The ‘executive double standard’ preventing women from thriving in UK consulting
The UK has seen its credentials as a leader in equal opportunities dented in recent years, with a prominent study finding that its representation of women in work has declined fast than any major economy since 2020. Amy Speake, CEO of Holmes Noble, explains what consulting firms can do to prevent further “haemorrhaging senior female talent”.
Fantastic news that the UK is currently celebrating 43% female board representation in the FTSE 350. However, a more sobering reality is emerging for 2026. According to the latest PwC Women in Work Index, the UK has fallen to 18th in the OECD countries ranking, down from 10th in 2020. That’s its lowest ranking in over a decade, marking the steepest post-pandemic decline of any major economy.
It’s a warning signal. While quota-chasing at board level is clearly working, the underlying talent engine is stalling. And from my vantage point in executive search, I can tell you exactly why: consulting and advisory firms have mastered policy-led diversity and inclusion, but they’ve largely ignored a critical cultural bias that’s haemorrhaging senior female talent. I call it the ‘executive double standard’.
The unspoken advantage
Here’s what I observe repeatedly in partner-track conversations: a male leader with a stay-at-home spouse is viewed as ‘strategically supported’. His domestic arrangements are seen as a competitive advantage, freeing him to be ‘always-on’ for clients. Yet a female leader in an identical situation? She’s a social anomaly. Eyebrows raise. Questions emerge about her priorities, her commitment, even her authenticity as a working mother.
We’ve built an entire professional infrastructure around one model of executive success - and it’s exclusively male. The result? We’re losing exceptional female talent not because they can’t do the work, but because they refuse to perform a version of leadership that requires them to apologise for the very support structures their male peers take for granted.
The hollow metric problem
The boardroom numbers look impressive until you examine what’s happening further down the pipeline. The UK’s 7.8% labour force participation gap reflects challenges across the entire female workforce, but these barriers intensify exponentially as women climb towards partnership. In consulting specifically, where client service models collide with outdated assumptions about domestic support, the attrition becomes acute.
I’m watching senior women opt out of partner-track roles not because they lack ambition, but because they’ve done the maths. They see male colleagues with full domestic support systems being rewarded for their dedication, while women in equivalent situations face subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) questions about their commitment. The message is clear: your support structure is only legitimate if you’re male.
This is why focusing solely on boardroom representation masks the real problem. We’re celebrating diversity at the top while the talent pipeline below is structurally unsound. You can’t fix a leaking pipeline by only measuring what comes out the end.
Beyond flexibility theatre
Most firms have responded to this challenge with flexibility initiatives. They’re offering hybrid working, part-time partnerships, compressed hours. These are valuable, but they’re also performative if they don’t address the underlying cultural assumption: that a high-performing executive’s home life should look a certain way.
Real progress requires recognising domestic bandwidth as a legitimate business asset, regardless of who holds it. When a male partner’s spouse manages the home front, that’s strategic planning. When a female partner has the same arrangement, it should be equally unremarkable. Until we normalise non-traditional domestic support as a driver of executive output - for everyone - we’re simply rearranging deck chairs.
2026: Policy vs reality
This April, the Employment Rights Act introduces mandatory Equality Action Plans for large employers. On paper, this should drive change. In practice, these plans will remain performative unless firms are willing to dismantle the stereotype of what executive success ‘should’ look like.
The question consulting leaders must ask themselves is uncomfortable but essential: are we genuinely committed to retaining senior female talent, or are we committed to retaining senior female talent who perform leadership exactly as men do? Because right now, the data suggests the latter. And it’s costing us.
Losing our competitive edge
At the UK’s current rate of progress, it will take 33 years to close the gender pay gap. Consulting firms that continue to operate on outdated assumptions about executive domestic arrangements will find themselves increasingly unable to compete for the best talent.
The solution shouldn’t be complicated: examine your cultural assumptions about what ‘supported’ leadership looks like. Ask why a male partner with a stay-at-home spouse is celebrated while a female partner in the same situation is questioned. And recognise that until you can answer that question honestly, your Equality Action Plan is just expensive paperwork.
Other countries are building their talent pipelines, so why can’t we? According to the PwC Women in Work Index, Iceland, New Zealand, and Luxembourg set the benchmark for gender-balanced workplaces. Without bold action, the UK risks falling further behind.
