Anna Rummel  

“A problem-solver who enjoys storytelling with data, diving into consumer insights, and building relationships.” 

McKinsey Office: Minneapolis

Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota

MBA Program and Concentration: Carlson School of Management, Economics

Undergraduate School, Major: Colgate University, Economics with a minor in Political Science

What was your favorite thing about your MBA program?  My favorite thing about Carlson is the emphasis on building and nurturing relationships. I was able to build close relationships with many of my classmates given the relatively small full-time class size. Also, the Carlson school is deeply connected to businesses in the Twin Cities—there are actually 17 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the area—so we were able to connect alumni at many of those local companies. But one of the best parts was the International Experience requirement, which led me to study abroad. I spent two weeks in Morocco at the beginning of my last semester at Carlson, learning about sustainability and entrepreneurship in the country. The program allowed me to build deeper connections with my classmates, as well as forge new connections with our hosts in Morocco.

Can you describe your proudest pre-McKinsey accomplishment?  Overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 working in the retail industry was really tough. In the midst of the pandemic, I made the decision to pivot my career and attend business school. Ultimately, I am most proud of taking a risk on myself to chart a completely new path.

Why did you choose McKinsey over other consulting firms or other industries? The caliber of problem solving at McKinsey is what drew me to the firm. The exposure to senior leadership with clients and building relationships with people who are making pivotal decisions in their organizations is what made McKinsey stand out above all else.

What are three words that describe working at McKinsey?  Challenging, collaborative, and supportive. 

What were you most excited about when you accepted your full-time offer? What is something you didn’t know to be excited about then, but you are now?  I was so excited when I received my offer—mostly because I felt it would be a really great launchpad for my career, either at the firm or outside of the firm.

Something I didn’t know to be excited about was how many amazing people I would meet along the way. I expected it would be a really buttoned up place that was very formal, intellectual, and only focused on business. I found that while people are very intelligent and focused on business, they also are interested in who we are outside of work. We get to know each other holistically rather than just as the people who show up to an office.

Who at the firm has been the most impactful mentor to you and why? 
A mentor who has meant a lot to me is Deniz Cultu, a partner in the Minneapolis office. I was staffed to an insurance study with him when I was three or four months into my full-time role. I had never worked in insurance, but he was supportive throughout that whole project as partner. He then sponsored me onto my next study, which was another exciting growth strategy project for an insurance carrier in the US.

One piece of advice to your younger self during the interview process: Be completely true to yourself and trust the process. During my interviews, I remember feeling like all of my stories had to revolve around business or my past work experience. And I think the example I shared that made the biggest impact was a story about being a lacrosse coach because it brought out who I am outside of a nine-to-five job and demonstrated I care about my community.

Area(s) where you have considerable knowledge or expertise: I gained a lot of insurance knowledge over the past six months and I also have expertise in retail merchandising. That said, I’m still on “the random walk”—which is a phrase often used to describe early-tenured consultants exploring different types of engagements in various industries.

I am unsure where I’ll ultimately land, but that’s part of why I chose McKinsey.

An “only at McKinsey” moment you’ve had so far: A couple months ago, I actually made a list in my phone’s Notes app with funny or unique things that have happened at work. For example, the day of the solar eclipse was our final steering committee for a growth strategy project with the C-suite, including the CEO. I had just presented, and I was super excited because it was my first time presenting in a steering committee. And then, we took a break to go watch the eclipse together with the McKinsey team and the C-suite.

We were not only talking about planning the future for this insurance carrier, but we were also taking a moment to recognize there are bigger things going on in the world, and we enjoyed and acknowledged it together.

DON’T MISS: MEET MCKINSEY & COMPANY’S MBA CLASS OF 2023