Isabel Gil-Casares Lacambra

Bain & Company Madrid

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

MBA program: Columbia Business School

Undergraduate school, major: ICADE and Northeastern University (International Business and Finance and Marketing) 

Focus of current case: Customer experience optimization

Why did you choose to work at Bain? I have always been very active and find myself getting bored easily. When it came time to find a job, one of my top priorities was looking for a role with a variety of challenges.

When I heard about a career that would allow me to work in many industries over a short period of time, have a diverse professional experience and be largely project-based, I knew I had found my place: I wanted to be a consultant.

I spent quite some time looking into the best choices for my career path. One of the key things I knew I wanted was a great work environment, complete with the best people around me and a culture that fit my active and caring personality. Obviously, such requests were hard to fill, but my search ultimately lead me to Bain. It was the only consulting firm I really wanted to work for, and the only one I applied for. Thankfully, they wanted me too!

What did you love about the business school you attended? Finding the right culture and people were key to me, and CBS definitely fulfilled my needs in this aspect. My favorite part of my MBA was meeting amazing people, with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ways of seeing the world.

Additionally, entrepreneurship, social impact and impact investing are areas I have always been curious about, and CBS had invested very heavily across the fields. It was another obvious fit for me!

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far at Bain? Make sure you learn as much as you can, and have as much fun as you can, in everything you do! Having had experiences across industries, countries, projects and teams, I can assure you there is something to learn from everything. For me, even in the most challenging situations, having fun is the key to success. Everything goes better with someone that makes the moment more enjoyable, and luckily there are many such people at Bain.

Which manager or peer has had the biggest impact on you at Bain, and how has he or she made you a better consultant? Cira, a principal in the Madrid office, has made the biggest impact on my career at Bain so far. Not only is she extremely smart with an amazing sense for business, she is also a great coach and mentor. Cira prioritizes her mentees at Bain and puts their professional development first. You can tell that she truly cares about the people around her and measures her success by their success.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work for Bain? Be very open-minded. Even the cases that look the least “sexy” might become the greatest experience you have ever had.

A fun fact about me people would be surprised to know is…I have a bouncer’s license.