The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Women Leaders in Consulting for 2026. With the U.S. management consulting market now nearing $400 billion, consulting has become one of the clearest signals of what organizations are struggling to execute on their own. The women recognized this year lead the teams brought in to impose order, make decisions usable, and carry initiatives through the messy middle where most efforts stall.

The leaders on this list represent the breadth of the profession’s hardest assignments. Their work covers public-sector modernization, operating-model redesign, deal and restructuring support, expert analysis under regulatory and legal scrutiny, and the practical application of analytics and AI in decision-making. Just as important, many of these leaders shape who gets to lead next. Inside their firms and on client teams, they sponsor women into stretch roles and back them when stakes are highest. Most of all, they help their firms earn trust where it’s tested.

Among this year’s awardees, Heather Stockton, Global Consulting Services leader at Deloitte, is recognized for overseeing the firm’s Technology & Transformation business across technology, engineering, AI, cyber, customer, and human capital, and for advising senior executives—particularly in financial services—through leadership transitions and large technology-enabled transformation programs. Regina Mayor, Global Head of Clients & Markets at KPMG International, draws on more than 30 years of client-facing experience delivering large-scale business and technology change and is widely regarded as a thought leader on business transformation and ESG-related issues.

Sherina Ebrahim, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and chair of the firm’s Risk, Audit and Governance Committee on its Shareholders Council, is known for guiding consumer goods and medical device companies on growth strategy, sales and marketing transformation, enterprise agility, and post-merger integration.

This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical nomination process and careful consideration of each candidate’s career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Women Leaders in Consulting for 2026.

1. Maryalice DeCamp
Firm: EY
Title: Managing Director

Maryalice DeCamp is a Managing Director at EY and serves as a life sciences global client service leader in Boston. She advises pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical technology organizations across New England on large-scale change programs, drawing on more than 30 years of global client service work.

Maryalice’s consulting work spans finance and HR transformation, procurement, enterprise risk, corporate governance, ERP, and process automation, along with support for complex transactions including acquisitions and divestitures. Known for a direct and transparent style, she contributes perspective on the forces reshaping life sciences and helps client teams translate strategy into operating plans.

Within EY, Maryalice has held leadership roles tied to community engagement and inclusive culture efforts and has been active in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program as well as EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®. Outside of the firm, she supports women entrepreneurs and emerging leaders in the Boston area through mentoring and board and committee work, including service with The Center for Women & Enterprise and the National Association of Corporate Directors of New England, and involvement with the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Boston Chapter.

Before joining EY in 2013, Maryalice held leadership roles including chief audit executive at W. P. Carey and partner at CSC Consulting, and earlier worked with IBM Global Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School and Kellogg, along with executive coaching certification from the Hudson Institute of Coaching.

2. Heather Stockton
Firm: Deloitte
Title: Global Leader, Consulting

Heather Stockton is the Global Consulting Services leader at Deloitte. She oversees the firm’s Technology & Transformation business, spanning technology, engineering, AI, cyber, customer, and human capital.

A banking partner by background, Heather works with senior executives navigating leadership transitions and large technology-enabled transformation programs, with a client base rooted in major financial services organizations in Canada. Within Deloitte, she has held a range of senior roles across global and Canadian leadership, including global offerings and assets leader and Canadian vice chair, and previously led human capital in the Canadian practice.

Heather is active in inclusion and mentoring efforts and supports nonprofits focused on children and women, including service with Sheena’s Place and the Toronto Rehab Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy from Western University.

3. Yolanda Seals-Coffield
Firm: PwC
Title: Chief People & Inclusion Officer

Yolanda Seals-Coffield is the PwC U.S. Chief People & Inclusion Officer. She leads the firm’s People & Inclusion organization, overseeing a team of more than 2,000 professionals supporting 75,000 employees across the employee experience, including onboarding, performance management, upskilling, well-being, and inclusion.

In her role, Yolanda sets PwC’s people and inclusion strategy with a focus on career growth, development, and a workplace culture where employees can contribute as themselves. Since 2022, she has led a firmwide reimagination of PwC’s people experience and continues to modernize how employees build skills and progress at the firm, including through technology-enabled development efforts and employee support programs.

Before her current role, Yolanda served as deputy people leader and spent more than a decade in PwC’s Office of the General Counsel, including as chief employment counsel advising leadership on people-related priorities, partner affairs, and inclusion matters. She also served as president of the PwC Charitable Foundation and serves on the board of The Posse Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Howard University and a JD from the Boston University School of Law.

4. Sherina Ebrahim
Firm: McKinsey & Company
Title: Senior Partner

Sherina Ebrahim is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and a member of the firm’s Shareholders Council, serving as chair of its Risk, Audit and Governance Committee. Based in New Jersey, she advises consumer goods and medical device companies on growth strategy, sales and marketing, enterprise agility, and organizational design.

Since joining McKinsey in 1995, Sherina has worked primarily with North American clients on category and global strategies, sales force transformation, go-to-market models, and operational improvement. Her engagements often include post-merger integration work, aligning structures, capabilities, and ways of working after transactions.

Sherina’s project work has included identifying global revenue management opportunities, developing digital strategies, orchestrating reorganizations to meet shifting market demands, and building growth plans spanning brand repositioning, product innovation, and integrated go-to-market execution. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University and an MBA in strategic management from The Wharton School.

5. Silvana Dimitrov
Firm: MathCo
Title: Partner

Silvana Dimitrov is a Partner at MathCo and leads the firm’s CPG practice efforts, bringing a revenue growth management (RGM) background built across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. She works with consumer packaged goods teams on pricing, promotion, assortment, and trade investment decisions, using analytics and AI to strengthen commercial planning and execution.

At MathCo, Silvana serves as a CPG subject matter expert and revenue growth leader, focused on expanding existing client relationships and scaling RGM capabilities through data products, tooling, and connected decision frameworks. Her work centers on turning RGM from a set of ad hoc analyses into repeatable processes and capability building across commercial functions.

Before moving into consulting and technology, Silvana held senior RGM roles at Carlsberg Group in Asia, where she helped establish regional value management and built playbooks, tools, and operating rhythms across markets. Earlier, at SABMiller, she led revenue management for Africa and South Africa, developing pricing and revenue strategy across portfolios and markets. Silvana earned an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science at the University of Pretoria and a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the University of Pretoria.

6. Regina Mayor
Firm: KPMG International
Title: Global Head of Clients and Markets 

As Global Head of Clients & Markets, Regina Mayor helps KPMG firms achieve their collective growth ambitions by developing and strengthening client relationships through insights, working together to achieve objectives, and enabling consistent delivery of the KPMG brand promise.

Regina was previously KPMG’s global head of energy and natural resources. She is a recognized global thought leader on business transformation and key client issues across multiple sectors and geographies including ESG, decarbonization, change management, and energy and natural resources. She is a frequent speaker and a regular media contributor, and has been featured in major business press.

Regina has more than 30 years of experience in client-facing roles, delivering large-scale business and technology changes. She specializes in complex business transformation, process redesign, organizational design and change management programs. She also champions inclusion, diversity, and equity, with a focus on gender equality.

Regina led KPMG’s Global Energy Conference for nearly a decade and is a frequent keynote speaker at major global industry forums in Brazil, Australia, Mexico, India, the World Energy Conference, and women’s networking events, among others. 

She holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a master of public policy from Harvard University. She was an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and interned at the Pentagon as part of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe liaison office. Regina is also a staunch advocate of veterans, having served as co-founder of the KPMG in the U.S.’s Veterans Network.

7. Kelsey Chisholm
Firm: Grant Thornton Stax
Title: Partner

Kelsey Chisholm is a Partner at Grant Thornton Stax with over 15 years of experience in strategy consulting, advising private equity investors, portfolio companies, and corporate clients across the full investment lifecycle. At Stax, she leads buy-side commercial diligence, exit planning, and growth-oriented strategy engagements, working closely with investment and management teams to support value creation from entry through exit.

Kelsey’s industry experience spans multiple sectors, with a particular focus on technology and SaaS businesses, including both horizontal and vertical-specific solutions. Prior to joining Stax, she held strategy consulting roles at Oliver Wyman and OC&C Strategy Consultants, where she advised clients on growth, market positioning, and strategic transformation.

Beyond client work, Kelsey is a valued mentor and firm builder. She is a founding member of Stax’s Women’s ERG, helping to advance diversity, inclusion, and career development across the firm, and is actively involved in recruitment and talent development initiatives. Known for her thoughtful leadership and collaborative approach, Kelsey plays an important role in shaping both the client impact and culture of Grant Thornton Stax.

8. Robin Dufresne
Firm: CSG Government Solutions
Title: Executive Vice President

Robin Dufresne is an Executive Vice President and Senior Practice Director with CSG Government Solutions, a firm that specializes in managing complex projects to modernize the information technology and organizational processes of state government programs. Dufresne has more than 20 years of IT consulting experience and is a member of CSG’s Senior Management Team. She manages a large portfolio of projects across the firm’s Child Support, Child Welfare, and Program Modernization practices, and leads new market development including expanding our support of Corrections, Education, and Workforce programs. She also previously led CSG’s Healthcare and Human Services practice for nine years.

Since Dufresne joined CSG in 2012, she has had a significant impact on establishing its reputation for excellence in management consulting, expanding its footprint to serve 50 states and territories, and growing CSG’s workforce. Dufresne is dedicated to mentoring CSG’s future leaders, including serving as faculty for its internal leadership training course.

Dufresne is a nationally recognized thought leader in government public assistance programs. She has collaborated with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a member of the Medicaid Technology Alliance, guiding states through the implementation of modular systems to lower operational costs and improve outcomes. Dufresne previously served as the Medicaid Operations Director for MaineCare Services and has a master’s degree in management and healthcare administration from New England College.

9. Lori Mullane
Firm: Virtusa
Title: Chief People Officer

Lori Mullane is the Chief People Officer at Virtusa. During her 30-year career in the IT and professional services industry, Lori has built a reputation as a results-driven and collaborative leader, driving innovative talent solutions that deliver services to the world’s most admired brands. In her role, she is tasked with leading the company’s talent strategy and execution with a particular focus on attracting and retaining world-class talent, enabling Virtusa to continue providing quality services to its clients. 

Under Lori’s leadership, Virtusa has been named a Great Place To Work in all major geographies across the globe. Before joining Virtusa, Lori served as a principal in the Human Capital Advisory practice at KPMG LLP and led the human resources function for the Advisory business. Before that, Lori led human resources for the Americas business at Cognizant, where she focused on building a leadership pipeline and creating development and career opportunities for the 40,000+ employees in the geography.

Lori is a Penn State University graduate and a former Penn State board member. She is an advocate for workplace inclusivity and for creating a culture where people can bring their best selves to work. She actively empowers women through mentorship, coaching, and leadership development programs to help them achieve their full potential.

10. Anaita Kasad
Firm: Guidehouse
Title: Partner

Anaita Kasad is a Partner at Guidehouse and is the national leader in the firm’s State and Local Government practice. Based in New York, she supports state and city agencies—particularly across New York City, New York State, and New Jersey—on complex programs spanning disaster recovery, grants management, transportation, public housing, and operations.

Anaita leads transformation work across public sector organizations, with expertise in program and project management, organizational design and governance, business process re-engineering, data analytics, customer experience, and workforce and operational improvement.

Anaita previously served as a partner at PwC Advisory Services in its State & Local Government practice and held leadership roles at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, supporting public sector and financial services clients. She also brings experience in financial services compliance and operations from earlier in her career. She serves on the Executive Board of the Regional Plan Association. Anaita holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

11. Deb Cash
Firm: Alvarez & Marsal
Title: Managing Director

Deb Cash is Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal. She is part of the firm’s Private Equity Performance Improvement practice in Houston, where she focuses on corporate finance, financial reporting, accounting remediation, and accounting-related business process improvements for both healthy and distressed companies.

Deb advises CFOs and finance organizations through large-scale turnarounds, including navigating the bankruptcy process and addressing complex technical accounting and reporting matters such as fresh start accounting. She also supports companies preparing for IPOs and leading complex accounting remediation projects, including restatements, and brings interim management experience from having served as a CFO.

Before joining Alvarez & Marsal, Deb was chief financial officer at Outsource Partners International and previously a partner at Arthur Andersen. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas.

12. Jessica Coniglio
Firm: Forvis Mazars
Title: Partner

Jessica Coniglio has helped build and shape the Financial Services consulting practice at Forvis Mazars. She began with a small team and two clients. Today, she helps lead more than 350 professionals serving a wide range of global companies. Over that same period, the firm has expanded from a regional presence to a top 10 national firm and now a global network with revenues exceeding $5 billion.

As an Assistant Managing Partner and leader of the CFO Business Transformation practice, Jessica focuses on operational efficiency and client service. She is known for listening closely to clients, surfacing issues early, and taking a proactive, hands-on approach. Innovation is central to Jessica’s leadership. She encourages teams to challenge old habits, test new ideas, and adopt practical improvements, including the use of AI and emerging technologies where they add value for clients.

Outside of work, Jessica has volunteered with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for more than 16 years, personally raising over $300,000 and leading events that have brought in more than $5 million for research. She has chaired many national and local fundraising efforts and she holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of South Carolina.

13. Kavita Kurup 
Firm: Cyient
Title: Chief People Officer

Kavita Kurup is Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Cyient. With over 25 years of experience, she brings global expertise across industries including FMCG, media, not-for-profit, BFSI, technology, and entrepreneurship. She is a skilled leader in driving organizational agility, shaping talent strategies, and leading complex transformations such as M&As. 

Cyient provides intelligent engineering solutions across products, plants, and networks to over 300 global customers, including 30% of the top 100 global innovators. The organization focuses on fostering cultural inclusivity, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability in collaboration with stakeholders. Cyient is dedicated to creating innovative solutions to address complex challenges, aiming to build a better and sustainable future.

Kavita’s expertise spans general management, finance, sales, customer experience, and people practices, with a focus on leveraging human capital to fuel business success. At Cyient, she is responsible for strengthening its people, building talent strategies, and driving initiatives that enhance associate experience. 

14. Nidhi Alexander
Firm: Hexaware Technologies
Title: Chief Marketing Officer

Nidhi Alexander is the Chief Marketing Officer at Hexaware Technologies, where she drives brand strategy, analyst relations, and marketing innovation. With over 25 years of experience across journalism, field marketing, academic relations, and employer branding, Nidhi is a results-driven leader known for delivering remarkable business outcomes. 

Nidhi holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in English journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She began her career in journalism with Star Television, contributing to award-winning programs like Focus Asia and National Geographic Today, before transitioning to leadership roles at Infosys and Mindtree. 

Since taking up the role at Hexaware in 2022, Nidhi has transformed the company’s marketing initiatives. Under her leadership, Hexaware achieved 140% brand value growth over five years, becoming the second-fastest-growing Indian IT services brand and among the top 25 globally. She has built a robust analyst and advisor relations practice, securing 88 analyst and 106 corporate accolades in 2025 alone, and has driven demand generation initiatives that delivered $1.2  billion in revenue in 2025. A champion of DEI, Nidhi has driven initiatives both internally and externally throughout her career.

15. Nicola Lohrey
Firm: RÖDL
Title: Managing Partner

Nicola Lohrey is a Managing Partner at RÖDL. She is a distinguished international legal executive and one of the leading authorities in cross-border corporate law, M&A, and Franco-German business strategy. With more than two decades of experience advising global organizations, she is recognized for her ability to navigate complex international environments, manage multicultural teams, and deliver transformative impact across markets.

Nicola holds bar admissions in both Germany and France. She began her career as a corporate lawyer in Paris and rapidly advanced into leadership roles, joining Ernst & Young in 1999 to head the German legal department. She later expanded her responsibilities to oversee all activities across the German-speaking region, strengthening EY’s reputation as a premier advisor in Franco-German business operations.

After 15 years, she joined RÖDL, where she successfully restructured and elevated the Paris office and spearheaded the establishment of a new office in Strasbourg. Her strategic leadership earned her appointment to the group’s eight-member global executive board in 2020, where she now oversees operations across Europe, Africa, and the GCC region. In this role, she drives international integration, operational excellence, and sustained growth across highly diverse markets.

Renowned for her deep expertise in German-French corporate law, Nicola advises on major restructurings, complex negotiations, and international acquisitions involving leading investors from all over the world. Beyond her legal and executive accomplishments, she is a committed advocate for women’s advancement in professional services. She actively mentors emerging female leaders and supports initiatives promoting gender diversity and equal access to leadership roles.

Nicola serves on the Legal Committee of the Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and on the Board of Ghorfa, the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She regularly publishes analyses on Franco-German economic developments, women’s leadership, and cross-border corporate and economic law, and contributes to industry panels as a sought-after expert. 

16. Meera Wagman
Firm: Secretariat Advisors
Title: Managing Director

Meera Wagman is a Managing Director at Secretariat, an expert services and litigation consulting firm that supports clients in international arbitration, commercial litigation, and complex construction disputes. Secretariat advises law firms, corporations, and government entities on issues such as delay analysis, cost and damages, forensic accounting, and related expert testimony.

Based in New York, Meera has more than 20 years of construction industry experience focused on dispute resolution and independent expert work. She supports owners, contractors, designers, and developers on complex matters involving delay and disruption, productivity, scheduling, claims, cost analysis, project controls, and performance issues across major projects. Her experience spans major infrastructure and transportation projects, oil and gas, power and energy, petrochemical, medical facilities, and vertical construction, including work connected to high-profile disputes such as the Panama Canal and the Burj Khalifa.

Meera has served as an independent expert on delay and disruption in arbitration, litigation, adjudication, and mediation. Earlier in her career, she held roles at Navigant Consulting and worked as a project engineer at Gilbane Building Company. She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Cornell University.

17. Vicki McColley
Firm: Atlas
Title: Chief Operating Officer

Vicki McColley is the Chief Operating Officer of Atlas, a life sciences-focused consulting firm delivering portfolio, program, and product execution services for global organizations. She leads Atlas’ operational strategy, enterprise delivery model, and organizational scaling, supporting clients across the U.S., Europe, and broader global markets.

Vicki is recognized for building execution-driven operating models that strengthen governance, elevate accountability, and enable high-performing teams in complex environments. She has played a central role in aligning Atlas’ cross-functional structure across talent, delivery, strategic solutions, innovation, and internal operations, positioning the firm to scale with discipline while maintaining agility and client responsiveness.

Vicki has also helped advance Atlas’ innovation agenda through the launch and operationalization of the Atlas Intelligence Platform, Atlas’ AI and automation capability. Designed to enhance automation, agent-driven workflows and execution, and portfolio visibility across client programs, the platform embeds trusted expertise, adapts to client context, and continuously learns from data and feedback to improve speed, compliance, and decision-making confidence.

In addition to her executive leadership at Atlas, Vicki serves as the Global Chair of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Digital Innovators Affinity Group, where she supports a global network of leaders advancing the future of digital health and elevating women in the industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fairfield University.

18. Jaime Ruhl
Firm: Emergn
Title: Chief Revenue Officer

Jaime Ruhl is the Chief Revenue Officer at Emergn, a technology and management consultancy. With 18 years of experience in enterprise sales, go-to-market strategy, and revenue leadership, Jaime has become a trusted partner to some of the world's most recognizable organizations, helping them grow, adapt, and perform.

Before joining Emergn, Jaime held senior leadership roles at Avanade and Atos, where she led complex, enterprise-scale engagements and high-performing commercial teams. Known for her “player-coach” philosophy, she leads from the front, investing deeply in her people while maintaining an unwavering focus on results. In July 2025, she was appointed as Emergn's Chief Revenue Officer, overseeing the firm's global go-to-market strategy and aligning sales, marketing, and delivery around a shared mission to build lasting capability within every client organization so the work continues long after Emergn leaves.

Beyond her commercial leadership, Jaime is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of women in technology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Oklahoma.

19. Reshma Patel-Jackson
Firm: Attain Partners
Title: Partner

Reshma Patel-Jackson is a Partner and the Attain Digital Lead at Attain Partners. Under Reshma’s leadership, Attain Partners provides expertise in end-to-end solutions that leverage technology to help clients achieve their important missions. From customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions to data services, analytics, and applications modernization, the company offers a comprehensive suite of services, addressing diverse client needs and providing enterprise-wide strategy and technology transformation expertise at scale.

Reshma is a Prosci® Certified Change Management Practitioner who has extensive knowledge and training in the field. She has provided strategic planning, project management, change management, internal audit, compliance, and costing services for a variety of nonprofit, higher education, government contracting, and commercial clients. Reshma holds an MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

20. Rouzheen Myrick
Firm: Palm Tree
Title: Managing Director

Rouzheen Myrick is a Managing Director at Palm Tree, specializing in Transaction Advisory Services for private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. With nearly 20 years of experience in M&A and finance, she has advised on more than $7 billion in completed transactions, delivering buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence, post-close integration, purchase price accounting, and FP&A support.

Rouzheen is recognized for leading complex transactions with analytical rigor, a strong governance mindset, and a white-glove service model that prioritizes clarity and trust. She works to align stakeholders early, proactively identify risks, and ensure there are no surprises for buyers or sellers at critical decision points. 

By connecting operational realities with financial outcomes, she helps clients uncover value drivers and risks that are not immediately evident in the numbers, which strengthens deal confidence, accelerates execution, and protects value. She leads and mentors a high-performing team that serves as a trusted partner to clients’ deal teams, resulting in long-standing partnerships with repeat sponsors and management teams.

Prior to Palm Tree, Rouzheen worked in the assurance and transaction services practices at EY and at AECOM’s headquarters in Los Angeles focusing on M&A. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and is a licensed CPA in the state of Texas.

21. Jennifer Nelson
Firm: Concentric Energy Advisors
Title: Vice President

Jennifer Nelson is a Vice President at Concentric Energy Advisors and a Certified Rate of Return Analyst. She has over 15 years of experience advising clients across the oil, natural gas, electric, and renewable energy sectors. She specializes in economic and financial analysis, cost of capital, and regulatory strategy, bringing deep expertise in utility ratemaking and complex policy matters.

Jennifer has served as an expert witness in more than 20 U.S. jurisdictions, testifying on capital structure, cost of capital, alternative ratemaking proposals, and broader regulatory policy issues. Her robust background in statistical analysis and economic modeling enables her to provide policy insights that help clients navigate increasingly complex regulatory environments. 

Earlier in her career, Jennifer served as a staff economist at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and as a petroleum economist for the State of Alaska, where she led the state’s biannual oil and natural gas revenue forecast and oversaw production forecasting efforts.

Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics from Bentley University and a master’s degree in resource and applied economics from the University of Alaska. She also holds the CRRA designation from the Society of Utility and Regulatory Financial Analysts.

22. Phoebe Dunn
Firm: Q5
Title: Associate Partner

Phoebe Dunn is a Partner at Q5 and a pioneer in Q5’s Middle East business. She has worked in the region since 2019, supporting national-level transformation initiatives and building in-country capability and value in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. With more than 22 years of international experience, she is passionate about “fit for context” consulting, grounded in local capability building and a deep understanding of regional market needs, culture, customs, and business practices.

Phoebe’s philosophy reframes international consulting as a practice that builds lasting capability rather than dependency, adapts rather than imposes, and measures success by what remains when consultants leave. Clients value her perspective and pragmatism in supporting leaders and teams to bring their visions to life. 

Phoebe partners with clients on talent and future workforce agendas, spanning strategic workforce planning and organization design, as well as culture, leadership, and team effectiveness. Her work includes Vision 2030 transformation, strategy implementation, and organizational effectiveness. Her clients include government and semi-government organizations, energy companies, professional services firms, and other multinationals. She is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and holds a master’s degree in modern languages from the University of Oxford.

23. Naomi Lawrence
Firm: Natural Resources Wales
Title: Head of Customer Experience

Naomi Lawrence joined Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in July 2020 and leads a wide portfolio including customer services, complaints and commendations, freedom of information (FOI), correspondence, translation, and service transformation. At NRW, Naomi’s priorities include embedding a “right first time, every time” culture and leading the Service Transformation program. 

A skilled strategist and change leader, Naomi brings expertise in user led service design, continuous improvement, KPI development, CRM optimization, and data driven decision making. She is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified and holds multiple professional qualifications including ITIL, and a professional certificate in management from the Open University. 

Before joining NRW, Naomi worked at the Met Office for over 16 years, progressing through leadership roles in customer experience and contact center operations. As customer experience manager, she created the Met Office’s first organization-wide customer experience strategy, introduced a corporate KPI framework, and developed a six-tier feedback model that strengthened customer insight and strategic decision making. Earlier in her career she managed multisite customer service teams. Prior to that, she gained further customer focused experience at South West Water and BT.

Beyond her professional achievements, Naomi is a committed advocate for adoption, volunteering since 2017 as an Adopt South-West Advocate and Peer Link Mentor, supporting prospective adopters and speaking at conferences and training sessions. She is passionate about building services shaped around people and about creating positive, lasting impact for communities across Wales.

24. Kavitha Krishnan
Firm: Tredence
Title: Director of Artificial Intelligence

Kavitha Krishnan M is a Director of Artificial Intelligence in North America at Tredence. She has over 13 years of experience leading enterprise-scale AI transformations across retail, CPG, and financial services. She partners with executive leadership teams to embed AI into core business strategies, driving measurable impact across supply chain, pricing and promotion, assortment optimization, marketing effectiveness, search, personalization, and enterprise forecasting. Her work focuses on building AI as a sustained capability—not isolated models—aligned tightly with commercial and operational priorities.

Kavitha’s expertise spans machine learning, causal inference, large-scale time-series systems, mathematical optimization, and generative AI. She has led the design and deployment of compound AI ecosystems that integrate predictive modeling, stochastic optimization, reinforcement learning, graph-based intelligence, and LLM-powered decision support. She specializes in translating complex, high-dimensional business problems into scalable AI architectures that combine data science rigor with production-grade engineering and governance.

25. Mary Zayats
Firm: ScienceSoft
Title: Head of Technology and Competency Development, Financial IT Principal Consultant

Mary Zayats is Head of Technology and Competency Development and Financial IT Principal Consultant at ScienceSoft, a Texas-based IT consulting company serving mid-sized and large enterprises, including Fortune 500 businesses. 

She leads ScienceSoft’s Technology and Competency Center of Excellence, helping align consulting, business analysis, and engineering teams to deliver high-impact solutions for enterprise clients. Mary also plays a key role in the company’s AI strategy and innovation committee, supporting the responsible and effective adoption of AI across consulting and engineering. 

Since starting her IT consulting career in 2015, Mary has contributed to a wide range of financial technology initiatives, including enterprise BI platforms for financial analytics, mobile banking apps with more than 3 million users, and automated transaction processing platforms for banks and payment providers. Several of the mobile banking solutions she helped design and deliver were recognized among the top banking apps for iOS and Android.

By 2024, Mary was leading a team of more than 40 business analysts and consultants and helped grow ScienceSoft’s business analysis function into one of the company’s strongest delivery units.

In 2025, Mary became one of the key leaders behind ScienceSoft’s organizational transformation. The company shifted from a technology-based structure to four outcome-based power centers: the PMO, the Architecture and Solutions CoE, the Technology and Competency CoE, and the Competency Pool. As Head of Technology and Competency Development, she helped shape and launch this model, ensuring teams were prepared for each client’s workflows, technology environment, and regulatory demands, especially in BFSI and healthcare. Within the first six months, the new structure improved the speed and quality of management decision-making, strengthened accountability for project outcomes, and enhanced overall delivery quality.