Class Of ’17: Meet Bain & Co’s Newest MBA Hires

Peter Biewer

Bain Zurich

Hometown: Saarbrücken, Germany

MBA program, concentration: London Business School, Private Equity and Finance

Undergraduate school, major: Universität des Saarlandes & Kedge Business School, Business Administration

Focus of current case: Performance improvement and results delivery for a European TMT company

Why did you choose to work at Bain? Three main reasons:

1) The people. During my MBA I was surrounded by talented people, sponsored by a variety of consulting companies. However, I connected best with my classmates that came from Bain. Besides being a lot of fun, I could tell that Bain consultants were more supportive during my consulting interview preparation phase.

2) Bain’s private equity acumen. With a major in private equity and after doing my MBA summer internship in private equity, Bain, as the clear market leader in this field, was the natural choice.

3) Personal development. Bain is famous for its best in class personal development opportunities. From formal trainings to our culture of constant feedback, we invest in each other in a unique way.

What lesson from business school best prepared you for your career at Bain?

My time at business school reconfirmed the idea that caring about others and being supportive not only significantly increases your own development, but it leads to the group’s overall success. Working in teams, while living this culture, prepared me well for my career with Bain. At Bain we maintain a very supportive and open culture. Our slogan, “a Bainie never lets another Bainie fail” is truly how we interact and work with each other.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far at Bain?

Following the “answer first” approach. At Bain we often develop an early hypothesis and then refine/prove it throughout the client engagement. At first, I often struggled to come up with an answer without doing substantial research, but I now enjoy using this very powerful approach. Coming up with a hypothesis without having all the necessary information significantly increases efficiency in getting to the right answer.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work for Bain?

Reach out to Bainies before you apply. By doing so, you not only learn more about the culture, but you can also find a promotor for your application. I would also recommend doing a mock interview with a Bain consultant beforehand and asking for candid feedback. 

What do you want your career to look like in 10 years?

I joined Bain with the aspiration to eventually become partner at the firm, and at this stage in my life, the value proposition for a long-term career at Bain remains the strongest. Thus, I’m aiming to significantly increase my industry and capability knowledge while developing genuine and enduring relationships with clients.

My greatest personal or professional accomplishment is…as a teenager, I was an avid tennis player. Each year we had a club championship, which I won several times in a row.

A fun fact about me people would be surprised to know is…I grew up on the countryside and love gardening work. When I am at my parents’ place, I often go straight to the garden to replant trees or cut hedges.