Accenture’s Developing High Performing Women workshop provides female managers with career coaching, exposure to influential leaders and skill-building sessions; so far, 38% of past attendees have been promoted to senior manager.

Getting to mingle with their peers is just one of the things that draws female business leaders to the annual women’s leadership forums held in Silicon Valley and New York by this management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. The women also like that these events keep them current, addressing trends in technology and innovations in the market. At the office, it’s all about mentoring; senior female execs in the communications and high-tech operating group are guided by its leadership team, and those in the management consulting business help sponsor and coach female senior managers. The two-week Smith College Leadership Consortium offers top women senior managers sessions that illuminate new thinking about management practices and workplace strategies.

CEO: Pierre Nanterme

Chief HR Officer: Jill Smart

% of senior managers who are women: 33%

% of corporate executives who are women: 20%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 35%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 23%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 16%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: 0%

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 23%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 25%

Kathleen is from Tuckahoe, NY, and mom to Claire (10) and Sarah Ann (7).

Some characteristics that come to mind when describing senior executive Kathleen Bergen are dynamic, enthusiastic, energetic and selfless.

At Accenture, one of the Six Core Values is Stewardship, which is Kathleen’s passion. “When you can work in a great environment, with great people, solving complex problems and can align your passion and ability to ‘pay it forward,’ it is a tremendous achievement,” she says.

Kathleen is able to integrate mentoring into her daily activities. She serves as a formal career counselor for several executives and her door is always open for those seeking guidance.

Kathleen recently assumed the Community co-lead role for one of Accenture’s new NY Metro Communities. She also participates in formal leadership development including serving as faculty for Senior Management Leadership Development, and supports project initiatives such as “The Road to Senior Executive.” In all of these forums, Kathleen often hosts diversity breakfast or lunch sessions.

Kathleen travels extensively, affording her global teams the opportunity to learn her insights. She is a strong global leader with a good sense of cultural differences  that allows for a very collaborative work environment.

Externally, Kathleen took a year-long role serving as a formal executive coach in support of Accenture’s program with the Robin Hood Foundation. She supports organizations such as the Women’s Bond Club and Accenture-sponsored events such as Women in Non-Profit Board Leadership.

In her client advisory role, Kathleen often brings her clients with similar interests to these events. She is a masterful networker, helping clients be successful.

 

 

Accenture’s Biggest Winner weight-loss competition encouraged 7,500 employees to lose 18,000 lbs. in 2010.

Designing workplace solutions to fit the differing needs of clients in 120 countries has clearly taught the leaders of this management consulting, technology and outsourcing company to think outside the box. Just as they often recommend the use of flexible schedules to other organizations, so too do they trust their own people to work unorthodox hours or operate from locations of their own choice. Up to 80% of the company’s employees adjusted their hours and telecommuted at some point last year, and the availability of teleconferencing at nearly every office site does away with the need for excess travel. Moms may take eight fully paid weeks off to give birth, and many of them reduce their hours when they return to the office. If they need help with the kids, they can tap 40 hours of subsidized backup care annually, available in-home or at local centers.

CEO Pierre Nanterme

Chief HR Officer Jill Smart

Women managers/execs 33% 

Women among top earners 27% 

Women hires in 2010 32% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 8 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 75%

Accenture last year launched Live Well, its one-stop shopping intranet site that combines its work-life, benefits and wellness information.

Whatever their personal goals may be, women can find support for them at this management consulting, technology and outsourcing firm. If they're eager to climb the corporate ladder, they'll appreciate the 67 hours of training employees receive each year. If they're thinking about becoming parents, they'll relish the $5,000 adoption assistance benefit and $2- to $4-per-hour backup-care program. And if they need to rebuild credit or eliminate debt, they'll be thankful for the free consultations they receive with a financial counselor. Staffers can stash up to $230 per month in a pretax account to cover commuting costs or put away up to $5,000 annually toward dependent care expenses. Those craving downtime or some R&R with their family can take at least 19 days of paid vacation each year, plus five unpaid days.

Chairman & CEO William D. Green

Managing Director, U.S. Human Capital & Diversity LaMae Allen de Jongh

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 34%

Women among top earners 27%

Women on board of directors 27%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 8%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 13%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 0%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 0%  

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? Yes

 

*Percentages reflect number of women participants versus company’s total female workforce.

More than 1,600 Accenture execs have taken its Leading a Diverse Workforce course, which trains them how to create a more inclusive workplace.

At this global consulting and technology services firm, multicultural employees are considered a huge competitive asset.  To ensure that they have all the support and information they need to advance their careers, the firm in 2008 launched its U.S. Career Development Checkpoint process, a customized skills review for female employees and multicultural staffers. Employees meet TK HOW OFTEN with career counselors and human resources representatives to sketch out their career goals and determine what further training and experience they need to achieve them. Those who opt for extra leadership training can sign up for an array of offerings, including a “crash-course MBA” from the Smith College Leadership Consortium, a Developing High Performing Women course and a leadership summit. In 2008, at least one-third of those who participated in these programs were women of color.

Multicultural Women: 15%

Multicultural Women Managers/Execs: 7%

Chief Diversity Officer: LaMae Allen DeJongh

Hires who are multicultural women: 16%

Hires who are multicultural men: 23%

Multicultural women managers/execs: 7%

Multicultural men managers/execs: 16%

Top 20% earners who are multicultural women: N/A

Top 20% earners who are multicultural men: N/A

Multicultural women on board of directors: 0%

Offers formal compensation program to reward managers who specifically help multicultural women advance: NO

Rates managers on the number of multicultural women employees advancing: NO

Uses outside recruiter to focus on finding multicultural women candidates: YES

Offers support groups specifically for multicultural women: NO

Offers mentoring programs specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO

Offers sponsorship program specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO