Since 2006, I’ve worked in IT implementation, mostly on the functional side. I would outline the technical requirements or processes to build a solution for clients. I’ve enjoyed the work and have had a typical career, starting as a junior analyst, then analyst, then moving on to managing teams and clients, and eventually running a practice.
I was an associate director at a major IT consulting firm when the McKinsey opportunity came my way about a year ago. McKinsey is well-known and key player in management consulting, but at the time, I didn’t know the firm had such a strong digital and technology footprint.
When I interviewed, I met with partners and senior partners and discovered they had similar backgrounds to mine. What struck me about McKinsey is the partners here really work. They aren’t just setting up a project and then stepping away. They are closely involved with clients to scope the solution and offer advice that is going to deliver long-lasting value to clients.
That drove my decision to join McKinsey, and I am now a digital expert associate partner. I am influencing decisions and driving real impact, rather than just coming in and implementing a decision someone else has made.
Lending years of expertise to teams across the firm
As an expert, teams reach out to me for advice on IT transformations, ERPs, SAP, IT governance, infrastructure, and IT process. I help them understand the overall impact of a transformation and how clients will benefit.
We work on a wide range of projects. We lead full end-to-end transformations, where we evaluate the organization, assess its capabilities, create a technology roadmap, build solutions, and support implementation. Or we may evaluate a current implementation’s performance to see if a client is doing well or needs to reprioritize.
We look at the big picture and help clients determine how to break transformations down into initiatives to take them from where they are to where they want to be.
Making my own McKinsey means spreading a wide net
At other firms, you often must focus on a specific technology or practice. While many tend to zero in on a specific industry here, for me the beauty of McKinsey is I can work across industries on different projects and on a variety of client tech stacks. I can work in retail, telecom, or wherever my interests take me, with organizations across the globe. No two projects are the same. It may be a three-week assessment or a twelve-month support.
Beyond the variety, I also work with a diverse group of people who are the best and brightest in their industries. We build relationships with partners, senior partners, and colleagues from all over the world. It feels like one big family.
More about me
At McKinsey, I participate in the SAP and the applications software technology communities. I enjoy teaching and mentoring colleagues, so I organize trainings around technologies, such as SAP, ERP, IoT and AI. I also conduct interviews and do my part to help grow the firm.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I am also passionate about anything with an engine. I used to race cars, and I enjoy riding motorbikes and traveling.