Cricket for a cause

Before working as a consultant, I had quite a different career as a cricket player. I played for Singapore’s national team since I was 11 years old. I never guessed these two roles would merge halfway across the world at a camp for Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Beirut.

4
4

It all started when I came across a New at McKinsey blog featuring the efforts London–based partner, Richard Verity, put forth to organize a cricket program in Lebanese refugee camps. He worked with a team from McKinsey and the charity Capital Kids Cricket. I wanted to get involved and I had the skills as a competitive player and former business builder.

2
2

I reached out to Richard to offer my services, and things just clicked. Before I knew it, I was in Beirut. My flight landed at 6am, and I was coaching by noon. Training sessions typically started at 1pm and were timed to take place during school holidays. About 100 children, from nine to 15 years old, played. We divided the group by gender. Then, from 5–7pm, I trained the coaches with a mix of classroom–based theory and field–based demonstrations.

1
1

Over the three weeks I spent in Beirut, I spent more than 80 hours training more than 100 children and 10 coaches. To seize this opportunity, I used McKinsey’s Take Time program, which gives us 5–10 extra weeks of time off. My development group leader (my formal mentor and evaluator), mentors and professional development manager were extremely supportive, reinforcing my decision to pursue meaningful opportunities that energize me. The project–based nature of consulting and openness of the firm makes McKinsey an ideal setting to pursue such opportunities. Overall, my experience has given me a sense of confidence to take the road less traveled, and McKinsey’s direct and indirect involvement in these causes, makes the firm feel more relevant as an employer.

3
3

Find roles like Prem

Never miss another post

Receive new stories once a week directly in your inbox