The 2023 Women Leaders in Consulting: Gayle Silverman

Gayle Silverman is a product advocate, delivery leader and mentor with 15+ years of experience shepherding product, support and implementation initiatives. As a principal product strategy lead at Chicago-based digital product and strategy firm TXI, Gayle collaborates with teams to uncover where opportunity and value intersect and keep people growing as they create something amazing. Her passion is building strong teams through pragmatic communication.

In addition to being a strategic advisor, she is a volunteer instructor at Black Diamond Charities, an organization working to educate veterans to become project managers. While away from her desk, Gayle enjoys ambling along the 606 trail, reading the first third of a ridiculous amount of books, and finding new neighborhood restaurants.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

We have a shared responsibility to ourselves, our communities and our work. When a person I'm mentoring meets a milestone goal, it's a reflection of what I value most at this stage in my career: embracing a growth mindset, collectively supporting each other, and prioritizing continuous improvement over stagnation.

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

My first manager put me squarely on the path for communicating with care and intention. While she didn't explicitly say the words, her actions modeled how critical it is to say hard things with clarity and compassion. Holding onto uncomfortable conversations ultimately intensifies whatever the problem is, making it harder to recover from later. Whether it's a people issue, a performance consideration or a progress update, the time and effort spent on avoidance is better invested in tackling the challenge together without judgment.

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

Trust yourself. Consulting is full of ambiguity which is part of the challenge and the joy of working in this industry. Unfamiliar domains, perceived social norms, and the learning curve of a new job can trap women in observer mode. In reality, fresh voices and perspectives are key to innovation. If you listen with empathy, ask questions with curiosity, and communicate with transparency, you'll accelerate your reputation as a trusted advisor.

What does this recognition mean to you?

The honor of being included in this group of impactful women highlights our individual efforts and is a reflection of those who helped us embrace the people we'd like to be in the world. Moments like this serve as both a spotlight and beacon, giving us a chance to celebrate our accomplishments and encouraging others to join us as they chart their own path to meaningful work.