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Pedro

Business AnalystMedellín

Pedro

Business AnalystMedellín

Working at McKinsey has shown me that I can be more entrepreneurial than I ever expected.

Working with the best

I chose to work at McKinsey to work with the best—and serve the best. I enjoy changing settings, and I anticipated a varied routine. So far, I have not had two days that are the same. I have worked throughout Latin America and in the USA, on seven studies across six business functions focused on financial and consumer goods industries. I was thrilled to find that my colleagues and I have so much in common, most notably—strong individuality, relentless achievement and a natural sense of collaboration. I have had the chance to work with some fascinating people—one expert programmer recently underwent gender re-assignment surgery. She proudly defies Latin-American stereotypes and inspires those around her as she completes her transformation.

The autonomy to propose—and lead—transformational ideas

I was born and raised in Medellin but studied in Bogota where I graduated as a lawyer and economist. This is my third job, after working in a lawyers’ bureau and one of the “big four” accounting firms. What I found surprising is that working at McKinsey has shown me that I can be more entrepreneurial than I ever expected. A proactive attitude is held in high regard. This has pushed me to become entrepreneurial and I have been given the autonomy to propose, and lead, transformational ideas. The firm encourages us to pursue themes that interest us and deepen our knowledge and expertise in specific areas. For example, I am interested in incentive systems and have put this into practice on various projects. I enjoy applying my knowledge of behavioral economics to developing commercial reward systems, and I find it inspiring to see theory translated into action.

Every output is a collaborative effort

Every output at McKinsey comes from a collaborative effort. Creating letters of proposal, building knowledge documents and implementing internal initiatives are greatly improved by the input and experience of my colleagues. To succeed, we have to be ready to ask for help when needed, and to help others. We are not obliged to know every answer, or to solve every problem, but we know how to reach the people who can. This collaborative process allows us to obtain the best expertise for our clients. The basic principle is that together we are more valuable than the sum of our separate parts.

Support for personal development

McKinsey has encouraged and supported my personal development through the “Take Time” program that allows us to take personal time-off once every semester. This has given me the opportunity to pay attention to my work/life balance and pursue my personal goals. I am an avid traveler and I have used this time to travel to, and volunteer in, many countries and to enjoy my passion for parkour. The firm was also very supportive of me wanting to relocate back to Medellin and allowed me to join the office here and helped me to transition smoothly.

Education

University of Los Andes
BA, law and economics