Championing women to lead and influence

In risk advisory, we are trained to identify blind spots. Yet in my 25 years in this profession, I realise that one of the most overlooked organisational risks is neither financial nor operational, but the absence of certain voices in decision-making.

Voices in an organisation can take many forms – differences in seniority, lived experience, profession, culture, and personality. The junior colleague who questions a long-held assumption. The partner who sees a risk others overlook. The quieter voice that reframes the discussion entirely.

Gender is one important dimension within this broader mix. Not because it should dominate the conversation, but because it meaningfully shapes our discussions. When perspectives narrow, assumptions go untested and consensus forms too easily.

Recently, a younger female colleague told me about a dinner she attended for top law and restructuring firms here in Singapore. She was the only woman at the table.

When she shared that with me, I remember thinking: this sounds like a story from years ago. And yet, here we are.

Singapore has made meaningful progress over the years. Women’s participation in the workforce is strong and actively encouraged. But moments like this remind me that while representation has improved, influence can still feel uneven.

As the Singapore Country Leader at AlixPartners, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it takes to succeed in a well-served, sophisticated market like ours. Clients want fresh thinking, creative solutions, and confidence that we can navigate complexity with them. To deliver that consistently, we must demonstrate what truly sets us apart.

For me, that lies in leaning into AlixPartners’ “one-firm” culture and drawing on effective collaboration. When we take on a new client, we assemble teams based on the unique challenges they face, bringing together expertise from across practices and regions. Rarely is a problem one-dimensional. The most effective solutions come from combining different perspectives and engaging in open conversations. This way, diversity of thought becomes an advantage.

Gender is one lens through which I see this play out.

I believe that in Singapore, the conversation has moved beyond basic representation. The next phase, in my view, is about empowering women with the right tools to succeed in their industries. It is about ensuring that when opportunities arise, women feel prepared not only to participate, but to influence.

At AlixPartners, one way we are advancing this is through our Women’s Empowerment Matters (WEM) employee resource group, which I serve as the Global Champion and lead entirely by our rising leaders globally. Through WEM, we create opportunities for women to connect across levels, learn from one another and build networks. Increasingly, our emphasis has shifted to equipping female employees with practical skills – negotiation, business development, influencing stakeholders and leading through change. These are not skills that women lack; they are core leadership skills that benefit anyone. But by creating intentional platforms to develop them, we accelerate preparedness and confidence, ensuring that women feel empowered to step into larger roles and mandates.

Over the years, I have found myself being the person younger professionals in risk advisory turn to for advice when they reach a crossroad. Some are deciding between career paths. Others are returning to work after starting a family and wondering how to recalibrate. These conversations remind me how important it is to have senior women within reach, and to have communities where experiences can be shared openly. This realisation strengthened my commitment to nurturing a supportive, practical network for women, both within the firm and across our broader professional ecosystem.

Looking back on my own career, I recognise how much I benefited from having champions. Champions are different from mentors. While mentors offer advice, champions are those who advocate for you when you are not in the room. These individuals created pathways in my career that might otherwise have taken much longer to access. Their belief in my abilities translated into visibility and opportunity and has led me to where I am today.

Importantly, champions are not accidental. You must cultivate those relationships deliberately by building networks beyond your immediate reporting line and engaging with people who can open doors for you.

At the same time, as leaders, we must be willing to play that role for others. That means being open to connections with junior colleagues, offering candid feedback, and advocating for suitable talent in critical moments. Through our guidance, we can help ensure that equal voices are genuinely heard. When organisations commit to that, they reduce blind spots, strengthen decision-making and build teams that fully leverage the diversity of talent that they have.

Representation has opened many doors in Singapore. The next step is to ensure women walk through those doors fully equipped – with the skills, networks, and confidence to shape the conversation, not just sit at the table.

About the Author: Reshmi Khurana is Singapore Country Leader, Partner and Managing Director of AlixPartners.