Tunde Gafaar

““I’m a former medical doctor passionate about learning new things and achieving lasting impact.”

McKinsey Office: London

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

MBA Program and Concentration: London Business School, Change Management

Undergraduate School, Major: University College London (UCL), Medicine (MBBS), Medical Physics and Bioengineering.

What was your favorite thing about your MBA program? There were three things I really liked about my MBA program. First, the people I met were incredibly inspiring, came from diverse backgrounds, and are heading towards exciting futures. Second, I enjoyed the travel opportunities that came with the program, like visiting Milan and traveling to Lebanon and Brazil. Last, I valued the new knowledge I gained, especially in areas like strategy and marketing, which were quite new to me.

Can you describe your proudest pre-McKinsey accomplishment? My proudest moment before joining McKinsey was making the dean’s list for my BSc degree in medical physics at University College London. It was a significant achievement because I had to catch up on a lot of math and physics after focusing on medical training for two years. The process of achieving this, through dedicated study and seeking help from friends, was as rewarding as the recognition itself.

Why did you choose McKinsey over other consulting firms or other industries? I chose McKinsey because it offered the chance to work with some of the brightest and kindest people, and the flexibility to work on diverse projects globally. Plus, McKinsey has a unique approach to problem-solving that I wanted to develop further.

What are three words that describe working at McKinsey? Impactful, exciting, and stimulating.

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? Initially, I was excited about the professional growth opportunities at McKinsey, but I didn’t expect the people to be so fun. Externally, I had heard that people at McKinsey were boring, hard-working, very smart, and potentially egotistical. However, that’s not the case. I’ve been privileged to work with teams where I’ve had so much fun with my colleagues.

Who at the Firm has been the most impactful mentor to you and why?
Several people have been instrumental as mentors. Annabel Morgan, who was my buddy during the interview process, has been incredibly supportive. Melvin Mezue, a partner in New York, always makes time to provide deep and practical advice—for example, he will explain exactly what kind of words to use and how to phrase your emails to achieve the desired outcome. Giles Colclough, a team leader I worked with, has also been a great source of guidance and feedback.

If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice during the interview process, what would you say? I would tell myself that the interviewers are not there to trip you up, but to see you succeed. Viewing interviewers as potential colleagues or even friends rather than as daunting figures can really help ease the nerves and make the interaction more engaging and productive.

In what area(s) do you have considerable knowledge or expertise? Given my background as a medical doctor, I have considerable expertise in healthcare and life sciences, which has been my primary focus at the firm.

Tell us about an “only at McKinsey” moment you’ve had so far: I had the opportunity to do really interesting work helping to shape a country’s public health strategy for the next few decades. If implemented, it will lead to significant improvement in the overall health of their country’s people.

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