While women currently make up only about a quarter of the consulting industry, their collective impact on the profession is significant. To honor the women who are making their mark within the profession, Consulting magazine will bring the industry together again this fall for its 3rd annual Women Leaders in Consulting awards dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York on Nov. 12. Click here for more information, or to register.

Here are the eight Women Leaders in Consulting award recipients for 2009:

• Lifetime Achievement

Jeanne Harris
Executive Research Fellow and Director of Research
at the Accenture Institute for High Performance Business

Jeanne Harris is executive research fellow and a senior executive at the Accenture Institute for High Performance in Chicago. Harris leads the Institute’s global research agenda in the areas of information, technology, analytics and talent. She is the co-author of the 2007 book Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, and her forthcoming book—Analytics at Work—will be published by Harvard Business School Press in early 2010. During more than 30 years at Accenture, Harris has consulted to a wide variety of organizations in many different industries worldwide. She has led Accenture’s business intelligence, analytics, performance management, knowledge management and data warehousing consulting groups. Harris has worked extensively with clients seeking to improve their managerial information, decision-making, analytical and knowledge management capabilities.

• Client Service

Robin Tomlin
Partner
IBM Global Business Services

Robin Tomlin is a Partner in IBM's Global Business Consulting Services, Public Sector, responsible for leading the Defense Agencies Acquisition and Logistics Account. She is also the Global Supply Chain Management Procurement Services Leader. Tomlin has twenty-six years of commercial and government experience in information management technology, IT requirements analysis and project management. Additionally, she is very active in supporting and fostering development opportunities for women at IBM and she was a founding member of the Public Sector and the Supply Chain Management Women’s Networking Group.

Sherry Jones
Principal
Capgemini

Sherry Jones is a Principal Consultant in Capgemini’s ERP Consulting Practice. She joined Capgemini’s Technology Services organization six years ago focusing on the development of go to market solutions in the Human Capital Management space. Jones worked as a key member in the Business Solutions Practice and is also a member of the Oracle Leadership Team. While at Capgemini, she has been responsible for a large manufacturing HR Transformation program including a PeopleSoft Implementation and most recently managed a successful Spend Management Program for a large Home Improvement Retail organization.

• Leadership

Lynne Doughtie
National Managing Partner, Global Clients Leader
KPMG

LynneDoughtie is the national managing partner of KPMG’s U.S. Advisory business, with more than 20 years of diverse financial and information systems experience. Her focus includes Advisory’s risk management and quality initiatives—oversight of the tools, training and support that Advisory professionals receive to ensure they meet both regulatory mandates and KPMG’s own rigorous standards for professionalism and integrity. Further, she leads the practice’s industries program and knowledge management function. Previously, she has served in a number of regional and national leadership roles, encompassing business development and professional practice initiatives.

Marcy Beitle
Partner
A.T. Kearney

Marcy Beitle is a partner with A. T. Kearney and has been with the firm for more than 10 years. She sits on the North American leadership committee and oversees practice development in the region. She led the firm’s Transformation Practice from 2005 to 2009, helping establish A.T. Kearney as a leader in strategic growth transformation. She is also a member of A.T. Kearney’s Diversity Council and leads the Global Women’s Consulting Network. Beitle also works with is the firm’s Coaching Network, which promotes mentoring and support for women colleagues and offers specialized information programs.

• Future Leaders

Kristen Vennum
Principal
North Highland

Kristen Vennum is a Principal with North Highland, a global management and technology consulting firm. Vennum partners primarily with health & life sciences and non-profit clients to help them achieve their strategies and improve performance. Specific areas of Vennum’s expertise include enterprise performance management, strategic planning, complex program management, customer-focused process improvement, and organizational change management. Prior to joining North Highland, she led the marketing and new business development efforts for an urban planning firm.

Olivia Wakefield Lee
Senior Consultant
Towers Perrin

Olivia Wakefield Lee is a senior consultant in Towers Perrin’s Executive Compensation and Rewards practice. Wakefield Lee has 12 years of experience with Towers Perrin consulting to clients across all industries, and has worked with organizations in all life stages, ranging from large public corporations to small private and pre-IPO businesses. Prior to joining Towers Perrin in 1997, Ms. Wakefield Lee spent several years in London working for an international recruitment and outplacement firm.

Erika Serow
Partner
Bain & Company

Erika Serow is a partner with Bain & Company and a leader in the firm’s Retail Practice in North America where she has spent much of the last two years working with a small cluster of clients in a series of turnaround projects. Serow also spends some of her time working with private equity funds in the retail space. Internally, She is the MBA recruiting partner for Bain’s New York office. She ran Bain’s ESPRIT committee, which helps facilitate many of the office social activities, for several years.