James

Associate Principal

Tell us a bit about your career before McKinsey. 

I started off in investment banking working for SG Warburg, now part of UBS, in M&A before moving to leveraged finance (i.e., junk bonds, buyouts). Then I set up and ran my own start-up for three years. It was a Web-based procurement service aimed at SMEs and backed by GE and 3i. By the time I sold it we were employing around 50 people and turning over £10 million. After taking a year off to recover (!), I joined McKinsey’s London office.

What made you decide to leave banking?

Having worked in banking for three years, I was planning to go to, and had been accepted into, INSEAD, which I hoped would be a springboard to setting up my own business. However, a friend convinced me that rather than pay to learn the theory, I would be better off just setting something up with him and learning (and getting paid) along the way.

How did you come to apply to McKinsey?

I bumped into a friend of mine from university at a party who was part of McKinsey’s experienced-hire recruiting team. When he heard I was looking for a new job, he encouraged me to apply. In fact, I think he insisted on it!

What did you find most challenging about the interview process?

Because I didn’t really understand what consultants did, it was hard to prepare, so I walked in a little concerned at what they might throw at me. In the event, I was glad I had taken my friend’s advice to just have fun and be myself. I’m still amazed I passed the math test, though.

How has your background as a banker/entrepreneur helped you at McKinsey?

My previous experience has helped me in three ways. First, it gave me insight into the workings of the banking industry, where I now focus, which can be somewhat impenetrable to an outsider. Second, as someone who has sat ‘on the other side of the table’, I was able to relate to the pressures and issues faced by our clients at a much more personal level than would otherwise have been the case, allowing me to build much more effective and trusted working relationships and more impactful recommendations. Finally, it gave me a bit more perspective on what my personal priorities and ambitions were, which has enabled me to maintain a much more healthy work-life balance than I expect would otherwise have been the case. Life at McKinsey is fun, challenging, and rewarding, but it’s not the only thing that matters.