Shail

Associate Principal

While studying biochemistry at Magdalen College, Oxford, it had become obvious to me (fairly quickly) that I did not really want to go into research as a career. So, having done a couple of internships, I had a pair of offers from leading investment banks and felt fairly settled on my decision to join one of them. I had heard of consulting, and of McKinsey by reputation and through friends, but didn’t really understand what they actually did. I went to the milkround presentation to keep some friends company and ended up chatting to several consultants who all seemed surprisingly well adjusted and ‘down to earth’. The more I heard about the nature of the work, the more interesting it sounded. In particular, the variety of work attracted me as I didn’t feel I had really experienced enough to commit to a particular sector. So I applied and got an offer.

I joined the London office as a business analyst in 1999. During my time as a business analyst I worked in several industries including aerospace, power generation, chemicals, industrial services, high tech, and media on problems ranging from strategy to marketing to organisation design. This period really allowed me to develop a grounding in business and build a set of problem-solving skills that are still important for me today, both through an excellent formal training programme as well as on-the-job learning from teams I worked with.

One of the biggest surprises for me was how, as a business analyst, you really are a critical part of the team and often are closer to the detail of the problem than many of the other team members. That means that you get to work closely with clients, play an active, important role in the problem solving, and shape the team’s answer. One of my most memorable moments was presenting final recommendations to the board of executives of a FTSE 100 company, and having a good discussion with the CFO!

I completed the business analyst programme in 2001 with an offer to return as an associate. I spent 18 months as business-development manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa for a U.S. power company, working with governments to build new power stations in Poland, Oman, Tunisia, and Italy, then completed my M.B.A. at Kellogg Business School.

I rejoined McKinsey as an associate in September 2003 and have since largely focused on health care, working closely with leading pharmaceutical and medical devices companies. As an associate principal, I now lead multiple teams and work with several clients on an ongoing basis. The thing that surprises me is that after nearly five years back at McKinsey, I am still learning new skills, and still enjoying working with my colleagues to the same level as I did when I joined. Not bad considering I planned to be here two years and go onto something else!