Hi, I am Franziska, a Senior Consultant based in Berlin and I was part of the Roland Berger Female Leadership Coaching program "My Way@Roland Berger". Last year, I shared my initial insights after joining the program in April 2023. Now, nearly a year later, I'd like to reflect on my experiences, highlighting key takeaways and memorable moments. The one-year Female Leadership Coaching program provides female Senior Consultants with training, professional coaching, and networking opportunities to navigate the next phase of their careers. Furthermore, it aims to foster female leadership at Roland Berger.

My expectations about the program

When I joined Roland Berger, I was quickly approached by our Partner Constanze Schweinsteiger, who introduced me to the program as one of its early sponsors. She described it as an opportunity not only for personal development but also for building networks and actively shaping the company.

My expectations were shaped around these three aspects — personal growth, network building, and organizational impact. The program's structure, with its individual coaching sessions, group workshops, and organizational perspectives, really aligned with what I was hoping to achieve.

My highlights & key takeaways

One of the highlights for me was the initial kickoff session, where we sat down with the sponsors, including one of Roland Berger's Managing Directors, Marcus Berret, as well as with HR colleagues and our coaches. We discussed where each of us stood, defined our specific expectations, and considered how we could translate those into actionable items within the program.

We identified several key areas like stress management, navigating a still male-dominated environment as a woman, personal development, and conflict management. These topics were then effectively integrated into the program and in our group sessions. I felt that the program did an excellent job of taking our rather high-level goals and turning them into very concrete steps.

For me, the program provided an invaluable starting point to begin my personal and professional growth journey at Roland Berger. Personal development is, of course, never a linear process but always a true journey.

The tools, methods, and perspectives I gained through coaching and group sessions, especially as someone new to Roland Berger, were incredibly valuable. They helped me better integrate into the company, build connections, contextualize my previous professional experiences, set new goals, and gain skills to support me on my way.

One major takeaway is the importance of always being proactive if you want to effect change and not wait for others to do it for you. During the program I recognized the power every one of us possesses to actively drive their own personal development, as well as our culture and the way we are working at Roland Berger.

Another key lesson was identifying your internal "saboteurs" and learning how to deal with self-criticism. The reflection on my own patterns in terms of thinking and behavior and how they influence my collaboration with others was incredibly insightful.

I have already been able to apply what I have learned. For instance, earlier this year, I was on a project where I found myself needing to address some quite tricky critical issues. With the help of my coach, I found a constructive and professional way to manage this situation. The feedback I received was a mix of respect and surprise about me being so bold, which encourages me to confidently stand up for myself and others in the future.

Lastly, I realized how committed Roland Berger is to learning and developing as an organization and to supporting diverse young talents. The next round of this program for female Senior Consultants in DACH will be launched in Q1/2025 and the internal application process will start in January.