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I am originally from Nepal, born to North Indian parents. As beautiful and culture-rich as Nepal is, it is quite patriarchal, so as a girl I struggled to find my place there throughout my teenage years. As my parents always valued education, even though they couldn’t finish theirs; I could at least study to my heart’s content, but once I was done, the plan was for me to get married and assume the traditional role of a woman in our community. Most families are joint families, so I would likely live with my in-laws and rely on their permission to work after marriage.
Breaking with tradition
I was determined to break free of that stereotype. I finished my bachelor’s in Banking and Insurance at Apex College - Pokhara University and was accepted into the Toulouse School of Management in France for a master’s degree. My mother was firmly against her daughter studying abroad on her own, but my father surprisingly stood behind my decision to go. I took care of my own expenses and tuition, and after graduation, I moved to the Netherlands to be with my husband who is Dutch (another break from tradition!).
My early career journey
I started my career working for a recruitment consulting firm in Amsterdam as an executive recruiter. Then I joined Tesla as a recruiter for their energy division. Finally, I was approached by McKinsey to recruit for their Oil & Gas practice in EMEA.
My initial view of any consulting firm revolved around long hours and rigid rules. McKinsey challenged that impression. My interviewers and recruiters were incredibly warm and welcoming. My doubts around being a working mom with a then-10-month-old melted away by the time I accepted my offer.
Support to be my best
McKinsey has provided me with an incredibly supportive environment. I am a business partner to my hiring managers. They consult with me on processes and approaches to attract the best talent in the Oil & Gas industry. Their trust has enabled me to work at my best and given me the confidence to venture into new territories like assessment.
Over the years my role expanded to other areas of energy, but 2021 brought the biggest change yet. I was asked to lead recruiting for one of the biggest divisions within McKinsey, the Global Energy and Materials practice in EMEA. Now, I work across energy, sustainability, mining, materials, metals, paper, chemicals, and agriculture. I am incredibly grateful for the trust and support all my colleagues have given me.
Finding balance
There’s a misconception around working at a consulting firm like McKinsey – that balance is hard to maintain due to the high standards and long hours. I argue quite the opposite is true. McKinsey’s flexibility is amazing. McKinsey’s mission speaks for itself as it focuses on “helping our clients make distinctive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance” AND “building a great firm that attracts, develops, excites, and retains exceptional people.”
I experienced this when I went on maternity leave in 2019. The firm had just introduced a roll off-roll on program in addition to offering flexible leave time on top of the 16 weeks allotted by the Dutch government. These programs enabled me to smoothly transition out of my role and back into it, and they gave my baby and I time to establish our new routines. The gratitude I felt (and still feel) for the additional support I received, was crucial in motivating me to charge back into work and led me to accelerate my career to where I am now.
I will be forever grateful to my family for embracing the changes I kept confronting them with; my husband without whose constant support I would not be where I am today; my children who encourage me to always evolve into a better version of myself; and finally, my colleagues and peers who have placed their trust in me and have enabled me to now mentor a team of four recruiters. I aspire to support, guide and empower my team in the same way I have been. I am thoroughly excited about continuing to carve my path at McKinsey and looking forward to the immense personal and professional growth that is still in store for me.
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More about Shelly
I love travelling with my family of four - going on hikes in the Dolomites or exploring new cities in Europe. My husband and I also really enjoy introducing my culture to my children who only have me as a reference when it comes to Nepalese/Indian traditions. We celebrate all the festivities together and try to visit Nepal at least once a year. Over the years I have been experimenting with new hobbies like learning new languages (I am currently working on Korean and Italian alongside the five languages I already speak), baking, dance, and crochet.