Women in Consulting: In conversation with Amanda Khalaf, former Partner at a boutique consultancy
In April 2026, a group of senior women in consulting gathered in London for an InX roundtable on the hidden rules, double standards and structural barriers shaping their careers. The conversation didn't end when the breakfast did.
The InX Women in Consulting Series picks up where it left off: one-to-one conversations with senior women across the industry, one voice at a time.
This conversation was recorded while Amanda was Partner at a boutique consultancy. She has since moved on from the role.
In conversation with Amanda Khalaf, former Partner at a boutique consultancy
This instalment is with Amanda Khalaf, former Partner at a boutique consultancy and ex-Big 4 Director, focused on operational strategy and transformation, in conversation with Rishi DuSodha, Partner at InX.
Rishi asks Amanda the question he's put to a lot of senior women in the industry: what stops people from making Partner, and what changes when they do? Her answer splits it into two parts. The technical side, credibility, trust and delivery, is table stakes. The harder part is the softer skillset: resilience, sponsorship and the confidence to back yourself when things get difficult.
Amanda traces that shift back to a moment when she stopped trying to fit a traditional mould and started leaning into what actually made her effective. That realisation led to what she calls her own game changer: learning to set boundaries, not by saying “no”, but by reframing overcommitment as a prioritisation conversation rather than a capability question. She also talks candidly about where AI and other tools fit into the picture — not as a way to take on more work, but to buy back the time that sponsorship and relationship-building really require.
TLDR: Amanda’s advice for women in consulting
Be authentic rather than fitting a mould. The value you bring is in who you are, not in resembling everyone else in the room.
Learn to set boundaries as a prioritisation conversation, not a refusal. Spreading yourself too thin is counterproductive to the very ambition driving it.
Use the tools available, including AI, to create thinking time. That time is what lets you invest in the relationships and visibility that sponsorship depends on.
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Partner with InX
InX specialises in placing senior consulting and professional services talent across strategy, transformation and advisory.
If you're a firm thinking about how to build a more sustainable path to partner, or a leader weighing up your own next move, InX would welcome the conversation. Get in touch with Rishi DuSodha and the professional services team.