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Gabrielle Novacek is a core member Boston Consulting Group’s Consumer and People & Organization practices and is the former leader of the Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice in North America. In addition, Gabrielle is currently serving as a fellow at the BCG Henderson Institute, where she is working to develop breakthrough solutions to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace.

Since joining BCG in 2007, Gabrielle has worked extensively on topics relating to people strategy—organization and operating model design, new ways of working (including Agile@Scale), culture, the advancement of digital capabilities, and change management. While she works in numerous industries, she focuses on these topics in the consumer goods sector.

Gabrielle’s work often sits at the intersection of people topics and large-scale strategic transformation. Her experiences include leading the go-to-market transformation for one of the world's largest food and beverage manufacturers, helping a Fortune 100 company transform its operating model, and realigning the organization of a global consumer packaged goods company against a set of new strategic ambitions. In addition, she has deep expertise in post-merger integration.

Prior to joining BCG, Gabrielle received her PhD with honors from the University of Chicago, where her academic research focused on the archaeology of the Middle East in the fourth millennium B.C. As an archaeologist, Gabrielle’s field work took her to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • Winner, 2023 OUTstanding LGBT+ Executives Award
  • PhD, Near Eastern languages and civilizations, University of Chicago
  • MA, University of Chicago
  • BA, Harvard University

Publications and Videos

An Inclusive Workplace Is Good for Business | Hero

An Inclusive Workplace Is Good for Business

An inclusive workplace is good for employees and for the company, but organizations still struggle to create such an environment. Here’s how to do it.
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Four Keys to Boosting Inclusion and Beating Burnout

Organizations can focus their attention on just these four areas to diagnose where they may be falling short in their efforts to meet employees’ needs.
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Fair-Chance Hiring Is a Win-Win for Companies and Job Seekers

Fair-chance hires perform as well as, or better than, their non-justice-involved peers—and they form a strong, motivated, largely untapped source of workplace talent.
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Socially Transformative Business Is Smart Business

Done right, ESG can drive positive social impact that reinforces a business’s competitive advantage and contributes to a better world.
A Fair Chance for Job Candidates with Criminal Records

A Fair Chance for Job Candidates with Criminal Records

Americans with criminal records constitute a sizable talent pool. Fair chance hiring is good for companies and society, but employers need to do it right.
Inclusion Isn’t Just Nice. It’s Necessary. | Promo Still

Inclusion Isn’t Just Nice. It’s Necessary.

How a survey quantifying the responses of more than 27,000 employees proves the business value of inclusion.
Solving the $290 Billion Care Crisis

Solving the $290 Billion Care Crisis

The US care economy is broken. Getting it right is vital to economic prosperity and societal well-being.
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Internal Talent Mobility Programs Can Advance Gender Equity. Do Yours?

By reshaping the way employees find challenging opportunities, new ITM programs are helping women grow their careers.
To Fix the Labor Shortage, Solve the Care Crisis - Rectangle

To Fix the Labor Shortage, Solve the Care Crisis

The US desperately needs workers. Workers desperately need help taking care of their children and (increasingly) their parents.
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The So What Podcast from BCG:
When a Paycheck Is Not Enough

Pay, promotion, and benefits have been the traditional carrots for hiring, exciting, and retaining employees. But feeling safe, challenged, and valued at work can be even more important than a paycheck, says Gabi Novacek, a BCG Henderson Institute fellow researching diversity, equity, and inclusion on this episode of "The So What from BCG" podcast.
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Reinventing Gender Diversity Programs

When money no longer buys happiness, companies must rethink their approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Why the First Year Matters for LGBTQ+ Employees - rectangle

Why the First Year Matters for LGBTQ+ Employees

The first 12 months at a new job are a critical time for LGBTQ+ people to present their authentic selves in the workplace. Those who don’t come out professionally then are likely to remain closeted.