Berkeley Partnership launches mentoring programme for women
The Berkeley Partnership has launched a new mentoring programme for women in consulting. The new initiative from the Women@Berkeley Network will provide tailored personal support in career and personal development for the firm’s women.
Tailored mentoring with a focus on women’s lived experiences, The Berkeley Partnership’s voluntary programme is open to all women working for the firm in the UK and US. The initiative matches mentees with internal mentors across the consultancy, encouraging flexibility to shape the mentoring relationship needed to meet each mentee’s needs, and encourage their development.
Jenna Goldstein, a Berkeley Consultant, and one of the Women’s Mentoring Programme leaders, commented, “Our mentoring gives one-to-one support to our women in their client roles and career progression, but also in wider situations where a female lens is invaluable, such as working successfully in male-dominated environments or balancing career with life outside of work. By providing mentorship based on lived experiences, rather than seniority or tenure, we can tailor the programme to meet individual women’s differing needs.”
Recent research from professional network Comatch found that, in spite of initiatives in favour of gender equality across the industry – such as shared parental leave, extended paternity leave, and flexible working – women are also still in the minority in the consulting sector. This was particularly the case at partner level.
Sameera Simjee, Partner and Women@Berkeley Nework sponsor, said, “We envisage this programme will allow longer-term relationships to flourish between mentors and mentees. Through deepening connections across the firm, we are helping to foster a warm, open culture of belonging and inclusion. I’m very proud that the women’s network is a key contributor towards The Berkeley Partnership achieving its DE&I ambitions, building a more equitable workplace where all women can achieve their full potential.”
The launch of the Women’s Mentoring Programme was facilitated by the Women@Berkeley Network. The network is open to both men and women at the firm, with men encouraged to take part in select events to better equip them as allies and champions.
Simjee added, “To date, the Women@Berkeley Network has offered focused community and support for many of our women’s concerns, such as career progression, balancing work with other commitments, and effective leadership. A more structured mentoring programme was a natural next step for our continued work to enable the firm’s women to succeed both professionally and personally.”
The Women’s Mentoring Programme is complementary to Berkeley’s other career and personal development initiatives, which include coaching, one-to-one guidance and support from partners, and formal training. Other efforts to support more women ascend the ranks of the firm have seen Berkeley lauded as a leading employer for working mothers in the consulting sector, for example.
