McKinsey appealed to me on many levels. One draw was the people I'd met during recruiting, people who were interesting and accomplished and kind. Another was the clients: I knew that working at McKinsey would mean the chance to work with some of the leading organizations, on their most interesting and intriguing topics. And then there was the diversity that McKinsey offered, the chance to work on a variety of projects with a variety of clients and a variety of colleagues.
Personal Connections
For me, consulting doesn't mean just coming in and providing the client with an answer. Increasingly, it seems, our clients are looking for someone to guide them through a challenging time or a transition. We're much more involved in helping them accomplish their goals, we're not just providing them with a solution and walking out the door. It takes an understanding of human behavior, and the ability to connect with a client on a personal level.
I had a great client, the head of a cost-saving program for a consumer electronics manufacturer. He's the type of guy who would just throw a consultant out after 30 minutes, but he and I, we just clicked. I went in and learned from him, listened to him talk about what he wanted from us. Together with our team, we went through the way his company manufactured its products and together with his team, we were able to find tremendous savings; we reduced the cost of some devices by 15 percent. If we hadn't done this, this company probably wouldn't exist today. And it was made possible by the way we approached and collaborated with the client.
Stepping Up
Transitioning to the role of engagement manager has been a real highlight in my career. Recently, I had the chance to lead a two-day workshop at a Fortune 500 company. Working with the leadership of that company, I led the workshop, which was designed to help the company's employees think through its most pressing challenges. Three or four years ago, the idea of me, standing in the middle of a Fortune 500 team, leading a workshop like this would have been preposterous. But there I was, in the middle of it, and it seemed so natural. This is just how McKinsey operates: bringing in good people, and growing them on the job. I've grown and learned through almost every engagement that I've worked on, and still gain self confidence as I go.
What I do in my free time \ hobbies
I have a very young daughter, so I don't have a lot of free time these days; right now, it's all about diapers. When I have the chance, I like to ski. I also enjoy music in various forms and I play some piano.
Offices
Education
| Chalmers University of Technology |
MSc, Operations Management |
2005 |