Coffee chat with Shinri

Read more about: Community | Innovation

Shinri, a business analyst in the Boston office tells us about her week during a coffee break.

Who are you?

I’m a second–year business analyst, based in the Boston office. I’m originally from Japan and joined McKinsey last spring after graduating from Dartmouth with a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering. Over the past 12 months at McKinsey, I’ve prepped an astronaut for a 300–person client conference, presented in Macau at a conference for RTS practice, and spent a weekend in Switzerland with my friends from the Boston office.

When I’m not in a team room or in the Boston office, I love being outside. The other Boston business analysts and I have been trying to teach ourselves tennis. The jury’s still out on whether we’re any good…

What was your favorite moment from this week?

A meeting we had with the CEO, CFO, and our day–to–day client contacts. We discussed the deck that a summer intern on my team and I prepared from start to finish that week. I joined the team the week before, and it was exciting to look back and see how much I’d learned in only two weeks. Our analysis delivered insights no one else had seen before, which was really exciting It even led to an additional problem-solving session later that day between myself, the CEO, CFO and our client sponsor. That was definitely a moment when I asked myself, “is this really happening?!” It made me realize how much I had to contribute, which felt really, really good.

What was the most difficult moment of the week?

Following that update, I had a lot of work to get done. I was anxious thinking about the volume of it, but I talked it through with the engagement manager and partner on my team, and they helped me prioritize so that next week will be smooth.

Shinri inline
Shinri inline

What is special about the office you are in now?

It feels like home. My friends and mentors in Boston are the people I text first when something goes well or poorly.

Do you have a feel good Friday tip?

I love catching up with the other business analysts in the office on Fridays. I usually book a team room for us to share so we can spend the day together, and we often get dinner near the office afterwards.

What type of music makes you feel motivated?

Podcasts. Learning about something completely different relaxes me and helps me reset.

What was your best client/teammate interaction this week?

For some background, I love pugs, and one of my favorite team events was when I was on a local team in Boston with a Boston-based engagement manager. He let me and the team take his pug, Lucy, for a walk to the dog park before a team dinner. I’ve continued to work with that same EM over the past few months on knowledge–building for the RTS practice. Last week, we had just reviewed some materials I had pulled together when he thanked me and said “I’ll even let you babysit Lucy next time I’m out of town.” A true honor!

What’s your favorite app?

ClassPass. For a monthly subscription, it gives me access to hundreds of fitness classes around the US. Because we travel so much, I love that I can go to different classes regardless of the city.

Want to learn more about roles like Shinri’s? Click here .

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