Bonnie

Careers

A lot of people will tell you that what attracted them to McKinsey were the people. For me, that really is true. Two of my closest friends at business school are from McKinsey, and they were some of the smartest people around. But what really inspired me was the fact that they both really loved their work; you'd see that sparkle in their eyes when they talked about their jobs. And this held true as I met more people from McKinsey: they all seemed to really enjoy the work they did, the variety of situations they faced, and the clients and the colleagues they worked with. I was looking for something that would excite me and that would challenge me, and I knew that McKinsey would offer that.

Risks and rewards

When I joined McKinsey, I knew the value it placed on leadership and mentoring, but I didn't fully understand how this would affect me. One of the turning points of my career was when I learnt what mentorship and leadership really meant. I was a senior associate at the time, working on a study for a banking client. The engagement manager suddenly became ill and had to take a leave of absence. The partner decided that I should step up and become the EM, even though I had no experience. He took a risk on me, and backed me up when things went wrong, which they did.

At the end of the study, we had been able to deliver real impact to the client, helping them define a new business unit, which is being set up today. That wouldn't have been possible without the mentorship I got from the partner. He showed me that real leadership and mentorship is about investing time in people and in taking risks. That's the kind of leader I try to be, now that I am an engagement manager. I really try to invest the time that my team needs, and I know that there are risks, but I am learning to embrace them. It shows my team that I care about them, and that I'm willing to stand behind them.

A level field

Much of what we do at McKinsey wouldn't be possible without the firm's non- hierarchical culture. It's all about getting work done in the most efficient way. You can walk into a partner's office at any moment, at any time of the day. If you have questions or just want to chat and talk things over, they'll give you their time. It's simply the culture at McKinsey. So, too, is the flexibility that McKinsey offers. I have colleagues who experience a different industry on every project that they do, and spend their time traveling around the world, going to Africa, to the U.S, and to Europe. McKinsey gives you the chance to do all that. But you don't have to do that if you don't want to. You can focus on a particular industry or stay put in a particular region. McKinsey gives you the freedom to choose the way that you want to live your life. That's what I think is great about our firm, and that's one of the reasons I'm still here.

What I do in my free time / my hobbies

I love water sports and being in the sun. I love to swim, scuba dive, and wakeboard, which I do every weekend during the summer. . I also really like to travel, and make sure I can visit at least one new place every year.