My career started in London at an oil trading firm called BB Energy. I spent seven years learning first–hand about physical oil trading through different job roles. I truly enjoyed my time there; I grew with the company and my colleagues were my second family. At some point, though, I wanted to develop myself further and get exposure to different industries, geographies and companies. I applied for an MBA.
I was looking for a two–year programme at a top European business school, outside of London. IESE was the perfect match; besides the rigorous academic curriculum, the school offered business Spanish classes and I got to live in sunny Barcelona.
After the MBA, I joined McKinsey and moved back to Belgrade. I am closer to my family now and I’m getting to know my country again after 15 years away. I feel comfortable with the local culture and have a support system close at hand, which has been truly helpful in my role as a consultant. Better still, I’m maintaining international exposure by working on a few projects abroad with diverse teams.
The more time I spend with the firm, the more I realize that this was the right choice. I am currently working on a project in Germany with colleagues from all around the world. I spend my weekends at home or visiting my friends abroad. The flexible McKinsey working culture allows me to work from different locations; in the last couple of months, I have spent Fridays working out of Hamburg, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zagreb, Milan and Moscow offices. Next stop: London once more. Belgrade is a relatively new office; being part of it makes this experience very exciting, but it also brings a sense of responsibility in helping the office grow and in implementing our McKinsey here. The opportunity is quite unique and I am extremely happy to be part of the team.