McKinsey colleagues are my kind of people: coming from a variety of backgrounds, full of energy, and possessing a great sense of humor.
Choosing McKinsey
I chose McKinsey to work with inspiring people on intellectually interesting topics. My main areas of interest are strategy, sustainability, decarbonization, and energy. As for people, I met my future McKinsey colleagues at a “Solve It” competition and realized they were my kind of people: they came from a variety of backgrounds, were full of energy, and possessed a great sense of humor.
First months in the firm
I joined the firm in September 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. My first project was a telecom study in Slovakia where we worked in a semihybrid mode. We stayed in the country voluntarily for two months without going back to the Czech Republic, where the COVID-19 situation was worse. My girlfriend stayed with me and we used the opportunity to explore Slovakia over the weekends, mostly hiking in the mountains.
I joined when no in-person social events took place that could help me get to know other colleagues. On the one hand, I did get to know a few colleagues very well during the projects. On the other hand, I still meet people in the office who ask me, “You are new, aren’t you?” It’s a good icebreaker.
My passion in energy and sustainability
I have a degree in finance and economics from IES in Prague, and the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden. However, during my Erasmus stay in Norway, I signed up for several courses in sustainability and energy, discovering in them a new passion that has stayed with me at McKinsey, too. I reached out to several senior colleagues who work on sustainability and energy projects, letting them know I was interested in the area. They were incredibly open to discuss what they are working on, and looking back, I am very grateful for these conversations.
As a result, I have been involved in a number of related projects and initiatives, including three separate hydrogen strategies. On top of that, I helped organize a webinar for the Consortium for Energy Efficiency executives on decarbonization, the risks and opportunities in light of the COP-26 conference. Looking ahead, I’m excited to help with knowledge efforts on sustainability or managing a client sustainability or energy project.
Interests outside of work
Outside of work, I love spending time with the people I like, doing sports, taking long hikes, cross-country skiing or biking. I also do like to read—nonfiction books about physics or history—and I also like to read in German, which is a language I find absolutely beautiful.
Education
Stockholm School of Economics
MS, finance
IES, Charles University
Bc, economics and finance