Michigan, US, eleventh June 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Within the usually male-dominated world of enterprise consulting, advertising strategist Marline Henin has carved out her personal lane, one not outlined by limitations, however by boldness. As a seasoned advisor with over a decade of expertise guiding corporations by strategic transformation, Henin is talking candidly in regards to the realities ladies face in high-level advisory roles and why change, although gradual, is lastly gaining floor.

“The boardroom wasn’t built with women in mind,” says Henin. “It was built by and for men. We’ve spent decades proving we deserve a seat there, only to find that the chair still comes with conditions.”

Based on Henin, the challenges aren’t all the time overt. Typically, they’re embedded within the unstated guidelines, shoppers defaulting to her male counterparts in conferences, assumptions about her function being restricted to communications quite than strategic planning, or being labeled as “too direct” when merely doing what her male friends are praised for.

“Soft sexism is what really defines the experience,” she explains. “It’s the raised eyebrows when you take the lead in a room, the sideways glances when you talk numbers instead of branding, the subtle exclusion from informal decision-making spaces.”

Relatively than backing down, Henin leaned in onerous and centered on outcomes. One in all her most high-profile wins got here when she helped a midsize agency shift its strategic advertising strategy, resulting in a sixfold enhance in annual income. That result-based credibility has change into her calling card; with it, she’s dismantled lots of the assumptions about what a lady in consulting can or ought to do.

However Henin additionally warns in opposition to placing the burden of change solely on ladies’s shoulders. “There’s this dangerous narrative that women just have to ‘work harder’ or ‘prove themselves more,’” she says. “The reality is that no one should have to overperform to be taken seriously.”

As an alternative, she believes corporations should create environments the place various management kinds are accepted and valued. “You can’t claim to be a modern business and still rely on 20th-century leadership models,” Henin notes. “And diversity isn’t just about adding women to the roster, it’s about making space for them to lead authentically.”

Her insights come when the consulting business faces elevated scrutiny for its lack of gender fairness at senior ranges. Regardless of enhancements in hiring, ladies proceed to be underrepresented in govt roles throughout the advertising and strategic consulting sectors. Based on latest business knowledge, solely 23% of senior consultants in North America are ladies, and even fewer are in management positions at impartial corporations.

Henin is not only difficult these statistics; she’s actively rewriting them. She now mentors younger ladies getting into the sector, serving to them navigate the nuances of consulting tradition whereas advocating for extra inclusive practices inside the corporations she collaborates with.

“Mentorship is about more than giving advice,” she says. “It’s about opening doors, creating safety nets, and helping others walk paths we had to clear by force.”

However Henin’s management extends past gender. She’s additionally vocal in regards to the intersection of gender, race, and economics in shaping alternative. “There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all leadership development,” she provides. “You can’t talk about women in consulting without talking about whose voices are heard and whose are still missing.”

Nonetheless, Henin stays optimistic. “The good news is that clients are starting to value different perspectives,” she notes. “They don’t just want another version of the same executive. They want someone who can see what they’re missing. That’s where women in consulting can thrive, by bringing insight, not just expertise.”

When requested what recommendation she has for different ladies getting into the business, her response is straightforward however highly effective: “Don’t wait for permission. Don’t water down your point of view to make others comfortable. And don’t mistake resistance for a reason to quit, it’s often the clearest sign you’re on the right track.”

As consulting continues to evolve, voices like Marline Henin’s are pushing the business towards a extra inclusive and efficient future. And whereas the limitations are removed from gone, they’re not unchallenged.