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About the Corporate Finance Practice
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McKinsey's Corporate Finance practice aspires to be an architect of long-term value for our clients by helping them create value through corporate strategy and transactions. We believe that strategy and M&A must be based on a thorough understanding of valuation and the capital markets. From our vast experience in a range of industries and geographies, we combine industry insight with corporate finance techniques to provide distinctive advice. The majority of our work in the Corporate Finance Practice is in three broad areas:
- Corporate and portfolio strategy: We work with clients to develop strategies based on perspectives of historical performance, the competitive landscape, business unit opportunities, and financing capabilities. Such perspectives serve as a foundation for reviewing the business portfolio to determine changes that will enhance value and, if so, what types of transactions, investments, or organic moves would be optimal.
- Mergers, acquisitions, and alliances: We work with corporate and private investment clients identify and assess merger, acquisition, joint venture, and alliance opportunities that will enhance shareholder value. This involves identifying strategic fit, assessing base business valuation, quantifying synergies and risks, as well as analyzing organizational and cultural fit. We provide our clients with an independent and objective perspective on the attractiveness of potential transactions, and assist them with successful transaction execution and integration.
- Finance transformation: We aim to be trusted counselors to CFOs and help them on their key issues, including developing an investor relations strategy, optimizing the Finance function, and linking the finance function with corporate strategy
Our practice comprises over 350 consultants worldwide. CF consultants operate in teams with individuals across other areas within McKinsey, both industry sectors and functional practices. Such team structures allow us to apply the range of skills and experience necessary to meet our clients’ needs. For more information on Corporate Finance please visit our web site.
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Corporate Finance Business Analyst Role Description
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The Corporate Finance BA role is a subset of the Generalist BA position and identical in job description, training, evaluation and required skill set. The only distinction is in the mix of projects, in that CF BAs spend roughly half of their time working on finance related projects such as merger and acquisition transactions and the other half of their time is spent working on generalist topics. The position is designed for individuals interested in management consulting and with a desire to focus on corporate finance topics.
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Location
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The Corporate Finance BA position is offered in New York City, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Corporate Finance BAs are considered an integral part of the office BA class.
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Candidate Qualifications
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Ideal candidates for the CFBA position:
- Are about to complete, or have just completed, an undergraduate or masters degree
- Have a clear interest in a broad range of business, strategy and finance topics
- Have demonstrated an understanding of the basic principles of corporate finance
- Have a strong commitment to excellence and personal and professional growth
- Have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and an aptitude for analytics
- Have a strong record of leadership in a work setting and/or extracurricular activities
- Enjoy working on teams
- Find problem solving exhilarating
- Are resourceful, responsible, patient, tenacious, informed, independent, confident, and full of energy
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Training
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As all BAs do, CF BAs attend a one-week learning program upon joining the firm. This training is designed to equip you with the basic consulting skills you need on your first engagement team. Following this initial training, you will attend a two-week Corporate Finance Core Skills Training Program which is designed to solidify the core principles of valuation and M&A analysis that underpin the work we do in the practice. After approximately one year of consulting, you will attend Business Analyst Training, which is a one-week course in advanced problem solving, interpersonal, and communications skills.
In addition, other programs and learning resources will be available to you, depending on your personal development needs to build specific skills (such as problem solving or communications), and to provide additional industry knowledge (e.g., electronics, consumer goods, health care, financial services) and functional knowledge (e.g., marketing, sales, corporate finance, business dynamics, strategy).
In addition to formal training, your professional development continues through the range of experiences you gain on engagement teams, which may involve working in other offices or other countries. Every business analyst also has a Development Group Leader, a senior member of the firm who offers guidance on career choices and staffing and represents you at performance reviews. Also, you will naturally build informal mentor relationships with team members and office colleagues from your client engagements.
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Career Path
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At the end of the two-year program, we encourage our BAs to further their education or explore other career opportunities within and outside of McKinsey. Some former analysts attend top business, law, medical, and other graduate schools. Others begin careers in private equity and venture capital firms, at start-up companies, in education, public service, and at nonprofit institutions. A select few business analysts spend a third year with McKinsey, in many cases in a different geographic location.
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