Meet McKinsey’s MBA Class Of 2022

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MCKINSEY

The Class of 2022 carried similar misgivings initially. Alonso Badiola, a Kellogg MBA, worried that peers might be out for themselves. Instead, he found teammates who responded quickly when he needed feedback – or just PowerPoint or Excel tips. Rather than being “soulless robots”, Michelle Gil found her peers to be “warm and welcoming.” Contrary to popular belief, a McKinsey office – or consulting in general – isn’t a re-run of a Mad Men episode, either.

“Before joining McKinsey, I envisioned consulting to be a land of well-tailored suits, boardrooms, relentless workdays, and endless late nights,” admits Candice Creecy. “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.”

Some new hires also questioned their worth. Starting out, Débora Rozão would fret that she was an imposter, whose working-class roots and advertising background made her perspective less valuable than her engineer peers. Turns out, they would often turn to her for problem-solving. For Alexander Schurer, the biggest adjustment was embracing that he truly belonged in the same room as the leaders he served.

“Prior to becoming a management consultant, I questioned why CEOs would seek advice from young professionals like myself. However, once I joined McKinsey, I realized that our role is not to be the sole source of knowledge, but rather to integrate expertise from various areas within the firm. We act as “integrative consultants” who channel collective knowledge to clients and connect them with experts across the organization. This realization challenged my initial misconception and gave me a deeper understanding of our role in providing valuable insights to clients.”

SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH

At McKinsey, you’ll sometimes hear that the mission is to “accelerate sustainable, inclusive growth.” What exactly does that mean? In Blair Ciesil’s view, inclusive takes an “all boats rise” meaning at McKinsey – where the purpose extends beyond shareholder value to also integrate the greater good. At the same time, the sustainable portion involves looking past a momentary KPI to enhance long-term systemic capabilities. Sometimes, says Davon Robertson, that requires presenting solutions that may initially raise eyebrows.

“[Accelerate sustainable inclusive growth] is helping our clients meet their biggest aspirations while also making sure we are recommending solutions for the betterment of our society, especially our must vulnerable communities that don’t have the power to advocate for themselves. Sometimes, it’s going to look like recommending short-term losses for long-term gains, but I believe as a firm we will continue to make recommendations that allow for sustainable and inclusive growth, even if they may be unpopular with our clients at that time.”

Making this happen demands empowering the employees themselves. At McKinsey, the first step is establishing trust and building relationships. “This also means bringing the client along for the ride and making sure everyone’s needs and input are taken into consideration and contributions come from all sides – from the C-suite exec to the frontline staff,” adds Michelle Gil. “I’ve been in workshops where we actively encourage clients’ staff members to raise their hands and have their voices heard, and I think this is such a crucial element in making sure change can continue in the long-run.”

MENTORS WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE

Seeking feedback, providing support, demanding excellence – these aren’t just practices you’ll find in the field with McKinsey. Internally, the firm walks the talk, fostering a coaching culture centered around formal training and informal mentoring. For most first-years, there has been a McKinsey staffer who has stepped out to show them the ropes and tap into their potential. For Débora Rozão, that person was Adelmo Felipe, a former partner in the Risk practice who staffed her on a credit risk modeling engagement

“As my background is in marketing and advertising, I never imagined I could be chosen to run models alongside a data scientist at a bank,” Rozão explains. “And yet, there I was. The opportunity to work on something challenging, out of my comfort zone, while having all the coaching I needed to succeed, led me to choose the Risk Practice as my association in the firm.”

Others make a difference by setting the bar and personifying the best of McKinsey. Michelle Gil considers her last engagement manager to be a true culture carrier. “[Angelique] has been such an inspiration of what it means to be a leader who cares about her teammates on both a professional and personal level. She has showed me what it means to bring your whole self to the workplace and encourage the people around you to invest just as much in developing their lives outside of the office as inside.”

No matter how senior someone goes at McKinsey, there will always be someone to mentor and push them. For that, Blair Ciesil looks to Katy George, the firm’s chief people officer. Recently, George had launched a large initiative that connected talent attraction, skills profiling, and long-term learning and development. While Ciesil viewed the effort as transformative, she initially turned down the opportunity to work on it due to workload. However, George would regularly return to Ciesil to frame the value of the program – nudges that eventually led her to become involved.

“Katy knew, as I learned more about the topic, that I would find it fascinating, a key personal development opportunity, and something really critical to the future of this firm. As one of the leaders, partners, and owners of the firm, this is my role. So I said yes. It has been an incredible experience thus far…That is typical of McKinsey. We push you to grow and we’re there to help support you as you do it.”

“ONLY AT MCKINSEY” MOMENTS

That support is also formalized through training. In July, Alexander Schurer returned to Cambridge for a week-long global learning ad development program. The event brought together over a thousand McKinsey staffers who work in engagement management and similar roles. More than that, it hammered home a key point to Schurer.

“The cost to the firm of such a program is immense in terms of opportunity cost when they take such a large cohort of colleagues away from studies. But the benefits far outweigh the cost and seeing the firm invest so much in its future leadership was to me, an “only at McKinsey” moment.”

Beyond learning, these McKinsey development events also strengthen a sense of community and mutual support among MBAs. “Only at McKinsey do the people you meet during Embark, our firm’s onboarding training program, become lifelong friends,” explains Jennifer Li. “What started as questions about staffing or PowerPoint shortcuts quickly turned into birthday celebrations and holiday trips. I’ve greatly appreciated the support from my Embark class as I navigated all the twists and turns of my first year in a new organization and industry.”

PRESTIGE AND DIVERSITY

The prestige surrounding McKinsey projects also struck many members of the Class of 2022. Paul Prenevost, who earned his MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School, recalls a healthcare innovation project he worked on early in his career. Sure enough, team members would send newly-published articles to each other on these therapies. In a strategy engagement involving minerals, Davon Robertson’s team developed the company’s communications that was distributed to new outlets. The response turned out to be more than he expected.

“When the announcement was made, the company’s market cap increased dramatically. It was one of those “wow” moments when you realize the work you are doing has large implications, especially to Wall Street.”

Perhaps the most surprising part of the McKinsey experience, say new hires, is the level and diversity of talent in the firm. Michelle Gil jokes that a “typical” lunch table at McKinsey may consist of “a surgeon, an Antarctic engineer, a diplomat and a musician from a famous band.” And no day is really ever the same, adds Candice Creecy.

“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.”

Next Page: Profiles of 13 McKinsey MBA Hires