Why McKinsey?
I want to be a leader who helps Japan as a country and who implements real solutions that help people. I decided to go to McKinsey for two reasons: it was a place where I could strengthen my leadership and problem-solving skills very fast, and it is an organization made up of people who want to contribute to society. In looking back on my experiences at McKinsey, I am convinced that my decision was right.
Building leadership and problem-solving skills
I have heard some amazing, challenging things here, including: “You always have to think of the way to maximize the client impact in the limited time,” “It is your job to stand in front of the white board and facilitate the meeting—even as a first year,” and “It is OK to be wrong, take risks, and speak up as much as possible at the internal meetings.” I started my life as a consultant with these words from senior consultants. At McKinsey, all team members are engaged in problem solving to maximize the client impact. It became natural to lead client meetings and work through problem solving with tens of clients by myself, even for me who hesitated to speak even at internal meetings at first.
The issues that McKinsey tackles vary a lot. I experienced a broad range of issues in the pharmaceutical, high-tech, transportation, infrastructure, and retail sectors. These included helping with a new business launch, a communication-plan design and implementation to introduce a new sales policy, and the organization transformation of a research department. In every project, I was expected to lead the team, push back when necessary, and drive organization transformation.
There is no easy project, and the responsibility is considerable. That is why McKinsey is the best place for people who want to maximize their potential.
For students
When the earthquake hit Japan on March 11, 2011, I was meeting with McKinsey managers from all over the world. I still remember pictures of the areas hit on the morning news. Now whenever I leave Japan, I realize my passion for Japan. For students with high aspirations to be a leader who can contribute to Japan and the world, McKinsey is the best place to take the first step.
Education