I am based in Saudi Arabia, and I’ve had the privilege of working in four countries on three continents (India, Costa Rica, Poland and Saudi Arabia). I focus on strategy, capability building, and leadership development with private and public sector clients, helping them sustain large-scale transformations. I also lead the Saudi Client Capability Hub, which is a group of 50 colleagues who bring highly specialized expertise across various topics, such as research, analytics and asset-based consulting, to help clients across the Middle East region.
How did your journey with McKinsey start and develop?
After my undergraduate study in business management with a finance focus, I joined a bank in India in their Wealth Management department because I was interested in stock markets and financial products. It was fascinating to help high net worth clients with their financial planning, but deep down, I wanted to help organizations with strategy and large-scale transformations.
The recession in 2008 expedited my move to consulting. I joined our Client Capability Center in Gurgaon, India. Then, in 2010, I relocated to Costa Rica to help set up a Client Capability Center there. I was part of the first team of five colleagues, which was very exciting. After two years in Costa Rica, I relocated to Wroclaw, Poland. I served European clients on public sector topics and helped build a 40-member team. While in Poland, I heard we were scaling an office in Saudi Arabia and, without giving it a second thought, I was on a flight to Riyadh in September 2016. I was excited to explore a new country and culture and help build another office.
Can you share a memorable client project?
My favorite engagement at McKinsey was supporting a regional electricity and distribution company in India in 2008. We helped them reduce transmission and distribution losses and increase electricity usage. As part of the kick-off, the entire team visited a few towns to conduct interviews and understand the challenges across the most marginalized sections of the society.
This experience had a lasting impact on me for two reasons. First, it showed me the work we do is meaningful for society at scale. One of our suggestions to reduce transmission and distribution costs was to include underprivileged people into the consumer pool, which led to fewer cases of theft in heavily populated areas. Second, the coaching and mentorship I received, especially with regard to complex and challenging content, helped me navigate my first few days at McKinsey and build my confidence. This has stayed with me and is the reason I take time to coach new colleagues on complex content and help them navigate our firm.
What helped you to be successful at McKinsey?
The key facilitator of my McKinsey journey has been sponsorship. I have been guided by my mentors at every step. Their non-biased perspectives have led me to make informed decisions and take calculated risks.
Besides sponsorship, I really believe in our mantra Make your own McKinsey because I’ve had opportunities to work on different topics with many clients and live in three continents before the age of 30. The global reach of the firm has helped me fulfill my childhood desire to live in new cities and be a global citizen, which would not be possible without McKinsey.
Can you offer any advice to candidates currently interviewing in the virtual setup?
More frequent and regular virtual interviews during COVID have presented an opportunity to transcend time zones to leverage colleagues around the world to interview candidates. These are my tips for candidates:
- Try to ensure your technology will not give up on you during the conversation. We understand glitches happen and we take them in stride, but it does help to have a smooth connection and testing in advance can help.
- Be honest and present your natural self, just as you would during an in-person interview.
- Ask your interviewer to clarify a question or problem if it’s unclear so you can better ensure your answers are relevant and showcase your thinking.
More about Puru
Puru is a manager of client capabilities in Riyadh. He studied business management with a focus on finance and accounting at the University of Bombay in India. He is passionate about baking cakes, hiking, watching mixed martial arts and playing cricket with his seven-year-old nephew when he is back in India.