McKinsey & Co.’s Sponsorship Masterclass shows female partners how to advocate for the women below them and locate their own sponsors as well.

To better understand how female employees are flowing into and up the executive pipeline at this management consulting firm, global managing director Dominic Barton compares their high-level representation against a set of internal goals each quarter, joined by the senior partners in charge of each global region. In related discussions, the directors of the firm’s women’s initiative meet with office leaders to assess the progress of female managers on the partner track and locate in-house sponsors for those who need them. The firm’s 1.5-day Pathway to Partner program, held in New York City, finds senior partners facilitating discussions among small groups of female engagement managers and/or associate principals, with a focus on helping them define their leadership vision. It’s part of a larger women’s curriculum that fosters skill-building and promotes a sense of community at every level.

Global Managing Director: Dominic Barton

Director: Michelle Jarrard

% of senior managers who are women: 25%

% of corporate executives who are women: 11%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 26%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 14%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 10%

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

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: N/A

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 7%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: --

Beth is from Huntersville, NC, and mom to Camden (11) and Megan (10).

Booz Allen Hamilton Associate Beth Mancuso had hoped that being an award-winning writer for a Fortune 500 company and a former Intelligence Analyst for the Army National Guard would inspire her children, but was surprised to find that her resilience in a particularly trying episode may have proved to be the most inspirational of all.

In 2007, when Beth’s husband was transferred out of state, her leadership agreed to let her telecommute full-time from what would be their new hometown. Beth planned to stay behind to sell the couple’s home, before she and her then 5- and 6-year-old children were reunited with her husband.

Instead, their home went up for sale just as the Washington, D.C.-area housing market plummeted. When it finally sold a year later, the news was bittersweet; Beth’s husband had asked for a divorce the week before.

Now Beth had more than the emotional ordeal of a divorce to deal with, but the prospect of having to vacate her home with two young children in a matter of weeks—with no destination—while continuing to work full time.

Undaunted, Beth moved in with family and set a goal of buying a home within a year.

 “And through it all, Booz Allen was incredibly supportive,” says Beth, who celebrated 15 years with the firm in August. “My leadership allowed me to telecommute, which made all the difference. I was able to continue being successful at work, Camden and Megan completed the school year in a loving environment, and we moved into a wonderful new home in Charlotte where I’ve continued to telecommute full-time.”

Now 10 and 11, Megan and Camden enjoy volunteering with their mother at Booz Allen-supported community service events like the International Coastal Cleanup.

 “Divorce can be a big set back for young children,” says Beth. “Many are in a state of flux and see their parents in a vulnerable state. But because of Booz Allen’s support, my children saw that a working mom can persevere through adversity, be there 100 percent for her family, and still continue to be successful at the job she loves.”

Krista's hometown is Lake Barrington, IL, and she is mom to Sarah (13), Jack (13) and Ben (9).

Krista Ridgway first joined Bain as an associate consultant upon graduating from Duke University, where she majored in biomedical engineering. Throughout her career, Krista has advised clients across multiple industries on business challenges such as developing growth strategies and identifying supply chain efficiencies. Clients have commended Krista not only for her business advice but also for personally investing in their professional development.

In 2002, Krista was appointed Director of HR and Staffing , where she now “sets the tone for our management teams in terms of being at cause and looking out for the best outcomes for our people every single day,” explains Bain Partner Keith Bevans.

For more than 20 years, Krista has served as a trainer and manager for Bain’s global training programs, where she has helped shape the professional development of countless women and men.

As a dedicated mentor and coach, Krista is a role model for her team and more broadly, for the entire office. Colleagues often seek her out for advice and support on career opportunities and challenges.

Krista is a recipient of Bain’s prestigious Bright-Dix award in recognition of her work fostering professional development both through mentoring her teams and participating in Bain’s global training programs. In the words of one female consultant: “Krista's coaching and mentoring helped me build a successful career at Bain.”

Outside of the office, Krista and her family are outdoor enthusiasts, participating in a variety of sports, including skiing and hiking (especially mountain hiking above 10,000 ft). She also enjoys attending her sons’ baseball games and watching her daughter ride horses.

McKinsey & Co. employees can take a one-year leave of absence to explore their personal interests (language study, athletic training, time with family, and more).

Alternative work arrangements have always been this management consulting firm’s strong suit; all of its employees adjust their hours on a regular basis, and nearly everyone telecommutes when needed. In 2010, the firm intensified its support for such options by appointing partner lisa ellis (who once worked part-time herself) as its new “flexibility champion.” In this role, the mother of three offers guidance to consultants with formal flex schedules and maintains a dialogue with the firm’s leadership about the best ways to serve them. To encourage more employees to investigate flex, the firm has expanded its training around the issue, enhanced its flex website and released a book on flex users. These efforts are critical to helping working mothers rise; so is the firm’s generous tuition aid, which reimbursed users an average of $14,500 last year.

Managing Director Dominic Barton

Director Michelle Jarrard

Women managers/execs 29% 

Women among top earners 22% 

Women hires in 2010 32% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 14 

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

Offers affinity group for new mothers? Yes

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 100%

At Booz Allen Hamilton, anyone who serves as the primary caregiver for a newly adopted child may take two weeks off to bond with their latest addition.

Connecting with other families after transferring to a new city can be hard for employees of this strategy- and technology-consulting firm. To the rescue comes its Family Ambassador program, which links recent transplants with established locals, who offer advice on everything from the best schools to where to buy a home. Moms get to know their new colleagues at firm outings and chat with them further over its online social network, hello. Seminars and events hosted by the in-house Parents forum provide guidance on international adoptions, the college admissions process and assistive devices for children with special needs. Corporate sponsorship of museum exhibits and cultural activities puts firm families at the front of the line for previews of area attractions.

Chairman & CEO Ralph W. Shrader, PhD

Senior VP, People Services Betty Thompson

Women managers/execs 31% 

Women among top earners 22% 

Women hires in 2010 36% 

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? Yes

 Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 80%

Bain & Co. employees frequently see each other off the clock, playing soccer, attending the theater, taking cooking classes and volunteering together.

Creative work arrangements are a hallmark of this management consulting firm, where all employees can flex their schedules and nearly all of them worked off-site at some point last year. Women may reduce their schedules by 40% and still be considered for promotions; in fact, most of the female partners here have worked part-time. Employees who desire more freedom can get it, too, as demonstrated by a group of administrative staffers who recently scored a formal flextime program. Moms love the firm’s two-month sabbaticals and educational leaves of absence (which include tuition aid). “Bain has been incredibly flexible in helping me create a career path tailored to my interests and priorities,” says Rebecca Tadikonda, a New York City–based manager and mom of two.

Worldwide Managing Director Steve Ellis

Partner & Chief Talent Officer Russ Hagey

Women managers/execs 35% 

Women among top earners 20% 

Women hires in 2010 46% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 12 

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 87%

At McKinsey & Company, the whole office shuts down for the last week of December so no one feels any pressure to work.

With the formal launch of its Mom's Network last year, this management consulting firm gave all women who were expecting or raising children their own representative–a dedicated manager assigned to keep tabs on their progress and answer any work-life questions. Women who are pregnant may take ten paid days off before giving birth and can stay home for 12 fully paid weeks afterward  (16 if their children are multiples, premature or born with special needs). Partners in every office mentor moms and explain the details of on- and off-ramping, but it's the annual Mom's Facebook that really helps consultants with kids find a network. With personal insight (and a bit of humor), senior women have written Laptops & Lullabies: The Mom's Guide to McKinsey. In a real bind, moms can contact the firm's backup-care program, which will send a nanny to their homes; use is unlimited, and the fee is subsidized for non partners five days per year.

Managing Director Dominic Barton

Director of Diversity Initiatives Paulette Gerkovich, PhD

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 27%

Women among top earners 22%

Women on board of directors 7%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 N/A  

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 22%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* N/A  

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 6%

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? No

 

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

McGladrey’s free Coach-on-Call program offers employees access to sessions with a licensed coach to help them achieve their desired success.

Alternative schedules are popular at the accounting, tax and business consulting firms known as McGladrey, the brand that comprises RSM McGladrey and McGladrey & Pullen. In 2009, 90% of their employees adjusted their hours, and 60% compressed their weeks or telecommuted at some point. Everyone gets a career advisor who helps investigate flexible work options, and "WorkLife Ambassadors" spread the message that you don't need to sit behind a desk to serve clients. Employees in some locations can opt to work from home, at client sites or in "flex spaces" that suit their work styles. FlexYear, an arrangement that permits monthly or seasonal shifts, allows many moms to ramp up work from January to April, when demand is high, then reduce or eliminate hours during summer. After ten years, partners and managing directors enjoy paid sabbaticals of up to three months.

RSM McGladrey President C.E. Andrews

McGladrey & Pullen Managing Partner Dave Scudder

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 37%

Women among top earners 23%

Women on board of directors 11%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 69%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 1%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 32%

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? No

 

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

Women are moving up at Deloitte: In 1993, the organization had fewer than 100 female partners, principals and directors; today, it has more than 1,000.

What busy mom hasn't dreamed about leaving work behind to do something adventurous? The new sabbatical program offered by this professional services organization supports such aspirations, granting employees four unpaid weeks off to do anything they like (climb Everest, hang with kids), or three to six partially paid months off to volunteer or pursue career-enhancing opportunities. Women make up 57% of those who go on sabbaticals; if they want longer breaks, they may take up to five years off. But there are plenty of reasons to stay put, including health insurance that's available to anyone who works 20 hours per week, up to $10,000 in annual tuition aid for job-related courses and a parental leave policy that gives birth moms 14 fully paid weeks off, with eight paid weeks for primary adoptive caregivers. Parents who need backup care can request in-home caregivers for $6 per hour or use in-network centers for $20 per day.

CEO Barry Salzberg

Managing Principal, Talent Cathy Benko

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 36%

Women among top earners 26%

Women on board of directors 29%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 17%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 7%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 6%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 21%

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

 

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

In 2009, The Boston Consulting Group’s tuition assistance program reimbursed participating employees an average of $27,385 for career-related courses.

There's a lot to admire about this management consulting firm, where the number of female consultants has doubled in the past six years. Its Women's Initiative offers strong mentoring programs and networking for moms like Delaney Steele, a principal who transferred to San Francisco from New York City with baby in tow. "Even before I arrived, the women in the office invited me to a Women's Initiative event‚" she recalls. Every year, parents receive 20 days of free backup care at centers in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Summit, NJ. Mothers also get 12 fully paid weeks of maternity leave and can use flextime, telecommuting and part-time schedules. Chicago recruiting manager Jennifer Comparoni loves the flexibility: "It allows me to be home more in the early morning and after school hours‚" she says.

President & CEO Hans-Paul Buerkner

Senior Partner Michel Fredeau

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 37%

Women among top earners 15%

Women on board of directors 7%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 8%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 2%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement Not tracked  

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? No

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