I’m part of the Global Energy and Materials (GEM) practice at McKinsey. It’s one of our largest and most dynamic practices, so it offers tremendous opportunities. There are three things I like in particular:
- Being exposed to a large spectrum of topics. Within the GEM industry, I’ve worked in strategy, operations, procurement, etc.
- Exploring the world. GEM is a truly global practice. I’ve worked with great people from all around the world including in Morocco, Africa, Europe, Canada and Australia
- Working in a results and impact-oriented environment
One of the most memorable experiences was supporting the Ministry of Health in a West African country as it designed the Family Planning Strategy for the country, which had very low contraception rates. I was a junior associate at the time, and I will always remember the debates we had on the uses and efficiency of the different contraception tools we considered for the country. We had a great team that brought diverse perspectives – a senior partner from America, a partner from France, a junior partner from Morocco and an engagement manager from Switzerland. I connected really well with the clients and we’re still in touch four years later. We also achieved significant impact; our strategies increased the contraception rate in the country from 12% to 2011 to 18% in 2015.
Now I’m really excited to get into Recovery & Transformational Services work within mining. Leaders in Australia started our work in this area, so I recently moved from Casablanca to Sydney to learn first-hand from our turn-around experts.
Outside of client work, I am very involved in recruiting (e.g., interviewing and participating in recruiting events) and my office. Last year, before I moved, I helped organize a team for McKinsey’s Euro-African football tournament in Marrakech, Morocco. We were part of the largest sporting event ever in McKinsey history; more than 200 people from 20 countries participated. Now that I’m in Sydney, I’m participating in a 60 kms sports challenge with several colleagues to get in better shape. Outside of McKinsey, you might find me cheering for Real Madrid, travelling (I’ve visited more than 50 countries across five continents), or supporting NGOs in Morocco.
I highly recommend you consider consulting and McKinsey. Our firm is one of the best leadership training environments around. The first two years I spent here taught me more and gave me more experiences than I would have had in double or triple the time in a more traditional corporate job.