Where I am today
I started SKS because I was overwhelmed by the poverty I saw in India and was looking for a way to catalyze rapid economic development for the poor. Even though it’s my name on the (TIME Magazine) list, the true honorees are our clients across the country who struggle everyday to overcome poverty and inspire us with their courage. Today, SKS is one of the fastest growing microfinance organizations in the world – we’ve disbursed over $220 million (Rs 900 crores) in loans to more than 800,000 women clients in poor regions of India.
How I came to McKinsey
My background coming out of school was in political science and international relations. I had founded SKS but I had read some articles by McKinsey consultants – I was impressed and thought I could learn a lot here. So I applied. What most struck me about working here was the people. They were bright, driven, and the environment was dynamic.
Plugging into my network
McKinsey’s network has been a great help, both while I was there and since I’ve left. While at the firm, since I had an interest in development, I reached out to various partners and directors who had similar interests. This led to me being staffed on a study in the field of microfinance. After the leaving the firm, I kept in touch with those same partners and directors and now I often help out with study teams working on development issues and microfinance in particular.
The choices to learn
I didn’t have a strong business background, so I didn’t have good skills in using business tools like Excel pivot tables. So I made extensive use of learning opportunities at McKinsey, including courses on advanced excel and valuation. I also sought out studies and other opportunities that allowed me to gain skills where I was less strong. For example I chose a health care study partly because it gave me the opportunity to practice using new skills such as excel tools and quantitative data analysis.
Making my own McKinsey
The phrase 'Make your own McKinsey' means that the firm is wide and varied enough that whatever your interests and passions, whatever your particular functional expertise, you can find a place where you can reach your fullest potential. For me, I made my own McKinsey by finding colleagues who shared my interest in development issues and learning from those colleagues in a way that best positioned me for my current focus on microfinance.