Meet Bain & Company’s MBA Class Of 2018

Atsushi Shimada

Bain & Company Tokyo

Hometown: Hiroshima, Japan

MBA program: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Undergraduate school, major: Keio University, Economics

Why did you choose to work at Bain? I chose to work at Bain because I knew the firm could offer me the best environment to grow and thrive as a business professional. I was attracted to how Bain focuses on tackling the most challenging and impactful business issues, and provides clear guidance and feedback for consultants. Additionally, I knew that working with top talent from all over the world would be incredibly inspiring.

What did you love about the business school you attended? Diversity and tradition. The school consists of roughly 250 students from 60 countries. Such a diverse student body helped me open my mind to new experiences and points of view. Likewise, I truly enjoyed the tradition of living in one of the oldest colleges and dining at a historical hall where some of the Harry Potter movies were filmed!

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far at Bain? The most valuable thing I’ve learned at Bain is how to find the key question at the heart of the issue. No matter how complicated the business problem is, there is always a key question which can be simply understood by everyone. Our job as consultants is to digest and interpret a complicated problem into these simple key questions, and guide the clients to solve these key questions for the best results.

Which manager or peer has had the biggest impact on you at Bain, and how has he or she made you a better consultant? Azusa, who was the Private Equity Group (PEG) manager for the Tokyo office, and my first manager at Bain. The firm has an operating principle called “maintain an openness to the 1% possibility,” and Azusa embodied this principle. Although working for PEG is quite intense, she never compromised on the output. She always encouraged the team to go for the extra 1%, to bring true value to the client. I was very lucky to start my career as a consultant under her leadership.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work for Bain? Brush up your teamwork skills. At Bain, we are 100% committed to a true team environment.

A fun fact about me people would be surprised to know is…I was a ski jumper. Taking off from a 100-meter jumping hill requires some courage. Compared with that experience, there is nothing to be afraid of.