What are you doing now?
I am the Engagement Director East Area Lead at Pivotal (soon to be part of VMware). I manage a customer success team responsible for leading digital transformation & software modernization strategies for our enterprise customers. I transitioned to this role after co–leading the New York Product Management team for our consulting division, Pivotal Labs. Prior to Pivotal, and post McKinsey, I was a Product Manager at the fintech startup LearnVest, during which we were acquired by Northwestern Mutual.
What do you miss most about your days as a business analyst at McKinsey?
The calibre of minds by which I was surrounded, the rate of learning, and the extraordinary food & hotel experiences. I had amazing experiences at McKinsey. For a banking strategy project, I led work on the model that informed the bank’s earnings calls. I led daily calls with the COO and his operating committee . Later, an organizational restructuring project brought me to Japan, London, Copenhagen, Illinois, and New York to hold workshops which involved Japanese translators and eating live crustaceans at dinner.
What do you miss least?
The 6am Monday flights and spending my time in PowerPoint (on a PC)..
What skills that you learned at McKinsey do you still use?
My McKinsey expereince was an incredible, hands–on, business & leadership bootcamp. I learned to develop a long–term strategy and roadmap to how to craft an email to a Fortune 100 executive. These skills make me comfortable and confident leading and collaborating in many domains and across many levels of an organization.
What experience still makes you smile?
As I crossed Park Avenue on my first day of orientation, feeling important in my new pencil skirt and high–heels, a pigeon flew into my head. I died laughing. It was a reminder not to take myself too seriously.
More about Caroline
Caroline was a business analyst in our New York office. She is an alum of the Massachussets Institute of Technology.