This year marked the five-year anniversary of Strategy&'s Future Female Leaders Event that was held on July 6th and 7th in Amsterdam. Some 120 female Strategy& colleagues from all over Europe, as well as a number of external guests who proved to be inspirational role models, got together. They openly discussed their aspirations and challenges, shared success stories, and formed powerful connections that will fuel their future growth. An impression of a day full of inspiration and celebration.
At Strategy& we are dedicated to empowering our female colleagues by fostering an international and diverse community, providing unwavering support, and offering the inspiration needed for them to not only thrive within our organization but also to flourish beyond its borders. We celebrate their uniqueness, embrace their originality, encourage them to stand out, and inspire them to create a lasting impact. Because together, we can make a real difference.
Research reveals that a lack of role models is an important reason why women leave companies like ours. In response to this challenge and with a commitment to empowering our female colleagues, we launched the Future Female Leaders Event in 2017. The event was designed to address their concerns about succeeding in a male-dominated consulting world, to build valuable networks, and to share knowledge in their journey towards success.
The Future Female Leaders Event has become a symbol of our commitment to fostering a strong community of women within our firm. Through this event and other initiatives, we actively bring together women from all levels of our organization, providing them with the resources and support they need to not only thrive but also inspire others. We believe that by creating such a community, we can help women overcome barriers, access invaluable mentorship, and ultimately excel in their careers: Grow Stronger, Together!
At this year's event we emphasized the importance of leveraging and celebrating our differences while working from our strengths. This requires investing time in discovering our strengths, weaknesses, energizers, and ambitions. Now, let's explore some key insights from the program!
Focus on the road, not the wall
Francine van Dierendonck, a board member of APG, shared her journey to becoming a board member of the largest Dutch pension fund. She and Tamara Obradov, a Partner and VC Fund Manager at Tablomonto and a Strategy& alumna, encouraged us to venture into new and meaningful endeavors. Whether it is a passion close to our hearts, a change that we believe is important to make or a type of culture that we want to create for us and the people around us, let’s do it! And let’s not dwell on closed doors or obstacles. The journey may not always go as planned, but our response to challenges is within our control.
The power of knowing who you are
Discovering our true selves is not an easy task, but it can bring significant rewards. The Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates famously proclaimed that the unexamined life was not worth living, and that knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. A workshop by Meg Mateer from The School of Life helped us examine ‘who we are’. Knowing what energizes us and understanding our strengths can guide our choices in life and career. This self-awareness enables us to be proactive and bold in pursuing our aspirations. We can explore self-awareness by reflecting on our perceptions and projections. Like Byron Katie, the renowned teacher of a method for self-inquiry, said, “the world is nothing but my perception of it, I see only through myself”. A particularly powerful framework that was introduced in the workshop is the Johari Window that was developed by psychologists to help us understand the differences between how other people see us and how we see ourselves. The main objective is to increase the size of the ‘open area of self’ - the things (behavior, knowledge, skills, attitudes) that you know about yourself, and others know about you. We can increase the open area by decreasing the blind, hidden and unknown areas – areas where things are unknown to yourself and / or unknown to others.
Success is an iceberg
Knowing where our ambitions lie empowers us to step out of our comfort zone and embrace new experiences. This journey is often a process of trial and error, and the road ahead may be unclear. However, one thing is certain: we will gain numerous valuable skills along the way. We might look at others and envy their overnight success. But overnight success is a myth: success takes work. Tamara Obradov reminded us that success represents merely the tip of the iceberg, what people see. Underneath the waterline, what people don't see, there is focus, flexibility, persistence, hard work, good habits and dedication, but also disappointment, sacrifice and failure. You are not going to be perfect. It takes what is under the surface to reach the point above the surface.
Niki Kauffmann-Shilling, Chief Impact Officer of Rituals, shared her life journey. She encouraged us to harness the superpowers that we all already possess, including the abilities to trust in life, nourish ourselves, dare and follow our intuition. “You are amazing: use your superpowers”.
You do not have to do it alone; our network is even bigger than the colleagues sitting next to us
On this journey, we are not alone. The Strategy& women stand strong together, which is why this yearly event is organized. Understanding ourselves empowers us to ask for help specifically and when you do, you are surrounded by women who have been in similar situations and are eager to offer support. This year’s event was a testimony to the power, support and inspiration our community provides. Beyond this event, we can continue to rely on this invaluable network by choosing a mentor who can guide us in our desired areas of development. And do not forget, this network goes beyond current employees – we have many amazing Strategy&-alumni and client relations too.
Lastly, do not be too tough on yourself – you are already extraordinary, and we are honored to connect with so many strong women
Amsterdam Recruiting Team
Thank you for your interest in Strategy&. The Amsterdam Recruiting Team looks after all recruiting activities for our Amsterdam office. We are here to help you with any questions you may have about the firm, our activities on campus and the application process. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need further assistance.
