yourself with good people, and don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Setting boundaries can be scary, especially for women, because we have a tendency to over prepare, triple check, and make sure we have buy-in from everyone. Have confidence in the fact that you have set the right priorities, focus on those, and don’t be afraid to let the rest go. The second one is surrounding yourself with good people, both at home and at work. Have the right support at home and the right people at work that you can trust, and don’t be afraid to share and delegate responsibilities. And last but not least, don’t forget to pat yourself on the back! It’s very easy, especially for women, to be self-critical. Make sure the cheerleader in you is always louder than the self-critic and don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done!”
Julianna Dinsdale
On Sabbatical
BCG Budapest, 2004-2006, 2012-2019
“The very best piece of advice that I have received is to work with good people. Find people who are committed to helping you develop, grow, and get new experiences. I have been fortunate enough to work with and for several mentors and advocates over the years—these are people who have recognized that I do good work and advocate for me. This has opened doors and led to opportunities that otherwise would not have come my way. It helps if they are fun too—we spend a lot of time at work! The other piece of advice that I think is really important is to be OK with your career path not being linear. You will learn more, tackle more interesting projects, and build a stronger network if you are open to not necessarily doing what is expected or typical.”
Imogen Pryce
Chief Operating Officer, R&D
Relay Therapeutics
BCG Los Angeles, 2011-2017
“If all you can think about is ‘how’ to get there, you will never reach the goal because you will not move forward until you find the way to get there. You will seek the ‘how’ forever. So first decide who you want to be and what you want to achieve. If you do that, the way to do it (or the ‘how’) will come later. You will find that there are hints for what you should aim for all around you. Many women have a hard time having confidence that they can do it. That is why it is said that women tend to hesitate to set big goals. These words were some of the most encouraging words to me when I was unable to move forward by myself.”
Fumika Yonekura
Co-founder
Waris
BCG Tokyo, 2000-2007
“I love the quote from Oscar Wilde: ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ It’s so important to be authentic and not chase expectations from others that are simply not you. Connected to this, it helped me a lot when I had a session with a coach (also a female) and worked on my competencies. I struggled a lot with the thought that I lacked some skills I observed almost everyone around me was super good at. She asked, ‘Is this a skill you need that most likely is important for any future job?’
I answered, ‘No, I’d rather have no job than one where I would need to apply this skill day in and out.’
Her answer: ‘Okay, then why are you spending so much energy on something you most likely will not use going forward? Why not focus on the strength you have?’ This thought made my life so much easier!”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“It is nearly impossible to excel at all things at all times, especially when considering your family, self, and career—let alone humanity! Be intentional regarding what you are giving to each element of your life at each moment in time.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & Co
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“A certain president of a consumer goods company once told me, ‘Don’t aim to be number one because you know the strategy of how to do it. Aim to be number one so the strategy will follow.’
“The best advice would be to know your nonnegotiables and communicate them. As I evolve in my career, it is very clear to me that verbalizing your nonnegotiables earlier on is something that could have brought me higher satisfaction and happiness in my path. I am aware that this is a point you usually fear in the beginning of your career, but I can’t stress it enough: don’t be afraid to fight to transform your work into what makes sense to you.”
Inês Relvas
Executive Board Member
Universo
BCG Lisbon, 2012-2020
“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten is from my BCG colleague and senior partner, Rohan Sajdeh, who once suggested to me that I should ‘be comfortable in my own skin.’ That feedback resonated with me. Particularly as an immigrant woman who trained as an engineer and was now post-MBA living in Chicago, the feeling of ‘I don’t belong here’ was real. Instead of owning my tech background (I had worked at Apple previously) and my Indian roots, I spent 30 minutes watching ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption (PTI) every week so I could sound knowledgeable about sports when doing small talk with my midwestern clients. As much as I tried, while I do enjoy watching games live in the stadiums (and PTI was a great show!), I’d rather nerd out on deep tech than sports stats. I have taken that ‘mantra’ to heart, which has helped me create much more authentic relationships of my own, even with those I’ve never met before that may have seemingly nothing in common with me.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Services (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“Feedback is vital for one’s career, and we must use it wisely. To bring our unique voice to the table, we should be selective around what feedback will truly help unleash our authentic self.”
Lana Mazahreh
Head of 3P Fulfillment
Amazon South Africa
BCG Johannesburg, 2014-2020
“I would say ‘be true to yourself.’ I think it is difficult to become the best version of yourself if you are trying to be someone you are not. I have always believed that what makes a great professional stand out is not what that person has in common with everyone else, but rather what makes him or her unique. As we learn, receive feedback, and evolve our thinking, I think is important to adapt those learnings to our personal style and values, and make them fit for each of us.”
Marta Calvo
Chief Strategy Officer
Vida Security
BCG Santiago, 2011-2021
“This advice comes from Clay Christensen: ‘How you allocate your resources is where the rubber meets the road. Real strategy—in companies and in our lives—is created through hundreds of everyday decisions about where we spend our resources.’ Often, we allocate our time and energy pursuing goals that are defined by our context, or goals that yield immediate returns. When people who have a high need for achievement have an extra half hour of time or an extra ounce of energy, they’ll unconsciously allocate it to activities that yield the most tangible accomplishments, and our careers provide the most concrete evidence that we’re moving forward. Because of this, people like us have this unconscious bias to underinvest in their families and overinvest in their careers.”
Raquel Seabra
Executive Board Member
Sogrape
BCG Lisbon, 2005-2015
“The best piece of advice I have ever received is, ‘Get a mentor!’ from a very good friend of mine (also a C-level female colleague with young children) who observed the challenges I faced in a very masculine business environment. I never thought that just a few conversations with a high-level professional outside of my organization could change so much. It felt like somebody had opened a new window to my present situation, showing me a totally new perspective. Since then, I myself have also been mentoring and promoting this practice among colleagues, especially working parents with young children.”
Magdolna Tokai
Deputy CEO
ALTEO Group
BCG Budapest, 2004-2005
“If you’re not aiming to be wrong more than 20% of the time, you’re playing it too safe.”
Janet Zhou
Director, Foundation Strategy Office and Director, Gender Impact Accelerators
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
BCG San Francisco, 2006-2013
Astrid Rauchfuss
Board Member & Strategic Advisor
BCG Munich, 2000-2021
“The most valuable piece of advice I’ve ever received came from a male colleague. At a time when I was struggling in my role, feeling lost and contemplating resignation, he told me, ‘Don’t leave when things get tough. Stay, analyze what went wrong, and work your way back to success. You may never find yourself in a situation with so many obstacles, and if you don’t learn to persevere, rise above, and thrive in such circumstances, you’ll be doomed to fail when faced with similar challenges again.’ I took his words to heart, remained in the role for another two years, and ultimately left after having not only overcome the difficulties but also flourished in the position.”
Mei Lee
Managing Director
Omnicom PR Group Singapore
BCG Singapore, 2021-2024
“Feedback is everywhere if you pay attention. It’s in how people react to you, the words they use to describe you, and how they respond. Pay attention. Learn from it. Bank your wins—don’t downplay them—and own your impact. Back yourself. Don’t settle. I never actually received this advice, and I wish I had!”
Galia Barhava-Monteith
Founding Director
Oro Group Mentoring
BCG Auckland, 1999-2001
“In times of adversity, harness your resilience and maintain faith in your own capabilities. While progress may not always unfold at the pace you anticipate, stay committed to your journey and you will eventually reach extraordinary destinations.”
Verónica Soares Franco
Executive Committee Member & Chief Human Resources Officer
Pestana Hotel Group
BCG Lisbon, 2006-2010
“This may be dated, but I came into the workplace around the time of Lean In, and the only thing I remember from the book is ‘Don’t leave before you leave,’ which is the only piece of advice that I’ve held onto for my entire career. For me, it means saying yes to new opportunities and fun messy challenges, even if they may not be the right thing for me in the distant future. This allowed me to take on extraordinary opportunities in my 20s, in jobs that perhaps would not have allowed for the kind of balance I want in my 30s. It also gave me the experience and learnings to pivot to something that more suited my needs when those needs arose later in life.”
Nan Hu
VP, Head of Strategy/Chief of Staff to CEO
Marc Jacobs
BCG New York, 2012-2015, 2020-2022
“‘The right person for the right position varies, so rather than comparing oneself to others, it's important to focus on one's strengths.’
These words were shared with me by both my mentor and my boss during feedback sessions. Currently, this advice influences my approach to managing my company, focusing on people's strengths and identifying the positions where they can best utilize their abilities. It has helped me avoid being misled by weaknesses. Moreover, as a CEO, it has led me to objectively assess my own capabilities, acknowledging what I can and cannot do well, and seeking out individuals who excel in areas where I may lack proficiency.”
Junko Kemi
Founder
kay me
BCG Tokyo, 2005-2007
“One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to build a diverse personal board of career mentors and sponsors. One of my mentors told me that he loved to mentor me because I am so coachable and receptive to feedback and advice. I look at those relationships as two-way streets, where it is just as important for the mentor to feel heard and appreciated as it is for the mentee to receive advice. These are people that have been incredibly successful in their careers, and part of the joy for them in mentoring is paying it forward, so I want to make sure that the people that are investing in me see me being appreciative of their time and wisdom.”
Dru Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer
AffiniPay
BCG San Francisco, 2008-2012
“To shape my own path and find a model that would work for me and only me. It came from a female principal I was working with at the time. As a mother of a young child under 2 years of age, she once told me that if the model you’ve chosen works for you and your family, don’t bother about anyone else. A lot of people will be tempted to have an opinion and criticize you, such as you’re an absent mother because you can’t be at every school event, or you’re not working 100% because you have young kids, etc. But the reality is, there is not one way to be a mother and a professional. If the model you’ve chosen makes you feel happy and fulfilled, that is the most important.”
Cécile Novion
CEO and Co-founder
Kora Fertility
BCG Bogotá, 2012-2018
“Work hard from day one. Hard work brings knowledge, and it compounds over time. By the time you’re 30, you will have many more years of work experience than other people, and you will be in a whole new league.”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“For your career, the best piece of advice I have received is that you should consider every professional meeting as an opportunity to network, since the power of your network impacts your career more than you think. In today’s digital world, you can network on a wider scale quite efficiently. However, it still does not beat the power of a good in-person impression. For the working moms out there, the best advice I have received for dealing with mom guilt is to remember that the quality of your time with your kids can outweigh the quantity of time. If you put away distractions and concentrate fully on your kids when you are with them, this will be appreciated and remembered by them more than the number of times you had to work late.”
Tamara Fiona Wenneck
Senior Strategy Lead
Hempel
BCG Copenhagen, 2016-2019
“‘Soar with your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.’ In an environment where the focus can be what you could be better at and areas of improvement, there is an opportunity to instead double down on those things that you are uniquely good at. Use those strengths to make a difference in a way that only you can. It also means not to overly focus on those areas where you have opportunities to improve. Be aware of those areas, surround yourself with people who are strong and can help fill those potential gaps for you, but don’t try to work on them to the detriment of putting your strengths to good use.”
Chidinma Asonye
President
S by Serena
BCG New York, 2013-2015
“Everything has its own time, so be patient. Make sure to understand yourself and what makes you happy, and go for it.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
“A person once told me that the best lesson I can pass on to my kids is that their mom is a successful professional who can achieve amazing things and still be present in their everyday lives. That is something that I have strived to teach my kids (especially my boys) from day one. Today, I know that they are proud of me as a working mom and have never felt ignored.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“The best piece of advice that I would like to share with other women is around how to maintain a happy family life while not sacrificing your professional goals. As a proud mother of three and a CEO, I have always followed three simple guidelines: don’t be afraid to set boundaries, surround yourself with good people, and don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Setting boundaries can be scary, especially for women, because we have a tendency to over prepare, triple check, and make sure we have buy-in from everyone. Have confidence in the fact that you have set the right priorities, focus on those, and don’t be afraid to let the rest go. The second one is surrounding yourself with good people, both at home and at work. Have the right support at home and the right people at work that you can trust, and don’t be afraid to share and delegate responsibilities. And last but not least, don’t forget to pat yourself on the back! It’s very easy, especially for women, to be self-critical. Make sure the cheerleader in you is always louder than the self-critic and don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for a job well done!”
Julianna Dinsdale
On Sabbatical
BCG Budapest, 2004-2006, 2012-2019
“The very best piece of advice that I have received is to work with good people. Find people who are committed to helping you develop, grow, and get new experiences. I have been fortunate enough to work with and for several mentors and advocates over the years—these are people who have recognized that I do good work and advocate for me. This has opened doors and led to opportunities that otherwise would not have come my way. It helps if they are fun too—we spend a lot of time at work! The other piece of advice that I think is really important is to be OK with your career path not being linear. You will learn more, tackle more interesting projects, and build a stronger network if you are open to not necessarily doing what is expected or typical.”
Imogen Pryce
Chief Operating Officer, R&D
Relay Therapeutics
BCG Los Angeles, 2011-2017
“If all you can think about is ‘how’ to get there, you will never reach the goal because you will not move forward until you find the way to get there. You will seek the ‘how’ forever. So first decide who you want to be and what you want to achieve. If you do that, the way to do it (or the ‘how’) will come later. You will find that there are hints for what you should aim for all around you. Many women have a hard time having confidence that they can do it. That is why it is said that women tend to hesitate to set big goals. These words were some of the most encouraging words to me when I was unable to move forward by myself.”
Fumika Yonekura
Co-founder
Waris
BCG Tokyo, 2000-2007
“I love the quote from Oscar Wilde: ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ It’s so important to be authentic and not chase expectations from others that are simply not you. Connected to this, it helped me a lot when I had a session with a coach (also a female) and worked on my competencies. I struggled a lot with the thought that I lacked some skills I observed almost everyone around me was super good at. She asked, ‘Is this a skill you need that most likely is important for any future job?’
I answered, ‘No, I’d rather have no job than one where I would need to apply this skill day in and out.’
Her answer: ‘Okay, then why are you spending so much energy on something you most likely will not use going forward? Why not focus on the strength you have?’ This thought made my life so much easier!”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“It is nearly impossible to excel at all things at all times, especially when considering your family, self, and career—let alone humanity! Be intentional regarding what you are giving to each element of your life at each moment in time.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & Co
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“A certain president of a consumer goods company once told me, ‘Don’t aim to be number one because you know the strategy of how to do it. Aim to be number one so the strategy will follow.’
“The best advice would be to know your nonnegotiables and communicate them. As I evolve in my career, it is very clear to me that verbalizing your nonnegotiables earlier on is something that could have brought me higher satisfaction and happiness in my path. I am aware that this is a point you usually fear in the beginning of your career, but I can’t stress it enough: don’t be afraid to fight to transform your work into what makes sense to you.”
Inês Relvas
Executive Board Member
Universo
BCG Lisbon, 2012-2020
“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten is from my BCG colleague and senior partner, Rohan Sajdeh, who once suggested to me that I should ‘be comfortable in my own skin.’ That feedback resonated with me. Particularly as an immigrant woman who trained as an engineer and was now post-MBA living in Chicago, the feeling of ‘I don’t belong here’ was real. Instead of owning my tech background (I had worked at Apple previously) and my Indian roots, I spent 30 minutes watching ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption (PTI) every week so I could sound knowledgeable about sports when doing small talk with my midwestern clients. As much as I tried, while I do enjoy watching games live in the stadiums (and PTI was a great show!), I’d rather nerd out on deep tech than sports stats. I have taken that ‘mantra’ to heart, which has helped me create much more authentic relationships of my own, even with those I’ve never met before that may have seemingly nothing in common with me.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Services (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“Feedback is vital for one’s career, and we must use it wisely. To bring our unique voice to the table, we should be selective around what feedback will truly help unleash our authentic self.”
Lana Mazahreh
Head of 3P Fulfillment
Amazon South Africa
BCG Johannesburg, 2014-2020
“I would say ‘be true to yourself.’ I think it is difficult to become the best version of yourself if you are trying to be someone you are not. I have always believed that what makes a great professional stand out is not what that person has in common with everyone else, but rather what makes him or her unique. As we learn, receive feedback, and evolve our thinking, I think is important to adapt those learnings to our personal style and values, and make them fit for each of us.”
Marta Calvo
Chief Strategy Officer
Vida Security
BCG Santiago, 2011-2021
“This advice comes from Clay Christensen: ‘How you allocate your resources is where the rubber meets the road. Real strategy—in companies and in our lives—is created through hundreds of everyday decisions about where we spend our resources.’ Often, we allocate our time and energy pursuing goals that are defined by our context, or goals that yield immediate returns. When people who have a high need for achievement have an extra half hour of time or an extra ounce of energy, they’ll unconsciously allocate it to activities that yield the most tangible accomplishments, and our careers provide the most concrete evidence that we’re moving forward. Because of this, people like us have this unconscious bias to underinvest in their families and overinvest in their careers.”
Raquel Seabra
Executive Board Member
Sogrape
BCG Lisbon, 2005-2015
“The best piece of advice I have ever received is, ‘Get a mentor!’ from a very good friend of mine (also a C-level female colleague with young children) who observed the challenges I faced in a very masculine business environment. I never thought that just a few conversations with a high-level professional outside of my organization could change so much. It felt like somebody had opened a new window to my present situation, showing me a totally new perspective. Since then, I myself have also been mentoring and promoting this practice among colleagues, especially working parents with young children.”
Magdolna Tokai
Deputy CEO
ALTEO Group
BCG Budapest, 2004-2005
“If you’re not aiming to be wrong more than 20% of the time, you’re playing it too safe.”
Janet Zhou
Director, Foundation Strategy Office and Director, Gender Impact Accelerators
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
BCG San Francisco, 2006-2013
What are some learnings you gained from your time at BCG that have been beneficial in your career and/or personal life?
"Two of my biggest learnings from BCG are communication and storytelling. Communicating with your teams, clients, and stakeholders in a way that lands with them will amplify your impact. Relatedly, storytelling is the process of going from data to insight and ultimately enabling action. Strong communication and storytelling can be the difference between a good presentation and an engagement that ends up having long-lasting client impact.”
Chidinma Asonye
President
S by Serena
BCG New York, 2013-2015
Chidinma Asonye
President
S by Serena
BCG New York, 2013-2015
"There are so many learnings I gained while at BCG: the urge to never lose sight of the bigger picture, the importance of remaining curious and never stop learning, and resilience to keep pushing until the problem is solved. But I would say that what stood out more to me after leaving BCG—maybe because I hadn’t thought of it before—are the tools to navigate uncertainty, having confidence in the process to arrive at the solution, even if you don’t have a clear answer going in or the context is a changing one.”
Marta Calvo
Chief Strategy Officer
Vida Security
BCG Santiago, 2011-2021
Marta Calvo
Chief Strategy Officer
Vida Security
BCG Santiago, 2011-2021
"Most of my learning is about people. With the right team, you can do almost anything you aspire to do. Be it in my personal life or in professional career, whatever I want to do, I must have the right team and partners. So invest in people and relationships. The people I’m surrounding myself with will help me grow beyond my imagination. I was very fortunate to be colleague with many nice, kind, smart people within BCG and in my professional and personal life. I can’t be thankful enough.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
Hear From More Alumnae
“Structured Thinking & Problem-Solving: Consulting taught me to break down complex problems into clear, structured components. This skill has not only been useful for challenges I have faced in the business world, but also helped me in making strategic life decisions, too.
Confidence in Tackling the Unknown: Consultants often work in industries or on problems they have no prior experience in. This type of work built my confidence to dive into unfamiliar territory, ask the right questions, and learn quickly—an essential mindset for my whole career.
Stakeholder Management & Influence: Understanding how to work with different cultures and personalities, how to manage different expectations, how to build influence and how to persuade has been essential in my different leadership roles and in my personal relationships.
The Power of Effective Communication: Being able to communicate insights concisely and persuasively is crucial. Whether it has been business meetings or difficult conversations in my personal life, clarity and confidence have made all the difference.
Prioritization & Time Management: With endless tasks and limited time, consulting forces you to focus on what truly makes a difference. Learning to say ‘no’ and to delegate effectively has been a game-changer in maintaining my balance, in particular between my professional and personal life.”
Astrid Rauchfuss
Board Member & Strategic Advisor
BCG Munich, 2000-2021
“BCG has been a profoundly transformative experience in my career, for which I am immensely grateful. Over the course of my tenure, I have acquired a wealth of knowledge and unlearned many assumptions. The most significant learning, however, has been the cultivation of a distinctive mode of thinking—one characterized by intellectual fearlessness—that enables me to confront and solve even the most seemingly insurmountable challenges.”
Mei Lee
Managing Director
Omnicom PR Group Singapore
BCG Singapore, 2021-2024
“At some point in my career at BCG, I realized working on my weaknesses could only impact my career up to a certain point. I understood that being incredible in my strengths (and owning it!) would always be more critical than becoming average in my weaknesses. Not disregarding that you need to guarantee a minimum level for every critical capability for the job you are performing, but the topics where you really shine—those will be the career-makers, the true differentiators—and the sooner you identify them, the better.”
Inês Relvas
Executive Board Member
Universo
BCG Lisbon, 2012-2020
“Although my time at BCG was brief, it shaped the rest of my personal and professional life. As a young immigrant with no connections, BCG took a chance on me, opening my eyes to what I was capable of and unlocking doors I never could have accessed on my own. I learned lifelong disciplines and how to operate in my career without ever compromising my integrity. To this day, my very best friends are BCG Alumni!”
Galia Barhava-Monteith
Founding Director
Oro Group Mentoring
BCG Auckland, 1999-2001
“That I was the one to decide what my limits were, and I had to be firm on them, and that most of the time it would work just fine to adjust around them. A career at BCG, particularly as an associate or a consultant, can mean long hours, stressful environments at times, and short deadlines. In general, as in life, if you don’t put limits on yourself and speak out about them, no one will enforce them for you. For me, for instance, working late on Fridays or on weekends was always a no-go, and so since my very first projects, I respected my own limits, and still do years later.”
Cécile Novion
CEO and Co-founder
Kora Fertility
BCG Bogotá, 2012-2018
“‘Be professional’ is a lesson that has sunk deep into my core since joining BCG in my early 20s, where I was taught the basics of being a member of society. I am currently managing a company, and ‘be professional’ is also reflected in the company’s management axis, as well as in the company’s action guidelines and values.”
Fumika Yonekura
Co-founder
Waris
BCG Tokyo, 2000-2007
“BCG fostered my love of learning and taught me to embrace change and challenge. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & Co
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“There is no doubt that BCG allowed me to develop and strengthen practical skills that are fundamental in any workplace: building compelling storylines, complex analysis, and partnering with others. However, to me, the most transformational learnings were about leadership, confidence, and balance.
Shaping my own leadership style: One of the wonderful things about BCG is that you get to experience working with different leaders in a very short time. In every project, I observed each person’s style—how they motivated and supported the team, how they handled stressful situations, how they influenced clients’ perspectives—and made sure to grasp those learnings as a key input to decide which kind of leader I wanted to be.
Trusting my own voice: During my first few months at BCG, I was intimidated by all the talented people and even wondered, What could I have to add? Having the opportunity (and being pushed!) to actively participate in discussions with BCG’s senior leadership and clients at a very early stage in my career gave me the confidence to trust my own voice.
Owning my balance: It is no surprise that balancing one’s life components can be challenging at BCG. Standards are very high, and there will always be more to do than available time, but in the long run, leaving our personal needs behind is not a solution. At BCG, I learned the importance of owning that balance: deciding when to give the extra mile, and when to push back to make space for other things.”
Lucía Lammertyn
MBA Candidate (Class of 2026), Harvard Business School
Former Regional Business Senior Manager—Supermarket, Mercado Libre
BCG Buenos Aires, 2018-2021
“At BCG, I learned how to organize my time and my projects, how to prioritize, and to focus on the important aspects of the task at hand. I learned to look at the big picture (which is hard for a scientist who was trained to carefully look into each tiny detail) when first faced with a new problem and only then dismantle it into its parts. I have never been a procrastinator, but BCG also completely scrapped from my head the idea of ever becoming one.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“BCG has taught me the importance of the friendships you develop in the workplace. Although many people emphasize separating your personal from your professional life, I believe that, given the demanding nature of our work, it’s essential to truly enjoy the company of your colleagues. I’ve made incredible friendships at BCG that have improved my life both professionally and personally. I hope to maintain these friendships for life. For me, finding joy in the people you work with, on both a professional and personal level, is key to happiness and success.”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“At BCG, I learned structural thinking and going beyond the obvious.”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“From a professional standpoint, we ALL are trained over the generations to be bold and hypothesis-oriented and grounded in the facts, as well as having an 80/20 in our approach to work to optimize the precious time we have. We keep an external perspective and bring the voices of those outside the room inside the room, and are empathetic to our audience, internal and external. They all have a perspective and a starting point, and you can’t impose your world view unless you understand their mental map. We’re taught to be feedback sponges—that feedback is always a gift—and we must keep trying to be the best version of ourselves.
Personally, I’ve found that all these things actually apply to life as well. My kids said I was the only mom to text them in full sentences, speaking to them as young adults even when they were young, and give them tons of ‘feedback.’”
Miki Tsusaka
President, Microsoft Japan
CVP, Microsoft Corp
BCG New York & Tokyo, 1984-1986, 1988-2023
“Once, at a Women’s Initiative event in Miami, I heard from an inspiring BCG partner who was a female: ‘There is no such thing as work-life balance; there is only work-life blending.’ Your personal appointments happen during office hours (whether its school meetings or doctor appointments), and work will inevitably invade your personal time (such as late meetings or business dinners). You cannot separate work from life, but rather must make sure there is a blend that works for you and brings you joy.”
Raquel Seabra
Executive Board Member
Sogrape
BCG Lisbon, 2005-2015
“At BCG, I learned that people can make ‘work’ a lot more fun, so it’s important to choose the team that I work with wisely. Communication with the people that I work with is crucial, and more so with the person leading the project, and overcommunication is better than under-communication. I learned that people want to hear my thoughts, especially when it’s the part of the project that I am close to, because solving problems is not a task only for those in leadership but also for each member of the team. I learned to ask many questions, because I genuinely want to understand the problem or task at hand, and that I don’t need to figure things out only on my own. These are all learnings that are still etched in my brain, over three years after my time at BCG. I aim to keep communication lines active with the people that I work with, to not shy away from asking questions and sharing my thoughts and opinions, and to build relationships with the people that I work with. I have seen how practicing these learnings improves my working relationships and ability to deliver high-quality work.”
Thembelihle Nyembe
Fellow
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
BCG Johannesburg, 2020-2021
“Never stop learning. Embrace curiosity with openness and see growth happen. Be brave to take on new opportunities and always remember that everyone is learning, no matter what their level. I experienced this from hiring new recruits and seeing them flourish and grow within the organization.
Another learning was that BCG hires phenomenal people. I felt very proud to be a key part of the hiring process, being in the recruitment team. I made a great group of lifelong friends from my time at BCG, which I will forever be thankful for.”
Anna Mignot
Managing Director, Head of Human Resources for EMEA
Blackstone
BCG London, 1999-2006
"Haruna, you have such good ideas and insights – why don’t you speak out? If you don’t do so, nothing will ever advance as you believe.’ This is a phrase that a partner at BCG told me early in my BCG career. Ten years later, this phrase often comes back to my mind in my role as a career diplomat, especially when I am involved in moments where important decisions need to be made. Beyond strategic thinking, problem-solving based on facts and logic, culture of diversity, etc., the importance of self-assertiveness and fearlessly voicing one’s opinions are what I think the most powerful thing I learned in BCG. As a proud alumna and mother of three children, I’m resolved to advocate these values for future generations.”
Haruna Ishida
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan
BCG Tokyo, 2014-2019
“BCG taught me to be fearless in well-informed, data-driven positions and strategies. So much of being a CEO and business leader is being able to take calculated risks, which means knowing the data and then being able to make a call. BCG gave me incredible training on how to use data and frameworks to help make systematic decisions, and then ruthlessly evaluate those decisions. It also spoiled me in terms of learning to love to work on small but mighty teams with the most driven and intelligent people. I use that same mode for setting strategy and building my team today as I was taught as a consultant and project leader at BCG. Smart, driven, kind people using data to make impactful decisions is very powerful and transforms a business and a market!”
Dru Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer
AffiniPay
BCG San Francisco, 2008-2012
“During my time at BCG, I developed invaluable problem-solving, communication, and relationship-building skills, which have enriched both my personal and professional life.”
Verónice Soares Franco
Executive Committee Member & Chief Human Resources Officer
Pestana Hotel Group
BCG Lisbon, 2006-2010
“‘Think from the goal and think different from the majority.’ This advice has been tremendously helpful in launches and continually achieving results at maximum speed with the venture company I started afterwards. It is also one of the guiding principles we uphold in our company presently.”
Junko Kemi
Founder
kay me
BCG Tokyo, 2005-2007
“At BCG, I learned to be inquisitive, to ask questions, and always look for improvement. I also learned how to ‘come up to speed’ quickly on a new situation or business, and that you can learn just about anything. I learned the power of teamwork and working on tight timeline because it’s amazing the outcomes a BCG team can deliver. With the right planning, a team can do a lot together.”
Liz Williams
Chief Executive Officer
El Pollo Loco
BCG Dallas, 2004-2010
“The biggest learnings I gained from BCG were ways to work and communicate effectively. One key learning is to prioritize by impact, and I use this both in my career and in my personal life. This way of thinking ensures that my time is spent on the most important activities that will bring the best results.
The second approach I use extensively is the timeboxing approach. It helps me to effectively clear out my constantly long to-do list, and is something I have taught my teams as well as my kids.
Finally, the power of storytelling and how to craft communication is a skill I learned at BCG and is key to professional success. After leaving consulting and moving into a corporate job, the ability to influence and bring people along through clear storytelling is something I can fully attribute to BCG’s approach to clients.”
Tamara Fiona Wennecke
Senior Strategy Lead
Hempel
BCG Copenhagen, 2016-2019
“Obviously, BCG was an incredible training ground for honing my business judgment and problem-solving skills so that my teams and I could invent on behalf of our client companies and their customers. But most of all, I left BCG knowing that we may not always have all the answers, but we will be able to figure it out as a team. That is what always motivates me when I face an abstract and ambiguous problem and a blank sheet of paper.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Services (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“One of the most important learnings from my time with BCG that I have applied in my career and personal life is to be able to focus on the big picture. The environment around us, both in our personal and professional lives, is becoming so complex and unpredictable that it is very easy to get distracted and lose sight of what is important and what our priorities are. I think BCG has taught me to never lose sight of the big picture, no matter what the complexities are around us. The second thing I learned through working at BCG is the importance of surrounding yourself with good people that share your values and can challenge you to get out of your comfort zone so you can continually grow as a person both in your career and personal life.”
Julianna Dinsdale
On Sabbatical
BCG Budapest, 2004-2006, 2012-2019
“One of my favorite books growing up was The Alchemist, where Paulo Coelho writes, ‘And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’ From London to Boston to Nairobi to Brooklyn (my four offices), BCG conspired in helping me realize career opportunities that far surpassed any expectations I had and were consistent with my values. I learned to articulate what matters to me, to empower my team to do the same, and to design solutions for a more people—and a nature-positive future.”
Sisi Pan
Chief Strategy Officer
Maisha Meds
BCG Brooklyn, 2016-2023
“No problem is too big to solve; it just needs to be broken down into solvable chunks. When I was a consultant, I had a project leader ask everyone to identify their ‘baby’—a priority or activity outside of work. This would be something we would discuss and protect as a team so that everyone could protect their activity. Mine was that I was planning a wedding, and being able to communicate key appointments to my team freely without feeling apologetic reduced anxiety and allowed me to be even more present. The idea that you can (and should) have priorities beyond work and that you communicate that to others, prioritize it, and work as a team to make sure everyone is able to take time was impactful. Whether it was training for a marathon, going on dates, daycare drop-off, or planning a wedding, as a team, we were able to support each other. That case experience was one of my best at BCG (thank you, Emily Kos!). I use this mindset focus when sharing wellness priorities on my team today as well.”
Amber Murayi
Founder & Managing Partner
Artisan Strategy Partners
BCG Chicago, 2013-2017
Confidence in Tackling the Unknown: Consultants often work in industries or on problems they have no prior experience in. This type of work built my confidence to dive into unfamiliar territory, ask the right questions, and learn quickly—an essential mindset for my whole career.
Stakeholder Management & Influence: Understanding how to work with different cultures and personalities, how to manage different expectations, how to build influence and how to persuade has been essential in my different leadership roles and in my personal relationships.
The Power of Effective Communication: Being able to communicate insights concisely and persuasively is crucial. Whether it has been business meetings or difficult conversations in my personal life, clarity and confidence have made all the difference.
Prioritization & Time Management: With endless tasks and limited time, consulting forces you to focus on what truly makes a difference. Learning to say ‘no’ and to delegate effectively has been a game-changer in maintaining my balance, in particular between my professional and personal life.”
Astrid Rauchfuss
Board Member & Strategic Advisor
BCG Munich, 2000-2021
“BCG has been a profoundly transformative experience in my career, for which I am immensely grateful. Over the course of my tenure, I have acquired a wealth of knowledge and unlearned many assumptions. The most significant learning, however, has been the cultivation of a distinctive mode of thinking—one characterized by intellectual fearlessness—that enables me to confront and solve even the most seemingly insurmountable challenges.”
Mei Lee
Managing Director
Omnicom PR Group Singapore
BCG Singapore, 2021-2024
“At some point in my career at BCG, I realized working on my weaknesses could only impact my career up to a certain point. I understood that being incredible in my strengths (and owning it!) would always be more critical than becoming average in my weaknesses. Not disregarding that you need to guarantee a minimum level for every critical capability for the job you are performing, but the topics where you really shine—those will be the career-makers, the true differentiators—and the sooner you identify them, the better.”
Inês Relvas
Executive Board Member
Universo
BCG Lisbon, 2012-2020
“Although my time at BCG was brief, it shaped the rest of my personal and professional life. As a young immigrant with no connections, BCG took a chance on me, opening my eyes to what I was capable of and unlocking doors I never could have accessed on my own. I learned lifelong disciplines and how to operate in my career without ever compromising my integrity. To this day, my very best friends are BCG Alumni!”
Galia Barhava-Monteith
Founding Director
Oro Group Mentoring
BCG Auckland, 1999-2001
“That I was the one to decide what my limits were, and I had to be firm on them, and that most of the time it would work just fine to adjust around them. A career at BCG, particularly as an associate or a consultant, can mean long hours, stressful environments at times, and short deadlines. In general, as in life, if you don’t put limits on yourself and speak out about them, no one will enforce them for you. For me, for instance, working late on Fridays or on weekends was always a no-go, and so since my very first projects, I respected my own limits, and still do years later.”
Cécile Novion
CEO and Co-founder
Kora Fertility
BCG Bogotá, 2012-2018
“‘Be professional’ is a lesson that has sunk deep into my core since joining BCG in my early 20s, where I was taught the basics of being a member of society. I am currently managing a company, and ‘be professional’ is also reflected in the company’s management axis, as well as in the company’s action guidelines and values.”
Fumika Yonekura
Co-founder
Waris
BCG Tokyo, 2000-2007
“BCG fostered my love of learning and taught me to embrace change and challenge. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & Co
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“There is no doubt that BCG allowed me to develop and strengthen practical skills that are fundamental in any workplace: building compelling storylines, complex analysis, and partnering with others. However, to me, the most transformational learnings were about leadership, confidence, and balance.
Shaping my own leadership style: One of the wonderful things about BCG is that you get to experience working with different leaders in a very short time. In every project, I observed each person’s style—how they motivated and supported the team, how they handled stressful situations, how they influenced clients’ perspectives—and made sure to grasp those learnings as a key input to decide which kind of leader I wanted to be.
Trusting my own voice: During my first few months at BCG, I was intimidated by all the talented people and even wondered, What could I have to add? Having the opportunity (and being pushed!) to actively participate in discussions with BCG’s senior leadership and clients at a very early stage in my career gave me the confidence to trust my own voice.
Owning my balance: It is no surprise that balancing one’s life components can be challenging at BCG. Standards are very high, and there will always be more to do than available time, but in the long run, leaving our personal needs behind is not a solution. At BCG, I learned the importance of owning that balance: deciding when to give the extra mile, and when to push back to make space for other things.”
Lucía Lammertyn
MBA Candidate (Class of 2026), Harvard Business School
Former Regional Business Senior Manager—Supermarket, Mercado Libre
BCG Buenos Aires, 2018-2021
“At BCG, I learned how to organize my time and my projects, how to prioritize, and to focus on the important aspects of the task at hand. I learned to look at the big picture (which is hard for a scientist who was trained to carefully look into each tiny detail) when first faced with a new problem and only then dismantle it into its parts. I have never been a procrastinator, but BCG also completely scrapped from my head the idea of ever becoming one.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“BCG has taught me the importance of the friendships you develop in the workplace. Although many people emphasize separating your personal from your professional life, I believe that, given the demanding nature of our work, it’s essential to truly enjoy the company of your colleagues. I’ve made incredible friendships at BCG that have improved my life both professionally and personally. I hope to maintain these friendships for life. For me, finding joy in the people you work with, on both a professional and personal level, is key to happiness and success.”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“At BCG, I learned structural thinking and going beyond the obvious.”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“From a professional standpoint, we ALL are trained over the generations to be bold and hypothesis-oriented and grounded in the facts, as well as having an 80/20 in our approach to work to optimize the precious time we have. We keep an external perspective and bring the voices of those outside the room inside the room, and are empathetic to our audience, internal and external. They all have a perspective and a starting point, and you can’t impose your world view unless you understand their mental map. We’re taught to be feedback sponges—that feedback is always a gift—and we must keep trying to be the best version of ourselves.
Personally, I’ve found that all these things actually apply to life as well. My kids said I was the only mom to text them in full sentences, speaking to them as young adults even when they were young, and give them tons of ‘feedback.’”
Miki Tsusaka
President, Microsoft Japan
CVP, Microsoft Corp
BCG New York & Tokyo, 1984-1986, 1988-2023
“Once, at a Women’s Initiative event in Miami, I heard from an inspiring BCG partner who was a female: ‘There is no such thing as work-life balance; there is only work-life blending.’ Your personal appointments happen during office hours (whether its school meetings or doctor appointments), and work will inevitably invade your personal time (such as late meetings or business dinners). You cannot separate work from life, but rather must make sure there is a blend that works for you and brings you joy.”
Raquel Seabra
Executive Board Member
Sogrape
BCG Lisbon, 2005-2015
“At BCG, I learned that people can make ‘work’ a lot more fun, so it’s important to choose the team that I work with wisely. Communication with the people that I work with is crucial, and more so with the person leading the project, and overcommunication is better than under-communication. I learned that people want to hear my thoughts, especially when it’s the part of the project that I am close to, because solving problems is not a task only for those in leadership but also for each member of the team. I learned to ask many questions, because I genuinely want to understand the problem or task at hand, and that I don’t need to figure things out only on my own. These are all learnings that are still etched in my brain, over three years after my time at BCG. I aim to keep communication lines active with the people that I work with, to not shy away from asking questions and sharing my thoughts and opinions, and to build relationships with the people that I work with. I have seen how practicing these learnings improves my working relationships and ability to deliver high-quality work.”
Thembelihle Nyembe
Fellow
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
BCG Johannesburg, 2020-2021
“Never stop learning. Embrace curiosity with openness and see growth happen. Be brave to take on new opportunities and always remember that everyone is learning, no matter what their level. I experienced this from hiring new recruits and seeing them flourish and grow within the organization.
Another learning was that BCG hires phenomenal people. I felt very proud to be a key part of the hiring process, being in the recruitment team. I made a great group of lifelong friends from my time at BCG, which I will forever be thankful for.”
Anna Mignot
Managing Director, Head of Human Resources for EMEA
Blackstone
BCG London, 1999-2006
"Haruna, you have such good ideas and insights – why don’t you speak out? If you don’t do so, nothing will ever advance as you believe.’ This is a phrase that a partner at BCG told me early in my BCG career. Ten years later, this phrase often comes back to my mind in my role as a career diplomat, especially when I am involved in moments where important decisions need to be made. Beyond strategic thinking, problem-solving based on facts and logic, culture of diversity, etc., the importance of self-assertiveness and fearlessly voicing one’s opinions are what I think the most powerful thing I learned in BCG. As a proud alumna and mother of three children, I’m resolved to advocate these values for future generations.”
Haruna Ishida
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan
BCG Tokyo, 2014-2019
“BCG taught me to be fearless in well-informed, data-driven positions and strategies. So much of being a CEO and business leader is being able to take calculated risks, which means knowing the data and then being able to make a call. BCG gave me incredible training on how to use data and frameworks to help make systematic decisions, and then ruthlessly evaluate those decisions. It also spoiled me in terms of learning to love to work on small but mighty teams with the most driven and intelligent people. I use that same mode for setting strategy and building my team today as I was taught as a consultant and project leader at BCG. Smart, driven, kind people using data to make impactful decisions is very powerful and transforms a business and a market!”
Dru Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer
AffiniPay
BCG San Francisco, 2008-2012
“During my time at BCG, I developed invaluable problem-solving, communication, and relationship-building skills, which have enriched both my personal and professional life.”
Verónice Soares Franco
Executive Committee Member & Chief Human Resources Officer
Pestana Hotel Group
BCG Lisbon, 2006-2010
“‘Think from the goal and think different from the majority.’ This advice has been tremendously helpful in launches and continually achieving results at maximum speed with the venture company I started afterwards. It is also one of the guiding principles we uphold in our company presently.”
Junko Kemi
Founder
kay me
BCG Tokyo, 2005-2007
“At BCG, I learned to be inquisitive, to ask questions, and always look for improvement. I also learned how to ‘come up to speed’ quickly on a new situation or business, and that you can learn just about anything. I learned the power of teamwork and working on tight timeline because it’s amazing the outcomes a BCG team can deliver. With the right planning, a team can do a lot together.”
Liz Williams
Chief Executive Officer
El Pollo Loco
BCG Dallas, 2004-2010
“The biggest learnings I gained from BCG were ways to work and communicate effectively. One key learning is to prioritize by impact, and I use this both in my career and in my personal life. This way of thinking ensures that my time is spent on the most important activities that will bring the best results.
The second approach I use extensively is the timeboxing approach. It helps me to effectively clear out my constantly long to-do list, and is something I have taught my teams as well as my kids.
Finally, the power of storytelling and how to craft communication is a skill I learned at BCG and is key to professional success. After leaving consulting and moving into a corporate job, the ability to influence and bring people along through clear storytelling is something I can fully attribute to BCG’s approach to clients.”
Tamara Fiona Wennecke
Senior Strategy Lead
Hempel
BCG Copenhagen, 2016-2019
“Obviously, BCG was an incredible training ground for honing my business judgment and problem-solving skills so that my teams and I could invent on behalf of our client companies and their customers. But most of all, I left BCG knowing that we may not always have all the answers, but we will be able to figure it out as a team. That is what always motivates me when I face an abstract and ambiguous problem and a blank sheet of paper.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Services (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“One of the most important learnings from my time with BCG that I have applied in my career and personal life is to be able to focus on the big picture. The environment around us, both in our personal and professional lives, is becoming so complex and unpredictable that it is very easy to get distracted and lose sight of what is important and what our priorities are. I think BCG has taught me to never lose sight of the big picture, no matter what the complexities are around us. The second thing I learned through working at BCG is the importance of surrounding yourself with good people that share your values and can challenge you to get out of your comfort zone so you can continually grow as a person both in your career and personal life.”
Julianna Dinsdale
On Sabbatical
BCG Budapest, 2004-2006, 2012-2019
“One of my favorite books growing up was The Alchemist, where Paulo Coelho writes, ‘And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’ From London to Boston to Nairobi to Brooklyn (my four offices), BCG conspired in helping me realize career opportunities that far surpassed any expectations I had and were consistent with my values. I learned to articulate what matters to me, to empower my team to do the same, and to design solutions for a more people—and a nature-positive future.”
Sisi Pan
Chief Strategy Officer
Maisha Meds
BCG Brooklyn, 2016-2023
“No problem is too big to solve; it just needs to be broken down into solvable chunks. When I was a consultant, I had a project leader ask everyone to identify their ‘baby’—a priority or activity outside of work. This would be something we would discuss and protect as a team so that everyone could protect their activity. Mine was that I was planning a wedding, and being able to communicate key appointments to my team freely without feeling apologetic reduced anxiety and allowed me to be even more present. The idea that you can (and should) have priorities beyond work and that you communicate that to others, prioritize it, and work as a team to make sure everyone is able to take time was impactful. Whether it was training for a marathon, going on dates, daycare drop-off, or planning a wedding, as a team, we were able to support each other. That case experience was one of my best at BCG (thank you, Emily Kos!). I use this mindset focus when sharing wellness priorities on my team today as well.”
Amber Murayi
Founder & Managing Partner
Artisan Strategy Partners
BCG Chicago, 2013-2017
What are some ways you support, encourage, and foster a work environment where all team members can thrive?
"I encourage inclusivity by visibly allowing my team’s strengths to show up and celebrating the diversity of my team. When someone joins the team, they participate in StrengthFinders and DiSC assessments (both are visibly mapped on a team board so that everyone can see our strengths and styles covering the map). Then, when they introduce themselves, they share their strengths and one story about a time they were able to use a strength. The team asks questions and celebrates their joining. My goal is to build a team that feels psychologically safe with each other and free to share ideas, building on one another. Freedom to share your ideas, thoughts, and to know they will be respected and valued is inclusivity to me.”
Amber Murayi
Founder & Managing Partner
Artisan Strategy Partners
BCG Chicago, 2013-2017
Amber Murayi
Founder & Managing Partner
Artisan Strategy Partners
BCG Chicago, 2013-2017
"There is incredible work happening to drive equity and inclusivity within the corporate workplace, but I also think thoughtful actions can be so meaningful. For example, ensuring we give space and opportunities for everyone to lean in and have their voices and perspectives heard every day. Advocating strongly for folks from all backgrounds and cultures for recognition, promotion, and career opportunities and highlighting the work and accomplishments that can sometimes go unnoticed or overlooked. And of course, always being accessible, open and willing to listen and be a sounding board in progressing continued inclusion and equity.”
Hannah Mara
Head of Food & Beverage
YETI
BCG Washington DC, 2012-2013
Hannah Mara
Head of Food & Beverage
YETI
BCG Washington DC, 2012-2013
"I currently help lead Maisha Meds, an African health care technology company. We are a diverse team of engineers, strategists, operators, and data scientists—diverse along more dimensions than anywhere else I have worked—led by an exceptional CEO who has built an innovative, impactful, and inclusive culture. I deeply admire her. Inspiring inclusion does not look like trying to prove that you are the most important person in the room (you probably are not); rather, it looks like listening to what people are saying and not saying, it looks like cultural and situational awareness, and it looks like debating openly and then committing as a team.”
Sisi Pan
Chief Strategy Officer
Maisha Meds
BCG Brooklyn, 2016-2023
Sisi Pan
Chief Strategy Officer
Maisha Meds
BCG Brooklyn, 2016-2023
Hear From More Alumnae
“Inclusivity and equity are core to all we do. It shows up in the stories we tell, the creators we work with, and the organizations we partner with. Rebel Girls’ mission is to help raise the most inspired and confident generation of girls. To date, we’ve told the stories of more than 2,000 incredible, diverse, and accomplished women and girls—60% of whom are Black, Indigenous, and women of color. And we’ve partnered with more than 600 creators from more than 50 countries to bring these stories to life. We pride ourselves in being a platform for a plurality of voices—and the community we are building with our staff, our audience, creators, and so many of the incredible women and girls we feature.”
Jes Wolfe
Chief Executive Officer
Rebel Girls
BCG Washington DC, 2010-2013
“I continuously reflect on my behaviors and ensure I have a refreshed perspective of what inclusivity means to me and how I can inspire inclusivity through my actions. Diversity of thought is a critical enabler in fostering diverse policies, initiatives, and cultures. As a communications and public affairs professional, the key questions I ask myself when I prepare any key communication, speech, or crucial conversation is whether it is purposeful, impactful, inclusive, and genuine.”
Leila Naguib
Gulf Corporate Affairs Manager
Mars
BCG Dubai, 2016-2021
“At my workplace, I bring my authentic self to work and encourage discussions regarding inclusivity and equity. I have led DE&I moments at our Global Town Halls, and share my learnings and experiences with other leaders through our company’s Women’s Network. Finally, when I recruit, I encourage our HR team to review job descriptions to ensure the wording does not hinder female applicants, as well as pay attention to any unconscious bias in my recruiting process.”
Tamara Fiona Wennecke
Senior Strategy Lead
Hempel
BCG Copenhagen, 2016-2019
“Unfortunately, equity and inclusion are still faraway goals in the societies I now work in. Having a significant female presence on executive teams and boards remains a long-term goal for most companies in Latin America. However, I was able to build an organization within the company I now work at, encompassing all the areas that are under my leadership. I am proud to say that our team of 45+ people is very diverse and inclusive. Also, the company I co-founded a few years ago now has over 60 employees and today is one of the most diverse and inclusive companies in terms of talent attraction and retention. I truly believe that the complex problems we are trying to solve today require a diverse and multidisciplinary team of people all looking at possible solutions from very different perspectives and sitting at the same table discussing their ideas in an equitable and horizontal fashion.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“My go to phrase is, ‘Say more about that.’ I know that the best ideas are generated by a group of people from different backgrounds, contexts, and approaches who are willing to openly share their point of view. It’s imperative for me in every conversation to encourage everyone to express their unique takes and for the group to gain insights from different perspectives.”
Nan Hu
VP, Head of Strategy/Chief of Staff to CEO
Marc Jacobs
BCG New York, 2012-2015, 2020-2022
“As the most senior woman in my organization, I’m committed to leading by example in an unapologetic and voiceful way. This means that I exercise my rights and respect my needs without excuses or regret. It also means that I make my choices and decisions visible and understandable, so I can raise men’s awareness and inspire other women.”
Raquel Seabra
Executive Board Member
Sogrape
BCG Lisbon, 2005-2015
“Listen. Listen. And ask questions. Of everyone. That’s where you’ll get the best ideas and help people feel valued at the same time.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & CO
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“Learning to express our needs, ask for what we want, and stand up for what we believe in can create inner change that no one can create on our behalf. Finding that clarity, as individuals and as women, and voicing it is powerful and contagious. Our circles get the bug at some point.”
Lana Mazahreh
Head of 3P Fulfillment
Amazon South Africa
BCG Johannesburg, 2014-2020
“I encourage folks to seek to understand each other and take time to get to know their co-workers. Be the one to ask questions and listen to different points of view.”
Liz Williams
Chief Executive Officer
El Pollo Loco
BCG Dallas, 2004-2010
“I’m part of what we call ‘resource groups,’ either as a member/coach/role-model or as an ally. Allyship is something that is potentially far too underrated. It means for me that you address topics and speak up—‘If you see something, say something’—but with the same importance: you listen too!”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“The more you learn about someone’s intrinsic motivations and what makes them happy, the better you are at figuring out how to include, support, and encourage them in a way that aligns with their motivations. In my team town halls, we have a rotating set of work topics that we cover. Periodically, we make the agenda all about fostering connection among the entire team. I think of it as a way of ‘reintroducing’ ourselves to each other. Once I asked each person to bring a photo to share that represents who they are or what they did recently. Another time, it was a book exchange where people bought a recently published book they read or had been wanting to read and traded them with others in the room. The activity varies and can be executed in breakouts or full group settings depending on the size of the team. But the intent is that these connections also create belonging and not otherness. It has also reflected in my team’s direct feedback that these were their favorite work ‘events.’ Of course, these are in addition to, and not in lieu of, the proven techniques for inspiring inclusion in meetings, communications, and other formal work situations.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Services (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“We are an (almost) all-women workplace, from all places and backgrounds. I’m proud to say that, currently, all my direct reports except one are women. I intend to keep it that way!”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“Currently, I am spearheading kay me with a mission to support those who challenge themselves to achieve success. Our customer base consists of busy, mobile, and sociable individuals. Results from regular online surveys indicate “communication challenges with subordinates, business partners, colleagues, etc.” As a result, this year, we are organizing a large-scale event in conjunction with International Women’s Day. We will host panel discussions featuring members of the parliament, global business executives, and female entrepreneurs for networking sessions to encourage engagement not only among women but among all individuals.”
Junko Kemi
Founder
kay me
BCG Tokyo, 2005-2007
“It is incredibly important to build diverse and inclusive teams. This means looking holistically at how you hire, how you promote, and what you celebrate. No company is perfect, but we work really hard to make sure we think about both diversity and inclusion throughout our organization—top to bottom and across all functions. One thing BCG’s Women’s Initiative taught me was that this is a decade-plus journey for an organization—not a one-year initiative—and when you do it right, everyone benefits, regardless of gender or ethnicity. It means you just need to keep committing to it and the benefits will come—especially if you set clear goals and ways to measure them. Lastly, I tell women today that the thing women before us gave us is the ability to choose where we work. This isn’t the Mad Men era—make sure you find a place where you feel appreciated and valued, and if you need to make a change then do that.”
Dru Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer
AffiniPay
BCG San Francisco, 2008-2012
“I believe that equal access to opportunity is the best way to support, encourage, and contribute to inclusivity and equity. With that, I have been mindful in making sure that I provide access to my mentees and teammates when relevant. It starts with understanding mentees’ individual plan, strength, and aspiration. It also comes with having a small but very close-knit circle whom I can spend time with to help co-develop their plan, identify ways I could be supportive, and the critical connections they would need to realize their plan. With clear plan, it’s easier for me to connect them and give them access when relevant—be it their post-graduate education or their next career move. Over the last decade or so, with this approach, I was able to support many of my junior colleagues in BCG and beyond to make significant step forward in their career.
In addition, being a woman comes with certain advantages and disadvantages, especially when one wants to progress in their career while balancing their personal life. I was the first-ever female employee in the Vietnam office and was also the first to become a mother in the office. I found it my responsibility to support other women by sharing my own experience and connecting them to the right people when they needed help. By providing such support, I believe it was helpful to make the workplace more inclusive to women in general, and for women in BCG in particular.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
Jes Wolfe
Chief Executive Officer
Rebel Girls
BCG Washington DC, 2010-2013
“I continuously reflect on my behaviors and ensure I have a refreshed perspective of what inclusivity means to me and how I can inspire inclusivity through my actions. Diversity of thought is a critical enabler in fostering diverse policies, initiatives, and cultures. As a communications and public affairs professional, the key questions I ask myself when I prepare any key communication, speech, or crucial conversation is whether it is purposeful, impactful, inclusive, and genuine.”
Leila Naguib
Gulf Corporate Affairs Manager
Mars
BCG Dubai, 2016-2021
“At my workplace, I bring my authentic self to work and encourage discussions regarding inclusivity and equity. I have led DE&I moments at our Global Town Halls, and share my learnings and experiences with other leaders through our company’s Women’s Network. Finally, when I recruit, I encourage our HR team to review job descriptions to ensure the wording does not hinder female applicants, as well as pay attention to any unconscious bias in my recruiting process.”
Tamara Fiona Wennecke
Senior Strategy Lead
Hempel
BCG Copenhagen, 2016-2019
“Unfortunately, equity and inclusion are still faraway goals in the societies I now work in. Having a significant female presence on executive teams and boards remains a long-term goal for most companies in Latin America. However, I was able to build an organization within the company I now work at, encompassing all the areas that are under my leadership. I am proud to say that our team of 45+ people is very diverse and inclusive. Also, the company I co-founded a few years ago now has over 60 employees and today is one of the most diverse and inclusive companies in terms of talent attraction and retention. I truly believe that the complex problems we are trying to solve today require a diverse and multidisciplinary team of people all looking at possible solutions from very different perspectives and sitting at the same table discussing their ideas in an equitable and horizontal fashion.”
Melanie Cornejo
Chief Medical Innovation Officer
Auna
BCG New Jersey & Santiago, 2010-2012
“My go to phrase is, ‘Say more about that.’ I know that the best ideas are generated by a group of people from different backgrounds, contexts, and approaches who are willing to openly share their point of view. It’s imperative for me in every conversation to encourage everyone to express their unique takes and for the group to gain insights from different perspectives.”
Nan Hu
VP, Head of Strategy/Chief of Staff to CEO
Marc Jacobs
BCG New York, 2012-2015, 2020-2022
“As the most senior woman in my organization, I’m committed to leading by example in an unapologetic and voiceful way. This means that I exercise my rights and respect my needs without excuses or regret. It also means that I make my choices and decisions visible and understandable, so I can raise men’s awareness and inspire other women.”
Raquel Seabra
Executive Board Member
Sogrape
BCG Lisbon, 2005-2015
“Listen. Listen. And ask questions. Of everyone. That’s where you’ll get the best ideas and help people feel valued at the same time.”
Natalie MacLennan
CEO, Dockers
Levi Strauss & CO
BCG San Francisco, 2011-2017
“Learning to express our needs, ask for what we want, and stand up for what we believe in can create inner change that no one can create on our behalf. Finding that clarity, as individuals and as women, and voicing it is powerful and contagious. Our circles get the bug at some point.”
Lana Mazahreh
Head of 3P Fulfillment
Amazon South Africa
BCG Johannesburg, 2014-2020
“I encourage folks to seek to understand each other and take time to get to know their co-workers. Be the one to ask questions and listen to different points of view.”
Liz Williams
Chief Executive Officer
El Pollo Loco
BCG Dallas, 2004-2010
“I’m part of what we call ‘resource groups,’ either as a member/coach/role-model or as an ally. Allyship is something that is potentially far too underrated. It means for me that you address topics and speak up—‘If you see something, say something’—but with the same importance: you listen too!”
Kerstin Steinmann
Talent Impact Lead Enabling Functions
Bayer
BCG Dusseldorf, 1999-2014
“The more you learn about someone’s intrinsic motivations and what makes them happy, the better you are at figuring out how to include, support, and encourage them in a way that aligns with their motivations. In my team town halls, we have a rotating set of work topics that we cover. Periodically, we make the agenda all about fostering connection among the entire team. I think of it as a way of ‘reintroducing’ ourselves to each other. Once I asked each person to bring a photo to share that represents who they are or what they did recently. Another time, it was a book exchange where people bought a recently published book they read or had been wanting to read and traded them with others in the room. The activity varies and can be executed in breakouts or full group settings depending on the size of the team. But the intent is that these connections also create belonging and not otherness. It has also reflected in my team’s direct feedback that these were their favorite work ‘events.’ Of course, these are in addition to, and not in lieu of, the proven techniques for inspiring inclusion in meetings, communications, and other formal work situations.”
Mythili Devineni
Former VP, Amazon Interactive Video Services (AWS)
Twitch Interactive
BCG New York, 2006-2015
“We are an (almost) all-women workplace, from all places and backgrounds. I’m proud to say that, currently, all my direct reports except one are women. I intend to keep it that way!”
Margarida Correia
Chief Executive Officer, Amorim Fashion
Board Member, Amorim Luxury Group
BCG Lisbon, 2010-2022
“Currently, I am spearheading kay me with a mission to support those who challenge themselves to achieve success. Our customer base consists of busy, mobile, and sociable individuals. Results from regular online surveys indicate “communication challenges with subordinates, business partners, colleagues, etc.” As a result, this year, we are organizing a large-scale event in conjunction with International Women’s Day. We will host panel discussions featuring members of the parliament, global business executives, and female entrepreneurs for networking sessions to encourage engagement not only among women but among all individuals.”
Junko Kemi
Founder
kay me
BCG Tokyo, 2005-2007
“It is incredibly important to build diverse and inclusive teams. This means looking holistically at how you hire, how you promote, and what you celebrate. No company is perfect, but we work really hard to make sure we think about both diversity and inclusion throughout our organization—top to bottom and across all functions. One thing BCG’s Women’s Initiative taught me was that this is a decade-plus journey for an organization—not a one-year initiative—and when you do it right, everyone benefits, regardless of gender or ethnicity. It means you just need to keep committing to it and the benefits will come—especially if you set clear goals and ways to measure them. Lastly, I tell women today that the thing women before us gave us is the ability to choose where we work. This isn’t the Mad Men era—make sure you find a place where you feel appreciated and valued, and if you need to make a change then do that.”
Dru Armstrong
Chief Executive Officer
AffiniPay
BCG San Francisco, 2008-2012
“I believe that equal access to opportunity is the best way to support, encourage, and contribute to inclusivity and equity. With that, I have been mindful in making sure that I provide access to my mentees and teammates when relevant. It starts with understanding mentees’ individual plan, strength, and aspiration. It also comes with having a small but very close-knit circle whom I can spend time with to help co-develop their plan, identify ways I could be supportive, and the critical connections they would need to realize their plan. With clear plan, it’s easier for me to connect them and give them access when relevant—be it their post-graduate education or their next career move. Over the last decade or so, with this approach, I was able to support many of my junior colleagues in BCG and beyond to make significant step forward in their career.
In addition, being a woman comes with certain advantages and disadvantages, especially when one wants to progress in their career while balancing their personal life. I was the first-ever female employee in the Vietnam office and was also the first to become a mother in the office. I found it my responsibility to support other women by sharing my own experience and connecting them to the right people when they needed help. By providing such support, I believe it was helpful to make the workplace more inclusive to women in general, and for women in BCG in particular.”
Tuyet Vu
Advisor, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India
Eisenhower Fellow
BCG Ho Chi Minh City, 2013-2019
