Gearing up for an Antarctic adventure

Hi again everyone,

From the day I joined McKinsey, leadership has been central to all my experiences here, whether it’s leading teams and clients or daily project management or thought leadership. It was a proud moment when my office leader, Vivian Hunt, was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in the UK’s New Year Honours List 2018, in recognition of her work on women’s empowerment and diversity.

McKinsey has not only given me leadership opportunities within the firm, but also supported my participation in an external women leadership program, Homeward Bound, which aims to build a global collaboration of 1,000 women leaders science in 10 years. I am part of the 2018 cohort of 80 women in science from around the world who are passionate about a sustainable future. This group is undertaking a women’s-only expedition to Antarctica (and when this post is published, I’ll actually be there!). To put it in context, it is a ‘leadership conference for women for a sustainable future in Antarctica.’ We will be visiting the various research bases such as US, UK, Argentina and China. In the year leading up to the expedition, I have immersed myself in topics such as gender parity and the role of women in creating a sustainable future. It has been an incredibly exciting start of my own leadership journey, and I can’t wait to share details of my trip with you.

Until March!
Purvi