Flexibility to support my journey as a parent
Variety of tasks within the Client Capabilities Network
I am a capabilities and insights (C&I) expert in Panorama Financial Institutions Center (PFIC), which brings together global financial services industry knowledge. I have been based in Frankfurt since 2006 and have a long track record across two focus areas: payments and retail banking.
Being a core member of the payments team and retail banking means taking part in many client discussions, bringing deep insights to clients and building new knowledge with a focus on retail payments. I codify knowledge in external publications, press articles and internal knowledge documents.
As part of my role, I also lead a growing team of 30 people with recruiting efforts, evaluation of team members and functioned as part of the firm’s people committee.
An enriching work environment
I originally joined McKinsey in London as an intern with our Financial Institutions Center research team. I have stayed in contact with many of the colleagues and made long-lasting friendships. For me, McKinsey stands out as a place that provides a strong support network - and having fun and working in a trust-based environment gives me a lot of energy.
My most meaningful achievement isn’t one project but rather a very large bundle of different projects I was part of over the past 15 years. It’s not always the successful project that is the most meaningful. Sometimes, facilitating difficult situations makes a bigger impact in the long run.
Working as a mom
“Make your own McKinsey” is a slogan I didn’t understand at the beginning of my journey with the firm, but it makes a lot of sense now.
McKinsey offers a lot of flexibility. After I gathered some experience as an analyst, I decided to switch to a part-time working model, where I could balance being a mom of two kids while still fostering my development at the firm. I felt incredibly supported.
Birgit’s advice
The most important thing is to structure your own work and thinking, prioritize your to-do’s and realize what is important to consider when going further. Another important skill that benefits me is understanding and adjusting my way of communicating and working depending on the audience, while finding and ultimately following my own goals.
If you are considering applying for McKinsey, it is a no regret move. Starting with the interviews, you learn a lot, such as how to communicate and problem solve, the important aspects of being successful and finding out more about yourself. After the interviews, ask yourself: “Can I imagine working with those people?”
Outside of work
I’m a mom of two children, who I spend every afternoon with. In my free time, I try to do some sports, like jogging and playing tennis, with my family. Also, I’m a passionate cyclist and spent my summer biking in Taunus nearby Frankfurt.