The 2023 Women Leaders in Consulting: Anne Game

Anne Game, North Highland Managing Director, has 37 years of consulting experience in the manufacturing, consumer products, hospitality and telecommunications industries. Over the past 16 years at North Highland, she's led the Atlanta market, a major portfolio, the Hospitality and Media/Entertainment/Communications industries, and several key accounts for the firm. Anne was selected by her peers to be the first executive added to North Highland's Board of Managers and has served as an executive sponsor of the firm's DEI efforts since inception.

Previously, Anne was a Partner with Deloitte Consulting, serving as lead partner for multiple clients and as practice leader for Southeast Management Solutions and Services.

Current and past board service includes Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (current Governance Committee Chair), Georgia Symphony Orchestra (10 years, chair for two), and Young Audiences (12 years, chair for two). Anne holds bachelor's degrees in mathematics and psychology from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is currently a candidate for the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Music Studies degree at Berklee College of Music. She is also a Certified Innovation Coach with Creating Futures that Work.

She and her husband, Dick Game, an Episcopal priest, have three beautiful daughters, Hope, Allison and Caroline.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

I am very proud and honored to have built and grown consulting practices that offered development and career opportunities to hundreds of consultants. At Deloitte and at North Highland, I have had wonderful opportunities to lead service lines, industries, and local and regional geographies. The leadership of these high-performing teams is my greatest professional achievement.

Through common visions, shared accountability and commitment to our values, these high-performing teams thrived in cultures designed to help consultants develop their unique skill sets and reach their career objectives, whether inside our firms, with clients or elsewhere. We strived to establish environments and ways of working that cultivated excellence, collaboration, teamwork and service. I am very fortunate to have played a role in creating inclusive, growing practices that enabled consultants to learn, assume positions of greater leadership and influence, provide outstanding service to our clients, and be part of fun, caring communities.

One example that stands out was the opportunity to help create a new consulting organization focused on middle-market clients, with revenues up to $1-2 billion. The chance to create something entirely new was exhilarating. A handful of us joined forces across the U.S., created a strategy and set of values, and started hiring consultants. Within nine years, we grew to $360 million in revenues, with many new firm clients and a cadre of experienced consultants who were on accelerated career and leadership paths.

What's the best advice—consulting or otherwise—you've ever received?

I have benefited from inspiring and challenging advice and counsel throughout my life. These words of wisdom are simple and powerful, and they have guided my life and career.

No one will remember what you did or said; they will remember how you made them feel. On International Women's Day this year, I received a heartwarming text from a former North Highland consultant. "You showed me how authenticity has a clear place in a successful career. How empathy and humor can be combined with smarts and effort to stand out. You made tough choices that freed me up to follow my passions. It was one of those small but really important left/right path moments.

Align your passions and gifts with the company's greatest needs. At a consulting leadership development conference, the speaker encouraged each of us to reflect on our passions and identify our greatest strengths. We then aligned those passions and gifts with the greatest needs and priorities of the firm. At that moment, I concluded that I was not in the role where I could be most impactful and successful, and I embarked on a new path within the firm and the industry. I discerned that the development of others and the building of high-performing teams was the intersection point for me.

Give often and give generously. And always do the right thing – no exceptions.

What advice would you give to a female consultant just beginning her career?

Be excellent at your craft. Strong management consulting hard and soft skills are table stakes now.

This is a relationship-centered business – with our clients and within the firm. Build your network and then build it some more. You are never finished with establishing connections.

Find mentors and colleagues – women and men – who inspire and challenge you. Seek their feedback and make sure they share what you can do to improve, not just what you are doing well. Always find ways to be helpful to these mentors and colleagues; give more than you receive.

Discover what it is about consulting that truly inspires you. Think of a Venn diagram of your passions, strengths, and the needs of the firm and your clients. Can you identify work that places you squarely in the intersection point of these circles? Success and your own fulfillment will come when you can align your strengths and passions to the greatest needs. If you don't enjoy what you are doing, do something else.

Play to your strengths and figure out your development areas. Surround yourself with those with different perspectives, styles, skill sets, and thinking styles as this will greatly improve the quality of your consulting work. Always be willing to ask for help; doing so is a sign of self-awareness and strength. Whether or not you get recognized or receive credit, always do the right thing.

What does this recognition mean to you?

To even be considered for this award, given the prior recipients, is humbling. Receiving this award is an incredible honor and a recognition that some of the work that I have done to elevate women, particularly in the profession has been recognized as important and valuable.

To be clear, I would not be considered for this award but for the women and men who have mentored, supported, and encouraged me over these 37 years, drawing out the best in me.