Aline Boanova

“Curious person with diverse interests: Medicine, computer engineering, law, animal welfare. And a tree hugger.”

McKinsey Office: São Paulo

Hometown: São Paulo

MBA Program and Concentration: INSEAD, France and Singapore, Finance

Undergraduate School, Major: Centro Universitário Fundação Santo André. M.D. (M.D.)/Medicine, Surgery

What was your favorite thing about your MBA program? INSEAD is a very international program with students from diverse backgrounds. The program promotes a global mindset, which teaches you to be diplomatic and resolve conflicts through communication.

Can you describe your proudest pre-McKinsey accomplishment? I worked as a medical doctor in an emergency department in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was promoted to medical coordinator, managing doctors on the front lines.

It’s difficult to describe, but it was a very challenging time—like I was put in the middle of a hurricane. It taught me a lot of lessons about leadership and resilience. It felt good to be serving in that context and it’s my proudest accomplishment.

In what area(s) do you have considerable knowledge or expertise? I worked in medicine for about five years and also in life sciences. I did some entrepreneurial work in health tech. I’m passionate about the combination of technology and healthcare. At McKinsey I’ve worked in healthcare, sustainability and banking.

Why did you choose McKinsey over other consulting firms or other industries? One of the reasons I chose to work in consulting at McKinsey is because I didn’t want to be limited to working in only one field. I knew the diversity of opportunities here would make it feel like a continuation of my MBA program, which is something I really enjoyed.

I also saw a lot of parallels to medicine. I like to say that consultants are a lot like doctors because they diagnose problems, and then they treat them. Also in medicine, we put the patient first, and at McKinsey, we put the client first. That made the transition feel more natural.

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 expecting a competitive environment, but people are so helpful and friendly, and I was surprised by how much fun we have. I didn’t realize how big a role the social aspect would play. You’re working with and traveling with these people, and you end up with strong connections and friends.

Can you share a time you received mentorship while at McKinsey? How has it made you better? I think the most valuable mentorship feedback I’ve received so far is how to communicate using McKinsey’s “top down” approach. You lead with the main point and then explain the reasoning and details that support it rather than building up to the key message. Once I started applying this framework, it really helped me organize my ideas.

I’ve also made it a habit to ask for feedback on the spot, like right after a meeting. When people regularly let you know what you’ve done well and how you can improve, you quickly evolve.

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 my younger self to relax, be authentic, and be confident in my abilities.

What’s something you’ve learned here that you know will be useful for your entire career? I’ve learned the importance of building relationships—with your teams, clients, mentors, and sponsors—and of seeking out people to help. When I worked in medicine, there was often this “hero syndrome,” where you tried to solve everything on your own unless you absolutely had to reach out to a specialist. McKinsey is completely different; it’s a very team-oriented culture. If you fail, you don’t fail by yourself.

What’s an example of a time when a teammate challenged you, inspired you, or pushed you to think bigger or go further than you would have on your own?  Once I was working with some data in Microsoft Excel, and it was taking me a long time. A colleague stepped in and showed me how to do the task much faster with a formula. We all have blind spots, and you realize how much faster you can solve challenges when you talk to someone who has more knowledge in a particular field, a different framework to use, or a different way of seeing a problem.

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