Suganya

Since joining McKinsey, I have been empowered to work on so many different technologies and explore different paths.

I earned my undergraduate degree in India at PSG, then worked at Goldman Sachs for a couple of years before moving to the United States to earn my master’s in computer science. I majored in machine learning and AI at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

After graduating, I had multiple offers, but I chose McKinsey because the work and atmosphere stood out from other firms I was considering. Originally, I interviewed for the new ventures division, which is now ClienTech , and it had a start-up feel to it. Ideas were being pitched, teams would develop a prototype, and then they’d release a product in a few months. Some ideas worked and some didn’t—but all ideas were heard.

This type of atmosphere appealed to me, so when I received an offer to join as an engineer, I didn’t hesitate to accept. Since joining McKinsey, I have been empowered to work on so many different technologies and explore different paths.

My role at McKinsey

I am a senior engineer on a build-accelerators team, which develops core platform tools and services. I work on a plug-and-play tool that provides identity and access-management services for the firm. It helps prevent teams from needing to reinvent the wheel every time they build something new.

As a senior engineer, I am responsible for core development and design of the different modules within my team, and I am focused on producing features or new functionality to improve the product over time. I joined in 2018, and McKinsey was in the initial stages of developing the product. We’ve come a long way since, consistently updating and upgrading the product, and releasing multiple versions. Our work has grown into a firmwide tool, and the number of users will increase.

It’s been exciting to watch it grow and contribute. For example, I had this idea to take all this data we already had and perform analytics on top of it, so we’d have visibility into the number of firm and client users authenticating through our application. I spoke up, shared the idea, and it’s been approved, so I am working on that now, and we will keep working to improve it by adding features and leveraging machine learning and AI to build more robust reporting and analytics tools.

The McKinsey difference

At McKinsey, even as a new hire, I was given more opportunity and more space to learn and grow than I experienced before.

Within the firm, we have so many people who offer mentorship and sponsorship, and I have benefited from devoted colleagues who have guided me through the process. They’ve helped me expand my network and build the knowledge I’ve needed to progress in my role. McKinsey also provides training to build technical skills, so you can continually strengthen your knowledge. For example, I took cloud-related training last year that is relevant for my career path.

Lastly, in previous roles, I found it challenging to prove my work. I don’t find that here. Even when I’ve been the only woman or person of color in a team room, I'm asked for my opinions and my voice has always been heard. I feel extremely comfortable in my role and confident I can have a meaningful impact.

More about me

At work, it’s all about technology, but outside of work, I spend my time on arts and crafts, DIY projects, cooking, and sewing.