The Social Sector Office is led by a core group of global, regional, and practice area leadership teams who are committed to helping the world's leading institutions address societal challenges. Studies are staffed by teams composed of social sector experts, as well as appropriate industry and functional consultants drawn from McKinsey offices around the world.
McKinsey is home to more than 16,000 firm members from more than 116 countries. Our people are based in 94 offices in 52 countries and serve clients in all corners of the globe. More than half of our partners sit on the board of at least one nonprofit, and nearly all offices are involved in social sector work.
Learn more about a selected group of colleagues from across the Social Sector Office.
Acha
Partner, Economic Development
Johannesburg
Education:
• Ph.D., electrical engineering, Stanford University
• M.Eng., electrical engineering, Stanford University
• M.Eng., engineering management and industrial engineering, Stanford University
• B.Eng., electrical engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Languages: English, French
Background
A native Cameroonian, I joined McKinsey after completing my doctorate degree and have since done development work across Sub-Saharan Africa—from broad countrywide economic growth strategies to strategies for specific sectors, such as telecommunications.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
It is hard to name just one! I am very proud to have worked on a project that increased access to drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda, which ultimately led pharmaceutical companies to drop the cost of essential medicines by 90 percent. I am also proud to have led the incorporation of McKinsey in Nigeria, forging the way for expanded client service in West Africa.
Karen
Associate Principal, Philanthropy
Düsseldorf
Education:
• Ph.D., public and nonprofit management, Hamburg School of Economics and Politics
• M.S.I.A., Carnegie Mellon University
• Diploma in business, Otto-Beisheim School of Management
Languages: German, English, Spanish, Swahili, Russian
Background
My interest in the social sector goes back to childhood—I grew up in rural Ethiopia and later supported infrastructure development and humanitarian projects as an aid worker in East Africa.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
I am very proud to be leading McKinsey's Global Philanthropy Initiative, which examines the evolution of philanthropy in countries around the world and suggests how to strengthen the sector country by country and make giving more effective.
Alberto
Partner, Economic Development
Mexico City
Education:
• Ph.D. candidate in economics, Columbia University
• M. Phil. finance, economics, Columbia University
• M.A. economics, econometrics, Columbia University
Languages: Spanish, English, Italian
Background
My focus—both before and at McKinsey—has been on financial inclusion. Prior to joining the firm, I worked for the Mexican Ministry of Finance, where I helped design and implement rural microfinance projects. I am also an adviser to the Financial Access Initiative, a group of development economists focused on expanding access to quality financial services for low-income individuals.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
I had the privilege of helping to develop a program that is now providing financial services products to Mexico’s poorest and most isolated populations. It’s a great feeling to make an immediate impact on people’s lives.
Laurie
Knowledge Specialist, Education
Boston
Education:
• M. Phil., education policy and econometrics, New York University
• M.P.A., New York University
• B.S., chemistry, Duke University
Background
I have worked for several education research, advocacy, and program organizations that strive to improve education, particularly for those students most at risk. Most recently I worked at a social policy research firm to better understand what does and does not work in K—12 education in the United States.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
I am proud to provide research to the teams that work with school systems because quality information and data are critical to improving educational outcomes for all students.
Lynn
Partner, Philanthropy & Global Public Health
Washington, D.C.
Education:
• M.P.P., public policy, Harvard University
• B.A., American studies, Yale University
Languages: English, Spanish
Background
I have experience working with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations leading their strategic planning, advocacy and board governance efforts. I have spent the past 12 years working extensively with leading philanthropists—individual, corporate and private—to help them define their vision and build the infrastructure to deliver on that mission.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
My greatest professional accomplishment was creating McKinsey's Nonprofit Practice in 1999 and helping build it into what is now the global Social Sector Office. It continues to be an incredibly inspiring journey for me and the firm.
Laura
Expert, Philanthropy
New York City
Education:
• M.P.A., School of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University
• B.A., Barnard College, Columbia University
Background
I have spent more than 25 years working in the social sector—fund-raising for arts organizations, serving nonprofit clients as an investment banker, managing the Rockefeller Foundation’s endowment, and as executive director of a family foundation.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
I am proud to lead the firm's work on Learning for Social Impact, an approach to social impact assessment for funders and their grantees. We conducted this work in a fully collaborative manner with thought leaders throughout the social sector and are widely disseminating the results.
Sara
Research Analyst, Philanthropy
Boston
Education:
• B.A., liberal arts and Latin American studies, University of Texas at Austin
Languages: English, Spanish
Background
During college, I worked with a number of nonprofits that promoted freedom of expression throughout the Americas. Advocating for meaningful social change was a compelling experience for me, so I decided to pursue a career in the social sector after graduation.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
Last year, I worked with a foundation client that, years ago, had provided me with a research grant in college to study journalism. I worked with the team to refine the foundation's program strategy for community development, which I considered my chance to give back to the organization that had given me such a wonderful opportunity in college.
Ramesh
Director, Education & Economic Development
Mumbai
Education:
• M.B.A., Indian Institute of Management
• B.S., metallurgical engineering, Indian Institute of Technology
Languages: English, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu
Background
I help private and social sector clients in India and Asia develop their strategy, improve their operations performance, and transform their organizations. My work in one area often provides insight into another—enhancing the manufacturing competitiveness of a company and creating a country-level economic-development strategy, for example. It’s a great mix.
Proud Accomplishment at McKinsey
Education in India has been a long-term personal and professional interest of mine because it’s the key to the country’s continued development. One way in which I have been involved in improving educational outcomes is through providing strategy and organizational advice to India’s largest education nonprofit.
Paul
Associate Principal, Education
Washington,D.C.
Education:
• M.B.A., educational administration, Columbia University
Background
Prior to joining McKinsey, I worked as a teacher and administrator in rural and urban schools in South Africa as well as in New York City public schools. I was also a community youth worker in the public housing projects in Dublin and have counseled teenagers convicted of felonies in New York.
Proud Accomplishment in McKinsey
Some of my proudest moments at McKinsey have been with teams—firing on all cylinders—to help school systems launch new ways to support students and teachers, including better ways to manage schools and provide teachers classroom-based instructional help.
Irina
Associate Principal, Global Public Health
Washington,D.C.
Education:
• Ph.D., international relations, University of Cambridge
• M. Phil., international relations, University of Cambridge
• B.A., political science, University of Belgrade
Languages: Serbo-Croatian, English
Background
Originally from the former Yugoslavia, I spent two years with the World Bank before joining McKinsey’s Social Sector Office. I work with multilaterals, development agencies, and foundations to improve their performance and enhance their impact across a range of economic and human-development challenges.
Proud Accomplishment in McKinsey
Working on complex societal challenges makes everyday a remarkable experience. Right now, I’m leading an initiative that is looking into why and how the private sector should engage in women’s economic empowerment. We hope the results will be a powerful advocacy tool for increasing women’s access to opportunities in developing countries.