Women in Consulting: In conversation with Roxanne D’Souza, Partner at Baringa Partners
In April, 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.
In conversation with Roxanne D’Souza, Partner at Baringa Partners
The first conversation is with Roxanne D'Souza, Partner at Baringa Partners, in discussion with Amber-Rose Chapman, who leads InX's Human Capital Practice and spends her days talking to partners and senior partners across the consulting market.
Roxanne's path to Baringa wasn't a straight line. She started out in audit at the Big Four, moved into consulting, left the industry altogether for a spell, then came back. Along the way she found herself questioning whether the traditional partner track was really built for her — a question she traces back to a very specific discomfort with how business development was expected to look, and to how few partners, when she was coming up, looked anything like her.
What changed wasn't the job. It was how she decided to do it. Amber and Roxanne talk through what that shift looked like in practice, the mentors who backed her despite having little in common with her on the surface, and the advice she'd give the version of herself who was still trying to fit a mould that was never going to fit.
It's a conversation about representation, confidence and the gap between fitting in and being effective, themes that will keep surfacing as more voices join this series.
TLDR: Roxanne's advice for women in consulting
Bring your own perspective rather than trying to fit someone else's, because it's the diversity of thought that gets clients the right answer.
Look for mentors and sponsors who back your career, not people who look like you. Some of Roxanne's biggest supporters had little in common with her on the surface.
Treat your career as a book, not a race. Some chapters won't be about work, and that's not the same as falling behind.
Watch the full conversation below
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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 Amber-Rose Chapman and the professional services team.