How Women in Consulting Gave Me More Than Just Insights into Consulting

Read about Julie’s full-circle moment in WiC as she transforms from a mentee to a mentor for future talent.

Hi! I’m Julie Exner, and I work in Business Transformation in Consulting at EY Denmark. I joined the firm in January 2023 as a Junior Consultant while finishing my studies and today, I’m a full-time Consultant working on projects that help clients develop solutions that not only meet their needs but also help shape the future of their business. I’ve had the chance to dive into some very exciting challenges: from crafting a growth strategy for a renewable energy company, to developing an AI strategy for a pharmaceutical business, to supporting an NGO with a strategic assessment and many more projects both within the public and private sector.

Beyond client work, a very significant part of my EY journey was spent in Women in Consulting (WiC).

I started as a mentee on the program while I was a student, looking to understand more about consulting and whether it was the right path for me. I didn’t know then that WiC would become such a central part of my professional and personal growth — and that I’d one day lead the initiative alongside one of my amazing colleagues, Fanny. It really feels like a full-circle moment.

So, what is Women in Consulting?

At its heart, WiC is a mentorship program that connects students with EY consultants. It’s a space for honest conversations, shared experiences, and meaningful connections. It’s where you can ask the questions you might not dare to ask in an interview, and where we talk about both the fun and the frustrating parts of working life.

As a mentee, it gave me a clearer picture of what consulting is really like — not just the project buzzwords or PowerPoint slides, but the day-to-day collaboration, the excitement of problem-solving, and the balancing act of being a young professional. I had someone I could ask for advice, talk through career concerns with, and, most importantly, relate to. Today, my then mentor, Maria, is still one of my go-to people for advice both professionally and personally.

Now, as a mentor and co-lead of the program, I get to pay it forward.

And while it’s not about me, I can’t lie — I get a lot out of it too. There’s something incredibly energizing about meeting passionate, curious people at the beginning of their careers, whom I hope to inspire and guide the way my mentor did. It also gives me the chance to connect with colleagues across EY — people I might never have worked with otherwise.

But most of all, WiC is a community. We have gathered a group of driven, open, and supportive women who are all cheering each other on. We aim to create a place where we share our wins and our worries, learn from each other, and create a space where it’s okay not to have all the answers.

To me, Women in Consulting is about more than mentoring. It’s about creating a culture of giving more than you take. This mantra is something that I have quite recently learned from one of our partners, Michael, and I try to live by it. Because by doing that, we can build a pretty good place to be working at.

So, if you're curious about consulting, wondering what it’s like to work at EY or just looking for a space to grow — come join our program.

You might walk in hoping to learn something. You’ll probably walk out with a lot more.

In my experience, it has been:

• A powerful introduction to what EY stands for
• A network of people who energize and inspire me
• The joy of giving more than you take

And if you ask me, that’s what makes it worth it.