Where I am today
I work at TIAA-CREF which is a leading Fortune 100 financial services firm and I am responsible for strategy and business development at the enterprise level. In my role I primarily focus on major growth opportunities, either organically or through mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic investments. Prior to TIAA-CREF, I was in investment banking for several years at Credit Suisse and Bankers Trust.
I also make time to focus on my passions outside work. These passions are largely in the area of development and empowerment for women and children - grass roots education for underprivileged children in developing countries as well as microfinance.
Why I came to McKinsey
I tried McKinsey out as a summer intern in the Chicago office when I was getting my MBA at the University of Chicago. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I really loved it - the team approach, the intellectual and analytical rigor, the ability to think strategically and broadly beyond the corporate/business world to the nonprofit world and the public sector. It was clear to me that this was a place with so many opportunities and wonderful people on a global basis that I decided to come back after I graduated.
McKinsey alumni everywhere
My McKinsey network has helped even more after I left the firm. I’ve used it to recruit talent at the firms where I worked. I also reach out to other alumni to bounce off perspectives, get feedback, and share ideas. I have made use of this incredible network most recently for my nonprofit involvement in the areas of grass roots education and microfinance. There are McKinsey alumni everywhere!
McKinsey alumni in development
I am a member of McKinsey Alumni in Development (MAD). The MAD network is one of the biggest and best outlets for people who have left the firm and still want to give back. MAD is an organized channel for alumni to leverage their skills in the development sector. I am not surprised McKinsey is behind this - it’s a culture that galvanizes people to think big and make things happen.
Having the confidence to take risks and reach out
Knowing that at McKinsey I was working with some of the brightest and the best gives me the confidence to do things and make decisions that I would previously have not thought possible. This confidence has helped me take calculated risks, reach out to people I did not know, express my point of view, and take advantage of the strengths that come from a team approach. I find this invaluable.
Commitment to nonprofit work and public service
One thing – there are many – that has stayed with me was the commitment to nonprofit work and public service that ran through McKinsey. That was a refreshing change for me. My business and international experience as well as my philanthropic work have kept me in touch with many former colleagues from around the firm. For example, I am on the Board of SKS Microfinance Foundation. SKS focuses on microfinance for women in India and was founded by another McKinsey alum Vikram Akula. I am also on the Tri State Advisory Board of Pratham USA, which focuses on grass roots education in India and there are other McKinsey alums and members involved with Pratham also.
Microfinance can meet tremendous needs
For too long, microfinance has been in the domain of philanthropy, and that was very limiting. That cannot continue. Over 50 percent of the world’s population today has no access to financial services – that is 3 billion people! We need to encourage Wall Street and the capital markets to see the tremendous opportunity in microfinance, to build products and create operating capacity and scale to provide cost efficient access of financial services for the poor. This is one of the key ways we can alleviate poverty globally.