Q&A with Eric
After completing his MBA at INSEAD, Eric wanted to move to Singapore for both professional and personal reasons. McKinsey provided him an opportunity to join the Paris office and then do an internal transfer to Singapore. In both offices he has had the opportunity to work in the luxury sector.
Interviewer: When you first joined McKinsey, what surprised you most?
Eric: I had worked in investment banking before going to INSEAD so I had experience working in an intense environment. I was looking forward to taking on stimulating and exciting projects and countless interactions with very smart and knowledgeable people, both clients and colleagues. What truly amazed me was the genuine interest McKinsey has taken in my professional development and personal well-being.
Also, the truly global nature of the work and how McKinsey operates as a single entity. From my previous experience, many organizations claim to be global but in reality country offices tend to operate quite separately. It’s a very flat world at McKinsey with different team members from different locations working collaboratively on projects for multinational organizations. My current project is a good example. I am a French citizen, based in Singapore, working in Tokyo for a US-based client, with Chinese and Japanese teammates.
Interviewer: Being from France, you—not surprisingly—have a strong interest in the wine industry. Can you give me a “taste” of your experience working in this sector from Singapore?
Eric: I am passionate about the luxury industry in general and specifically wine and spirits. In the Asia-Pacific region, where many markets are growing quickly and significantly, it’s critical to learn how to solve the industry challenges at the same time you seize the opportunities today–which is far from easy.
Interviewer: What three verbs describe your work at McKinsey?
Eric: Envision, collaborate, deliver.
Interviewer: So investment banking was relentless–do you have any McKinsey stories where you faced nonstop, dogged work when perseverance was critical?
Eric: Picture a sensitive merger. Then imagine you are responsible for the very important task of helping the client select the headquarters location for the new entity. First we had to decide if the new entity would be housed under Company A or Company B, or if it warranted a location of its own. There were significant cost and “symbolic” implications to consider. I would up running a marathon meeting between the two heads of real estate along with the McKinsey team for more than 8 hours. We had to build a financial model from scratch and discuss it then and there so that we could reach consensus before presenting it the next morning to the board of directors. We were all really tense but determined to make the best decision for the newly merged companies–and we did and I’m pleased to say our recommendation was accepted!
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