July 2013
Hi everyone!
The past few months have been an awesome whirlwind—I have lots to share! Since my last update, I have...
Traveled across Europe and the US
After my study in Los Angeles ended in March, I spent a week in Hawaii learning to surf, trying local foods (loco moco, anyone?), and relaxing on the beach.
Biking in the Austrian countryside
In May, my brother and I went on a cruise down the Danube River visiting a mix of cities, such as Salzburg and Budapest, and little towns, such as Durnstein and Passau. One of my favorite activities during the trip was biking through the Austrian countryside—it was so beautiful and you could spot the maypole in each little town along the way. Back on US soil for the past few months, I've traveled to Las Vegas, New York City and Houston to visit my boyfriend. I've definitely enjoyed the constant change of scenery!
Completed another healthcare client engagement in California
I loved my first healthcare engagement so much I decided to do another. It was located in California again, but this time in San Luis Obispo (featured as America's happiest city by Oprah...so it must be true!).
At Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo
I loved building relationships with everyone at the hospital, problem solving how to tackle some of their toughest challenges, and helping to actually implement the solutions. The McKinsey team was also an amazing and crazy smart group—including an Italian pediatric neurosurgeon, a biomedical engineering PhD, and a Harvard MBA who spent a year working at nonprofits in rural Africa. We had a lot of fun together, from beach workouts to exploring the local restaurant scene to ziplining in Paso Robles wine country for a team event.
Organized a case competition for my alma matter
Recruiting is one of my passions at McKinsey, and obviously I love the University of Michigan, so it was only natural to get involved with the UM recruiting team quickly. Another Chicago business analyst and I organized a case competition at Ross (the business school) and it was pretty amazing to see the strategic plans teams created in only a few hours! It was great to go back to Ann Arbor and connect with students interested in McKinsey or those just curious to get a taste of what consulting is actually about.
Joined a strategy engagement at one of the world's largest tech companies
In addition to healthcare, I'm also really interested in the tech industry, so I decided to try it for my next client engagement. We're putting together a business unit strategy for one of the world's largest tech companies, which I'm really excited about—the analysis we're doing is starting to bring out some great recommendations and I can't wait to see them put it into action over the next year.
Coming up, I'm looking forward to enjoying summer in Chicago and Lollapalooza in August!
Until next time,
Stephanie