One of the best things about being at McKinsey is the professional-development support you receive throughout your career, starting from day one.

Describe your career path at McKinsey

In 2010, I joined McKinsey in Shanghai as a junior research analyst in the Sustainability & Resource Productivity Practice after completing my master’s in corporate finance from East China Normal University. In this role, I worked with clients and consultants from all over the world on climate-change and sustainability topics ranging from carbon trading and water resource-management strategy to corporate-sustainability strategy. In 2014, I moved to the North American Knowledge Center as a knowledge specialist to further strengthen our offerings on global water and waste in the Americas.

Can you share an example of the professional-development opportunities you’ve had?

One of the best things about being at McKinsey is the professional-development support you receive throughout your career, starting from day one. There is an extensive onboarding process that includes a welcome overview, followed by ongoing growth and development workshops, skills training, and development coaching. Knowledgeable colleagues have helped me get a jump start on numerous topics. For example, in my first client study, I was asked to analyze the carbon-emissions-reduction policies and incentives in five major countries in 2 days. I was quite nervous and unsure of the approach we should take. My colleague, an expert on global carbon markets, noticed my unease and helped guide me through how to structure the analysis. He did so by asking me questions about the context of the study, the purpose of the analysis, and the available data. His calmness and guidance set me at ease and reassured me that I was not alone but part of a strong, collaborative team.

What are some of the projects you typically work on?

I work mainly on sustainability and resource-efficiency projects. For example, I created a global water-efficiency evaluation tool to help clients reduce their water footprint, developed a corporate-sustainability strategy to use fewer raw materials and increase the use of recycled materials, and provided fact-base analysis to improve the water and sanitation services in cities and countries. It is personally rewarding to see how our contributions are helping shape our clients’ strategy and operations and helping businesses grow while avoiding detrimental impact to the environment and natural resources. Having this kind of impact keeps me highly motivated and inspired each day.