I credit my father for fueling my passion for environmental causes. He grew up on a coffee farm in southern India, surrounded by rain forest, and had an enduring passion for nature. He and my mother pushed us to think about the Earth, how to preserve nature and reduce waste. We spent our holidays exploring and appreciating the wild, so my love for nature is ingrained. I even won a competition in 2nd grade for writing a poem about the environment.
That passion influenced me to do my undergraduate studies in the global political economy of environmental issues, then my master’s in economics and sociology. I essentially crafted my own degree homing in on social perspectives on about protecting natural resources, the economic case for doing so, and how to incentivize community action to protect the environment.
My path through McKinsey so far
I knew nothing of McKinsey or consulting when I attended one of McKinsey’s recruiting events. I liked what I heard about the culture and opportunities, so I applied. I joined the firm in 2008 as a business analyst.
I knew I wanted to work in sustainability, but at the time McKinsey had a nascent sustainability practice. So, I spent my first five years here in heavy industry, supporting mines, factories, and refineries. That may seem like the opposite of sustainability, but it was an important experience for me. I gained real insight into what our society demands and the impact it has on the Earth. To feed my passion for sustainability, I devoted my spare time to sustainability projects at the firm, and I did pro-bono projects on the side for green organizations.
After five years, I wanted to follow my passion in a real way, so I changed my path to agriculture, which is closely connected to sustainability given issues of land use. I also moved to Africa in 2014 as one of the first 15 employees in McKinsey’s Nairobi office, and that’s where I’ve stayed. For the first few years I focused on agriculture; then, two years ago, I added sustainability, so I have ended up exactly where I belong.
Impactful wide-ranging work in Africa
While I do some work in South America and India, I predominantly focus on Africa. My expertise is in natural capital, so how to preserve nature, think about land use for agriculture, and produce food sustainably. I’ve done work around forest protection and how to create sustainable agricultural commodity value chains that are deforestation-free.
Additionally, I focus on building greener businesses, and the projects range from how to scale up electric vehicles (EVs) to how to broaden the circular economy to reduce waste. I have worked with start-ups in emerging markets to help bring innovative products and services to market. I’ve supported private sector businesses to build value chains without hurting the natural environment.
Supporting tourism and conservation
One of my most memorable projects involved tourism with a country in Africa where seventy percent of the country’s tourism is nature based; people travel to the country to visit protected areas and national parks and go on safari. Tourism is the country’s second largest generator of foreign exchange and one of its biggest job creators. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic halted tourism, and the country lost significant revenue.
McKinsey was asked to help develop a sustainable tourism recovery strategy to bring economic value to the communities in and around protected areas. We created models around seasonal pricing and incentives for people to come off season. We also created tools to better manage the tourism infrastructure, specifically in areas which had gotten derelict. It was a dream project for me, one that is going to have a huge positive economic impact, while preserving nature and driving sustainable tourism.
Working in sustainability at McKinsey
McKinsey brings unprecedented industry and geographic knowledge to any project and offers an integrated view on what’s required to progress toward a sustainability goal. We have a tremendous network, and we can pull from one another in an agile way. Research that might take months elsewhere can be pulled together in days here.
Our projects also enable us to connect with stakeholders at all levels, from people on the ground to leaders at the highest level of an organization. We serve as the translator between the two, and that’s essential to solving the meaty problems we’re facing. I am proud of the impact McKinsey and I are having in Africa, and I’m excited to continue my work here in this place that has very much become my home.
More about me
I’m a huge traveler, and I prefer to visit remote, natural areas. I’ve been to national parks in Chad, and I have plans to go to the Congo. Not only are these places beautiful, but I also see it as my way of contributing economically to the communities protecting those areas.