My original plan was to follow my father’s footsteps and have a long, lucrative career as a professional soccer player. As a young prospect, I was raised in one of the best youth soccer academies in Ekstraklasa. I played on the Polish National Team U-17 and continued at one of the best clubs in Poland. At that moment, there was no way I could have known my life would go under a full transformation when I was forced to prematurely retire from soccer after suffering six injuries to my right knee.
Being an immigrant (my parents came to the US when I was 14 years old) and a first-generation college graduate only contributed to my struggle to adapt to a changed life and new goals. I worked hard and experienced many failures before I realized the professional workplace and a competitive athletic team are quite similar. Professionalism, hard work, and the ability to work well under pressure helped me transform my career.
Today, I work with a phenomenal group of intelligent individuals with valuable expertise and perspectives. They challenge me and help push me to grow as a person and a consultant. Everyone here really wants to help each other be their best.
When I accepted McKinsey’s offer, I moved to New York. I didn’t know anyone there outside of my new colleagues. They welcomed me, befriended me and showed me around. They looped me into our soccer team; even though I can’t play, I cheer them on every Sunday and when they play once a year in the McKinsey-wide tournament in Costa Rica.
I am part of the service operations practice with a focus on solutions and partnerships. I help our clients turn operations into a strategic advantage by teaching them use technology, big data, and advanced analytics more effectively. I collaborate with the world’s leading AI tech organizations to deliver customized and impactful services and develop and share knowledge.
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About Damian
Damian is an operations implementation specialist based in New York. He earned a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Illinois and a certificate in artificial intelligence form the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining McKinsey, Damian was an analyst at Accenture.