Join us for McKinsey Unpacked, our monthly webcast where we unpack the real McKinsey experience.
We’re Marie Padberg and Blair Ciesil, partners (and long-time friends) who co-lead our global hiring for McKinsey. We started this monthly series to share more about who we are as a firm, what kind of people thrive in our high-performance yet fun environment, why we have stayed for over two decades, and more.
Every month, we invite a different colleague to help us explore a particular topic through their lens while also sharing their McKinsey experience. As we hope you’ll discover, everyone here is unique.
McKinsey Unpacked is non-evaluative and open to individuals from all regions and backgrounds who are interested in learning more about McKinsey, our people, and the work we do.
Interested? Sign up for our next session or catch up on past episodes.
Kweilin Ellingrud, senior partner and McKinsey Global Institute director, will talk about her new book—The Broken Rung. She will share more about her experience in moving up the corporate ladder, supporting women in their professional journeys, and insider tips for reaching your full potential at work.
Listen to insightful stories from Eric's 27+ year career - including how trust has been a superpower for him individually and for our collective impact as a firm.
Learn how we build and foster strong communities in our offices and beyond.
Discover how we foster a supportive environment where giving and receiving feedback is not just encouraged, but essential for growth.
“Doing hard things that matter with people you learn from and love? That’s the definition of professional purpose – and joy.”
I joined McKinsey in 2001 as a summer associate in our Chicago office. With a joint business and law degree and a background in journalism and non-profit work, I never expected to succeed in my interviews - let alone in my internship to get a full-time offer. It’s a good reminder that even if you don’t have a so-called traditional background, you can thrive here.
I served clients in marketing and ended up leaving McKinsey for a couple years to help a client implement the brand strategy we’d built as a McKinsey team. While there, I discovered my passion for developing people and problems over time, so when a longtime McKinsey mentor called one day to ask me to come back to our firm to help lead our local recruiting strategy and team, I knew my McKinsey time was not yet done.
15 years later, it turns out I was right. My People career at McKinsey has rarely been predictable, but it’s always been inspiring - from finding distinctive candidates wherever they study or work to helping us share the ‘real’ McKinsey in our talent branding, my passion for people and problems has exponentially grown.
I live with my husband Chad, children Henry and Molly, and rarely well-behaved dogs Cricket and Sweetness, outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.
“The experience and pace of growth at McKinsey are different than anywhere else.”
I joined McKinsey as a consultant in 2003 in our Munich office, serving clients in marketing and customer value creation across various industries, including banking, insurance, and telecommunications. Through my work and studies, I discovered my passion for fostering talent and transitioned to our people function, focusing on recruiting.
I’m a huge supporter of our diversity efforts. In 2012, I founded McKinsey’s Next Generation Women Leaders, an annual program that empowers and brings together hundreds of talented and ambitious women and helps them shape their individual leadership styles through inspirational workshops, discussions, and networking. Diverse teams produce better answers and better experiences, and I’m immensely proud that I’ve spent my career embedding it into our hiring every day.
I live in Amsterdam together with my husband, Philip, our twin daughters, and our son. I unwind by listening to podcasts and doing sports.
