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Lotte

Engagement ManagerAmsterdam

Joining McKinsey as a neurosurgeon

After finishing my PhD and my business education, I started as a training resident in neurosurgery. Working in medicine, I realized how much the experience of patients and healthcare professionals could be improved by strategic thinking and organizational redesign. With this in mind, I took a leap of faith, changed my profession, and joined McKinsey.

I wanted to contribute my specialist knowledge to help improve healthcare on a large scale—through, for example, working with health systems and pharmaceutical companies. But I have also realized that doctors can contribute in many other sectors by bringing valuable skills such as prioritizing issues, communicating clearly, and working through problems in a structured way.

The opportunity to learn

I joined McKinsey for the opportunity to work with smart and motivated people on high-impact projects. The firm also offers the opportunity to work in international settings, as well as to learn and develop in new directions. It’s encouraging how quickly I was able to understand new industries, and I have learned so much from working in multi-disciplinary teams with my inspiring colleagues (who all have such interesting stories to tell!). I also developed new skills and business knowledge through McKinsey’s “mini MBA,” a very powerful training program.

Collaboration and support

The Amsterdam office provides a very inclusive and collaborative environment. We have regular feedback sessions, which are really constructive—my team members are very willing to help me achieve my goals. In addition, everyone has an open attitude toward developing soft skills, like building confidence and refining presentation skills. I was also surprised by how much the office encourages me to develop outside of work and to focus on things like sports, social projects, and my work-life balance.

Education

Nyenrode University
MSc, Business Administration

Erasmus MC
PhD, Neurosurgery

Medicine Utrecht University
MD

Utrecht University
BSc, Pharmacy