I found McKinsey by chance. I grew up in France, where I studied public administration at university, and then went on to work as a communication officer for the European Parliament with the idea of pursuing a career in government. I wanted to have an impact on society and people’s lives.
I joined McKinsey’s Paris office as an external contractor, on what was supposed to be a two-month project. It turned into a 12-year career that has exposed me to a variety of roles and teams across our firm, in brand, communications, and McKinsey Digital. In 2021 I joined our Sustainability practice, and I feel like I've found my place. In my role as a communications manager, I am closer than ever to my core purpose, fulfilling my passion to help people and have a positive impact on society. And I am particularly excited to have the Middle East and North Africa as my geographic focus — it’s a region that is dear to my heart, as my family’s roots are in Algeria.
As a manager of communications, my job is to take all the ground-breaking sustainability work our firm is doing and share it with the world. I educate people about how McKinsey can help businesses combat the climate crisis, as well as what we can do as individuals to be part of the solution. It’s incredibly rewarding to do my part in accelerating the net-zero transition by amplifying these messages.
Building McKinsey’s presence at COP27
Since joining the Sustainability practice, I’ve largely been involved with the United Nations’ 27th Conference of Parties (or COP27) , which is the world's premier summit on climate change. Business leaders and heads of state gather to make and advance commitments to closing the net-zero equation. McKinsey is involved because we want to bring our perspective to the global debate around the climate crisis.
The 2022 event will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and I am leading our communications plans, as well as the programming for McKinsey’s presence at the event. I've been working with senior leaders to shape the agenda for our part in the conference, planning themes that range from “Financing a green Africa,” to “Scaling new green businesses,” and “Accelerating innovation in climate technology.” I am also involved with finding and working with external speakers, ranging from CEOs to government leaders.
Our goal is to bring the best of our firm together for a monumental purpose: to help our clients overcome one of the biggest challenges the world is facing. And it makes me very proud to be part of this.
Relishing the camaraderie and support the firm offers
At McKinsey, I have the privilege of working with diverse and exceptional colleagues every day who have a common passion for sustainability. It fuels my desire to make a difference in this world. This incredible shared energy creates a special bond when we work on a project – and our work on COP27 has been a prime example.
I also feel tremendous care from my colleagues. I am a mom of two girls, and it can be a challenge to find balance, but the firm supports me. I feel highly respected here, and it is one of the reasons I have stayed here as long as I have.