Engaging the women who change the room.
The Athenae is where organisations engage experienced female counsel, beyond the usual lists, and where that counsel is engaged at the level it deserves.
The women known to The Athenae are not generally on search firm databases. They are not promoting themselves. They are running, advising, contributing, sitting on the boards that matter to them, and choosing carefully where their experience goes next.
The Athenae is where they convene and where organisations can meet them.
An organisation engaged with The Athenae is doing two things at once. It is accessing a calibre of counsel, contribution and capability that is rare on the open market. It is also taking part in a longer piece of work: the recognition of experienced female contribution at the level it deserves. This is curated and considered, not transactional. The Athenae operates by reputation, and protects it on both sides.
Who we work with
The Athenae works with organisations whose leadership, partnerships and engagement decisions matter - including membership bodies, charities, professional services, health and policy organisations, and purpose-led businesses.
If your organisation wants to widen the depth of experienced female counsel it draws on, sharpen how it engages senior women, or open a new conversation with discretion - this is the place to begin.
The Athenae Brief: on engaging the women who change the room.
A short, considered document on the depth of experienced female counsel available to organisations, and how to engage it with intention.
It introduces the calibre of women known to The Athenae, the framework we use to engage them, and the three ways an organisation can begin.
Ways to work with us
The Recognition Audit
A considered diagnostic for organisations choosing to engage experienced female counsel with intention. We look at where senior female capability sits within the organisation, where it is most under-engaged, and what becomes possible with sharper recognition. Delivered as a thoughtful report, with practical recommendations.
The Strategic Sprint
A defined piece of advisory work on a specific challenge: repositioning, partnerships, leadership pipeline, stakeholder engagement, communications, or organisational direction. Strategic Sprints draw on our experience across leadership, strategy and organisational development. Most sprints convene three to five Athenae members around your question, deliberately including counsel from beyond your sector, with a concise written note within ten working days of the working session.
The Ongoing Advisory
A retained advisory relationship for organisations seeking sustained access to experienced counsel, considered thinking, and an introduction to depth as and when it is needed. Designed for executive teams, boards and founders who value substance over volume.
What organisations gain
Depth
Access to a calibre of counsel, judgement and contribution rarely available through the usual sources.
Discernment
A curated route to experienced women whose contribution travels well across sectors and decisions.
Recognition
A different way to engage senior female capability, at the level it deserves.
How an engagement begins
Define the question. We scope the engagement in a focused call: the question, the outcome you need.
Curate the right mix. The shape of the room, the panel we would convene, and the timings.
Convene the thinking. From first conversation to written counsel.
Turn judgement into action.
Ready to start?
If your organisation is choosing to engage experienced female counsel with intention, The Athenae is the place to start.
Whether you are exploring The Athenae for yourself or for your organisation, we would love to hear from you
Contact [email protected]
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