I have been a software and cloud engineer in a digital specialist role with McKinsey for about five-and-a-half years. I had worked at other organizations, primarily in development and engineering, for several years when I was recruited by McKinsey.
I joined McKinsey because of its prestige and diverse community. I like working with people who have such extraordinary backgrounds in technology, digital product design, Agile, and data. I also like the idea of working at different locations with many technologies across many industries.
My role as digital specialist
At McKinsey, I play the roles of software developer, solution architect, Agile coach, and technology trainer. I support consultants—largely in manufacturing, telecommunications and banking—who require digital and Agile expertise.
I help with digital use-case technical solution design and development planning. I work closely with consultants to ensure the delivery of digital products aligns with their business strategy. Most of my engagements are client facing, and I communicate with various clients, including IT leaders and developers.
To do that, I must understand the IT organization and its vision for enterprise IT. Then I provide our proposal on IT topics and address clients’ questions at a high level, and I look into the technology details from a developer’s point of view.
Driving big changes in a Chinese manufacturing company
One of my most meaningful projects was with an advanced manufacturing company in China. Its market situation had changed, and it was facing tough new challenges. The client had goals to become more customer centric.
I worked with the client’s IT team on the Agile way of working and to deliver digital products to support manufacturing R&D by building a digital lab.
That lab has since grown to three Agile squads and delivered four new digital products in Java and AngularJs. Now, the client is on its way to expanding this new working model throughout the organization’s IT.
It was a great experience because in addition to designing and implementing the tech solution, I helped to re-design the organization itself and shift the client’s mindset to an Agile approach. That work will help the IT team work more efficiently and deliver products the R&D department highly appreciates.
What makes McKinsey special?
First, the diversity of technology. McKinsey is the perfect place to gain experience with many types of technology in a short period of time because the clients and their challenges vary and have unique elements.
McKinsey also has a vision. At McKinsey, technology is bound to business strategy and value creation. A software engineer at McKinsey plays a technical role and serves as a consultant on tech strategy and tech capability building.
Finally, I get to do it all with incredibly talented, smart people who inspire me.
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More about Vivi
When Vivi is not solving big technology challenges for clients, she loves to travel, cook, and take photographs.