Bárbara Argeri

“Curious, always learning, problem solver, interested in new industries and cutting-edge technology.”

McKinsey Office: São Paulo

Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil

MBA Program and Concentration: NYU Stern, Tech MBA

Undergraduate School, Major: FGV- Fundação Getulio Vargas, Business

What was your favorite thing about your MBA program? I really enjoyed the MBA program because it was incredibly immersive. For instance, we took a trip to California where we got to visit big tech companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon. It wasn’t just about seeing their offices, but really understanding how they work up close. This hands-on experience made the whole program stand out for me; it was exactly what I was looking for to deepen my knowledge in tech and AI. It’s an amazing program for people interested in tech specifically.

Can you describe your proudest pre-McKinsey accomplishment? I was working for this big marketplace here in Brazil, Mercado Libre. I worked on the launch of a delivery app that delivered, at that time, I believe about 1 million packages a day in Brazil.

 I worked on a product that took a relevant share of these deliveries with a significant reduction in costs. It was one of the biggest projects for them at that point. I think of this project like it’s my baby.

Why did you choose McKinsey over other consulting firms or other industries? Ever since I was in undergrad, I kind of dreamed of joining McKinsey. I like to learn about different things, to problem solve and work in teams, and I like working on various projects because you learn a lot.

Before McKinsey, I once worked at a boutique consulting firm here in Brazil. I’ve always liked this type of work. And when I took a break from consulting, I missed it very much.

What are three words that describe working at McKinsey? Learning, collaborating, and development.

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? As someone who had already worked in consulting, I was very excited to be back in a project room. I just love that type of environment. Working with my team for a few months problem-solving together and building things was a very exciting time.

Even though I anticipated it, one aspect of joining McKinsey that stood out to me was the exceptionally high caliber of my colleagues—everyone is incredible intelligent and engaging.

Who at the Firm has been the most impactful mentor to you and why? Though I’m very new to McKinsey, I’ve had a great experience and everyone has been so nice. Right away, I had the chance to work with an inspiring leader whom I look up to, Heloisa Callegaro in Brazil. Heloisa, a senior partner, is such a good example of strong female leadership. Also, Felipe Costa, a partner in the Rio de Janeiro office, is one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever worked with.

If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice during the interview process, what would you say? My advice is to remember that you already have valuable experiences worth talking about. There’s no need to feel overly anxious about trying to meet expectations or trying to mold yourself into what you think interviewers want. You are already what they’re looking for, so just be yourself. Go in with confidence, and you’ll do great.

In what area(s) do you have considerable knowledge or expertise? Digital is an area in which I really like to work, along with applying a digital lens to other businesses, like digital transformations.

I’ve always been interested in the people and organization aspects of a company, such as change management transformations. So as much as I like strategy discussions, I also like to see things really happening and changing.

Tell us about an “only at McKinsey” moment you’ve had so far: When I first joined, I was excited to have the opportunity to go to Santiago for my onboarding. Here in Latin America, all the post MBAs and all the summer interns come to one place for training – which is so nice. We had colleagues from all over Latin America, including Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru. The view from the Santiago office of the mountains is totally amazing. And we were in this room, with smart people from all over, having great discussions. At some point, I was like, “Oh, my God, this is so much fun. I can’t believe this is happening right now.”

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