Women in Strategy – the highs, the lows and what you need to succeed

The advice came thick and fast during Investigo’s ‘Women in Strategy’ event last night at Furniture Maker’s Hall, near London Liverpool Street. With women making up only 10% of Partner level positions within Strategy Consultancy and only 23% of FTSE 100 female board members in 2016, ‘how to attract the best female talent’ is a key objective for many consultancies and businesses today.

Nurturing and encouraging female talent is high on Investigo’s agenda, which prompted the Strategy team to host their first ‘Women in Strategy’ event. The evening centred around two influential women in the industry, both sharing their experiences of progressing to a high level in a notoriously male-dominated environment. One of the key pieces of advice on the evening was around networking, making the pre and post-talk drinks and canapes even more significant to those who attended.

Christine Delivanis, a Partner at Marakon, spoke openly and honestly about her 17 years’ experience, and of her career progression – the highs, the lows and what you need to succeed. Her insight into the varying stages of a career in Strategy Consulting which resulted in a powerful question and answer session about the challenges she faced as a woman rising to the top.

Kirsty Rutter, CEO of Eaton Risk Advisory, drew on both her influences and experiences when discussing her career path, which saw her rise on a twisting ladder to the top. Kirsty addressed some really pertinent points around being a woman in strategy, including what can often be the elephant in the room – how can I manage my strategy career and raise a family? Her advice resonated with many and provided an open and candid forum for those to seek insight into what their future could look like, with or without a family.

Networking and belief were two of the most poignant pieces of advice that arose at various points throughout both of the sessions. The feedback on the evening was resoundingly positive, and a chord struck with many on the importance of providing environments for women in strategy to network and have such discussions.

Following the success of the event, the Investigo Strategy team are already considering ways they can further facilitate similar open forums. Providing a platform for these discussions can only encourage positive movement towards a more diverse and inclusive industry, a high priority for us all.

If you are interested in being kept up to date on future Strategy events, please contact the team directly on strategy@investigo.co.uk

To read Kirsty’s blog ‘The twisting Ladder’ for further insights and stories visit www.thetwistingladder.com