At McKinsey, we are committed to increasing the representation of women in leadership positions. Throughout their careers, women (and men) at McKinsey are offered support to maximize their strengths, develop their networks and grow as leaders. Last year, we elected 83 women to partner. Meet some of them and learn more about their paths.
Mayowa – Lagos
I was born and raised in Nigeria. Although I’ve studied and worked across the globe, including the UK, US and Australia, I feel strongly about being part of Africa’s growth story. I work primarily with financial service institutions in the public and private sector. After studying at the University of Warwick, I joined McKinsey as a business analyst in the Lagos office when it first opened. I think about this core group of colleagues who started the office as my first McKinsey family. Reaching where I am today was not a solo journey; it was possible thanks to a whole set of people supporting me throughout my career. That includes my teams helping me deliver on client work, my mentors and sponsors who created opportunities for me, and the amazing colleagues who make sure everything runs smoothly and we can deliver to our clients 100%.
One of the people who really carried me on his back was a senior partner who I actually didn’t work with directly. He was one of the leaders in my practice. He took time to have regular monthly catch ups with me and always asked what he could do for me. I remember the first couple of times, I didn’t know what to answer. I thought it through, and I realized that to make the most of his mentorship, I need to have specific asks each time we spoke. So, my advice is that you look for mentors and sponsors in your immediate teams and beyond. In a firm like McKinsey, there are many global leaders doing similar work who can be extremely helpful in your path as long as you are deliberate in cultivating relationships with them.
Leda – London
I joined McKinsey London in 2015 as an associate, after working for Strategy& in Tokyo and completing an MBA at INSEAD. During the past six years at McKinsey, I have explored my passions; moved at a speed that suited me, with the support of my mentors and sponsors; and gotten to know a large number of inspiring colleagues and industry executives.
I am passionate about serving insurance companies and Private Equity (PE) investors in financial services on topics related to strategy and large-scale transformations. At one point, I wanted to get more first-hand experience as an operator and be deeply involved in a PE transaction, so I did a secondment at Callcredit, a GTCR-owned credit bureau. While there, I led their strategic and financial planning, equity story, and ultimate sale process. My mentors at the firm were supportive of this secondment and helped me find the right company and role. This experience helped me hone my management skills and rediscover my energy for consulting.
Once back at the firm full-time, I took an entrepreneurial approach and started developing relationships with PE investors in financial services. This year, I took leadership of our work at the intersection of PE and insurance. I am energized and excited about growing this part of the firm and broadening our impact.
McKinsey has allowed me significant flexibility in my personal life. I had my daughter as an associate partner. I took six months of maternity leave and focused entirely on being a new mom while staying in touch with colleagues when I needed it. When I returned, all colleagues were welcoming while recognizing I needed more flexibility.
I am thankful for all the opportunities at McKinsey – to explore different professional passions, to accelerate and take it slower as necessary, and to live our dual mission for outstanding client service and people development every day.
Juliana – Sao Paulo
I originally joined McKinsey in Sao Paulo as an associate in 2008, after completing my MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. I spent almost four years with the firm, serving clients across Brazil in different industries, including banking, insurance, and telecom. During that time, I gave birth to my three children, and the flexibility and support I received from the firm was invaluable. While I enjoyed the high impact work, I was also eager to explore opportunities outside of McKinsey. As strategy consultants, we usually focus on influencing through our recommendations, and I wanted to use my experience and knowledge to serve a more executive role and be a decision maker. In 2012, I left McKinsey and since then I have had different roles such as Marketing & Sales Director in retail or Business Head in healthcare.
A couple of years ago, a senior partner and practice leaders from Sao Paulo, whom I knew and worked with in the past, approached me asking whether I would like to come back. Fabio told me a lot about how the firm has evolved and described the growing opportunities in Transformation – and this drew my attention. McKinsey Transformation works with clients to fundamentally shift the trajectory of an organization, make significant changes to achieve long-term success and this really resonated with me. It sounded like a perfect combination of making bold executive decisions, while having access to McKinsey’s knowledge and global network of incredibly bright people.
After multiple conversations and interviews, I was hired as a direct-elect partner at the beginning of last year. I’m honestly thrilled to be back and see how diverse – both in terms of the people we hire and the work we do – and even more impactful the firm is.
Michaela – Auckland
I grew up following my diplomat parents all over the world, so I’ve always aspired to be a global citizen. Travelling and understanding new cultures is incredibly important for me personally and in my work. I could never be happy working in one place. Even among consultants, who on average spend significant time traveling, I’m extreme in my excitement about global mobility.
I am thankful to McKinsey that the firm has encouraged my global ambitions. In fact, McKinsey and I agree it’s critical to bring to our clients global experience and perspectives. There’s no point in me talking in theory about global best practices if I haven’t actually seen or helped build them, and there’s no point in me trying to apply a best practice template to a client situation without understanding the organizational and market nuance. Luckily, the sort of work I do is in demand all around the world: I work with retail and consumer clients on growth transformation and, particularly, digital and advanced analytics within QuantumBlack, a firm acquired by McKinsey in 2015.
In seven years at McKinsey, I have transferred between offices across Australia & New Zealand, spent some time in London, Singapore, and Minneapolis, and worked in 40+ different countries overall, bridging a multitude of language, cultural, and socioeconomic barriers and helping consumers gain fairer access to basic necessities. That combination of tangible impact for consumers, as well as getting my hands dirty and having amazing adventures working on the supermarket floor, shopping in the local marketplace stalls, riding in the fishing boats or on the tractors of the farms where people’s food is made is what I love about my job.
Sahil – Munich
I have always been driven by my curiosity to explore new things. Before joining McKinsey, I gained experience in various industries, interning and working at a few companies in Germany and Sweden, including Henkel, BCG, Lufthansa and Capgemini. I joined as an associate in 2013, after completing an MBA at IESE Business School and Haas School of Business. During my first years with the firm, I explored a range of industries – from insurance to banking, automotive, pharma, consumer, and retail as well as functions including strategy, organization, operations and marketing & sales. I am very thankful I was given the freedom to venture out, explore and learn across such diverse settings and contexts.
When the migration crisis hit Europe in 2016, I devoted time and passion to supporting responsible institutions to overcome the challenges. Based on that experience, I decided to make serving public sector clients a core part of my McKinsey career. My sponsors and mentors supported me in this decision, helped me navigate the new sector, and expand my network. They created opportunities for me. Serving public sector clients on pressing societal and economic issues, while continuing to serve clients in the private sector, has ever since been a great privilege and a great motivation for me to bring the best version of myself to work every day.