Q&A with Kara
Kara works at the heart of the disruptive forces that are reshaping the global business context—cloud computing, big data, mobility and cyber-security. She’s also respected as a global thought leader; her contributions to the McKinsey Quarterly—including her “Eight technology trends to watch”—are eagerly sought after. Through her work with McKinsey’s Business Technology Office, Kara spends a lot of time at the leading-edge of technology.
Interviewer: You have two master’s degrees–one in technology and public policy and one in electrical engineering and computer science. With so many opportunities in the exploding technology world, what inspired you about consulting at McKinsey?
Kara: I actually was considering an academic path as well as a role with one of the big software companies. I chose McKinsey because it was the only place where I knew I would get a variety of experiences in a short amount of time—on average, you get to work with a new client, in a new industry, with a new team, on a new topic about every 10 weeks.
Interviewer: Is it fair to say that once McKinsey hires you, they have an extreme amount of confidence in that choice and give you significant, immediate responsibility?
Kara: I’m a perfect example of that. I wanted to go to Prague for my second engagement; I had never been outside of North America at that point. It meant that, as a relatively new consultant, I would be working on a different continent with no local leadership involved. My location manager knew he was taking a risk, but was entirely supportive and helped to make it work.
Interviewer: It’s a really important point for candidates who don’t understand how unusual that is.
Kara: Four months after starting with McKinsey, I was driving a work stream, doing IT project prioritization for a large logistics company. The overall project portfolio covered hundreds of millions of dollars in spend and I was on the hook for an answer about which projects would get funding and which wouldn’t.
Interviewer: I am so impressed that, with all the client work you do, you still find the time for contributing thought leadership at McKinsey and externally.
Kara: It’s something that means a lot to me. During my transition to engagement manager, I was offered the opportunity to help launch the McKinsey Technology Initiative, which later evolved into the technology-focused part of the McKinsey Global Institute. It was a terrific experience to learn more about McKinsey as an institution, develop my project manage toolkit, and work on a topic I’m deeply passionate about. I even got to co-author an article on technology-enabled business trends that became one of the all-time most downloaded McKinsey Quarterly articles ever.
Interviewer: What three adjectives best define the firm, from what you’ve seen and experienced?
Kara: Impact-focused, values-driven, preeminent.
Interviewer: What are you working on that has the potential to meaningfully change the world for the better?
Kara: Can I answer with two areas that I’m passionate about? Cloud computing and technology in education. Cloud is really a climate-change issue—promising dramatically higher efficiency and utilization out of data center assets. Technology in education is about how we improve the quality and effectiveness of education delivery, across K-12 and higher education.
Interviewer: How would you describe your colleagues at McKinsey—in their vast, individualistic diversity—to someone from the outside?
Kara: Remember those rare people in college that seemed to be involved in everything and every day seemed to have some totally random, but totally awesome thing to do (e.g., breakfast with the Queen, ballroom-dance competition)? Most colleagues at McKinsey fit that description. They are deeply passionate about changing the world for the better, both inside and outside of the office. For example, I work closely with one colleague who, between regular meetings with top executives in the technology and financial services space, chairs the board of one of the nation’s largest gay and lesbian rights organizations.
Education