Rural development is my real passion. I ended up postponing my offer at McKinsey so I could work for two rural development projects in Nicaragua and Jamaica. I wanted to have some tangible experience working in the field.
"McKinsey does an excellent job of encouraging people to explore their interests when they don’t fit into neatly defined buckets. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. I can’t credit the firm enough for how supportive it’s been."
I joined McKinsey to create my own career
I'm interested in agricultural supply chains—everything from farmers and their local needs to food processing and distribution. Coming out of graduate school, I was worried that my career might be limited because so many jobs have a narrow focus. I didn’t want to focus on just one aspect of the supply chain; I wanted to work with all the different players.
McKinsey offered the opportunity to try different things with a high level of responsibility, and that was very appealing. What really stood out to me was the idea that I could make my own McKinsey. I strongly believe in it.
Although agricultural supply chains is not a primary business line for McKinsey, I’ve found the firm to be unbelievably supportive of my desire to work in the agriculture space. Everyone I talk to refers me to three more people who are interested in the industry.
My McKinsey mentors have helped me grow
I spent almost a year working with a client in the Washington, D.C., area, and the director on that study was a fantastic mentor to me. He took an interest in my professional development and after 6 months working together, he encouraged me in my transition from associate to engagement manager. Even when I said I didn’t feel ready, he kept pushing me because he believed I had the skills. I decided to give the position a shot, and it worked out well.
This mentor recognized when I wasn’t being challenged and helped create more challenging situations for me—even sometimes against my own feedback. Ultimately, I think that made me a better consultant. I don’t know that I would have gotten where I am today if I hadn’t had someone pushing me to be creative and think broadly about what I wanted to do at the firm.
It’s rewarding to be part of a team
The team environment and camaraderie are a big part of the McKinsey experience. Team members are together all day, four to five days a week. You get to know people’s quirks and personality traits. A team becomes like its own little family or community. When I was working in the Delhi office, for instance, I often had dinner with my team members in the office, and even spent several weekends traveling with them to explore different parts of India. Everyone did their best to make me feel like part of a broader McKinsey community.
Traveling is my passion
I love to travel. My husband and I typically plan two major trips a year and use them as an opportunity to explore the history and culture of a country or region. Highlights over the past year include Northern India, South Africa, Colombia, and Costa Rica!
Offices
Education
| Harvard University–Kennedy School of Government |
MPA, International Development |
2004 |
| Duke University |
BA, Economics, Spanish and Latin American Studies |
2000 |