Candice Creecy

McKinsey Office: Boston

Hometown: Woodland Park, CO

MBA Program and Concentration: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Master’s Degree School, Major: Wake Forest School of Medicine, Masters in Medical Science – Physician Assistant Studies

Undergraduate School, Major: Colorado State University – Pueblo, Exercise Science

Why did you choose McKinsey? I have had the opportunity to serve the community as an emergency medicine physician assistant during the COVID-19 pandemic both in the rural Midwest and downtown Boston. As a clinician serving on the ground, I have seen firsthand the challenges the healthcare system has faced. I entered my MBA program with the goal of understanding the workings of healthcare and business on multiple levels and gain insight on how best to effect change. McKinsey has a long history of partnering with life science and healthcare organizations offering them a seemingly endless number of resources to address concerns and co-create solutions. McKinsey allows me to be at the center of the change I envisioned with full confidence that we are providing these organizations the tools to rebuild and create a sustainable future.

What did you love about the business school you attended? The MIT Sloan experience is unmatched. To name a few perks, first-class professors, immense focus on entrepreneurship, diverse international cohort, access to well-renowned and innovative business leaders. In addition, the collaboration with students and faculty in the other undergraduate and graduate MIT programs allowed for a broadened experience. I was fortunate to take Dava Newman’s Aerospace Biomedical and Life Support Engineering course which allowed me to draw upon my experience as a healthcare professional and military aviator. It was truly an amazing experience and honor to learn from world experts in their field!

What is your most meaningful accomplishment/professional accomplishment prior to your current role? It has been an absolute honor to serve my community as an emergency medicine PA during some of the toughest times our country has faced. Nothing matches the ability to provide medical care, reassurance, and support to a patient in need. Bearing witness to the relentless work ethic and compassion of the healthcare community, to include clinicians and indispensable healthcare staff, rejuvenated my hope in the strength of humanity.

When you think back to the different elements of the McKinsey assessment: the digital test (i.e., Solve), the Personal Experience Interview (PEI), and the Problem-Solving Interview, what stands out? What do you think made you successful and what advice would you give to other MBAs going through McKinsey or another organizations’ process? The McKinsey assessment is incredibly comprehensive. It leaves no rock unturned and provides a phenomenal opportunity for the interviewee to showcase their individual strengths. The PEI allows an interviewee to speak to the qualitative aspects of their experience. This was important to me as someone with life experience in the military and medicine prior to applying to McKinsey. The problem-solving interview allows the interviewee to shine in analytics and quantitative skills. I think applicants can benefit from a firm foundation of preparation with their consulting club, an understanding of what the interview is/is not which can be gained through the McKinsey website/webinars, and practicing with friends, family, and acquaintances.

What was an assumption you held—either specifically about McKinsey or the management consulting profession as a whole—that was proven wrong once you began working in your role? Why did you hold the misconception and how was it refuted? Before joining McKinsey, I envisioned consulting to be a land of well-tailored suits, boardrooms, relentless workdays, and endless late nights. This misconception was largely fueled by a lack of exposure to the business sector and a robust rumor mill that hadn’t evolved in tandem with the industry. It was immediately clear these assumptions were archaic and that consulting has developed into an industry that has come to understand the value of employee welfare, championing diversity, and understanding that value is not always found in relentless work hours. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of well-tailored suits and meaningful work that requires extended hours, but methodical intention and shared purpose is evident.

McKinsey talks a lot about partnering with its clients to “accelerate sustainable, inclusive growth.” What does that mean to you and how have you seen it in action? I imagine that many organizations that reach out to McKinsey have a vision of significant change. Beyond short term advances, they are seeking a foundational change that will positively affect their organization for years to come. McKinsey is able to go beyond simply providing solutions, to building solutions and internal capability within an organization. It accelerates talent growth, promotes a different and holistic view of an organization, capitalizes on strengths, and enables persistent innovation. Change must be sustainable to survive, and it is important that the organization can maintain the co-created actionable steps long after McKinsey walks off site. Accelerate sustainable, inclusive growth changes an organization by empowering the organization from within.

Who has had the biggest impact on you at McKinsey and how have they helped you? It would be difficult to name a single individual who has made an impact on me at McKinsey because the very culture rests upon incredible openness and willingness to assist. This approachable and inviting culture has been on display whether I had a simple question, sought career advice, or subject matter expertise and was demonstrated at all levels of the organization. Because of this, I have been able to develop a clear understanding of the McKinsey ecosystem and how to utilize resources to best assist the client.

Describe an “only at McKinsey” moment. The scope of McKinsey has been an everyday “only at McKinsey” moment for me. The end-to-end capabilities that we offer our clients and the resources that McKinsey offers employees often feels limitless. Only at McKinsey can you walk into a conference room; sit next to your Rhodes Scholar colleague; review an edited presentation that has been updated by a talented team in Costa Rica; dial into a meeting with a world-renowned expert in their field who resides in the Indo-Pacific; take lunch with a nuclear submarine colleague; walk through strategy with the c-suite; and finish the day with a team dinner at a well-regarded downtown restaurant.

What’s next? It could be within McKinsey or beyond. How/In what ways do you think your time at McKinsey will prepare you for your next step? I plan to continue building on my current experience at McKinsey by pursuing studies focused on Life Science, SHaPE (Social Sector, Healthcare, and Public Sector Entities), and US government client service teams. It seems I uncover some new capability, resource, or colleague program every day. I still have an immense amount of knowledge to build as an Associate and will continue to capitalize on the in-person workshops, online training, and diverse mentorship offered to me at McKinsey. In the next year, I hope to begin narrowing my focus on a sector I feel I have the greatest ability to positively impact which is easier said than done. McKinsey truly reaches to all corners of the globe and across the spectrum of industries. There is so much to learn and I am just getting started.

A fun fact about me is…I’ve been fortunate to travel throughout the world for work and pleasure. I’ve visited all 50 states and six of seven continents. I would say that Patagonia, New Zealand, and the Serengeti are amongst my favorite places.

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