ELAINE BEEMAN

Elaine Beeman recalls often being the only woman in the room when she started her career with Accenture in the 2000s. But she’s now an exemplar for leadership, with a title to match.

“It’s very rewarding for me to be in a position now where I can help enrich the experience of the next generation,” she says.

As chief leadership officer and civilian portfolio lead for Accenture since 2015, Beeman works with an array of federal clients, including the Agriculture, Commerce, Education and Treasury departments, Amtrak, the General Services Administration and the Postal Service. Over the past eight years, she has seen revenue projections for the civilian practice more than double to $1.2 billion in 2023.

Beeman also has mentored and promoted several women as managing directors and serves as executive sponsor for the Washington, D.C., Women’s Employee Resource Group. She is passionate about guiding high school students — especially those in underserved communities — to promising careers, having co-founded the Washington, D.C., chapter of Genesys Works, a nonprofit focused on that goal.

“A lot of people, especially women, choose not to take risks or opt out of opportunities because they’re worried about letting other parts of their life fall behind,” she says. “But success doesn’t have to be either/or. Everyone needs to give themselves the grace and space to pursue their goals without feeling guilty if they aren’t perfect at everything.”

Read more about the 2023 class of Virginia Business Women in Leadership Award winners.