Joyce Tsuchiya

McKinsey Office: São Paulo, Brazil

Hometown: Presidente Prudente-SP, Brazil

MBA Program, Concentration: IMD, Business Administration

Undergraduate School, Major: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Medicine.

Focus of current engagement: I am currently working with a pharma client.

Why did you choose McKinsey? I came because of the learning and I stayed because of the people.

What did you love about the business school you attended? I really appreciate the leadership stream and personal development elective, which we call PDE. IMD has all the staples of a traditional MBA with amazing teachers, but the whole program is built around leadership and personal development. We’re in a very small class (it’s just 90 of us every year) working in teams almost full time so we get all kinds of experiences that come with that. And we have the support from our leadership coaches and psychoanalysts from PDE to process these experiences and do the introspection required. If you let it, a year at IMD can be a truly transformative experience.

What lesson or skill did you learn from training at McKinsey and how has it helped in your role? Early on, I learned a lesson that has proved invaluable in several situations: “always raise your hand, sooner rather than later.”  If you need help or guidance, tell people around you. There’s no foul in not knowing, only in not trying hard enough.

Tell us about an “only at McKinsey” moment you’ve had so far. Everybody likes to say how smart our colleagues are, but my “only at McKinsey” story is about how helpful my colleagues are.

My first client was a healthcare provider and we were looking for a very specific type of knowledge to develop one of the workstreams. I had just discovered the McK MDs, an internal list that gathers the ~200 medical doctors working in the firm, so I dropped them a message one night asking if anyone had ideas on how to develop that work. I woke up the next morning with emails from eight colleagues from all over the world offering to jump on a call to problem solve with us. This exemplifies what you can expect from people at McKinsey. Every single time you email someone – whoever that person may be –you get the help, advice, expertise, or just 15 minutes for coffee you need.

What advice would you give someone interviewing at McKinsey? Study hard because the bar is high (and use the videos and other information on our website). But once you’re sitting with your interviewer, think of them as a colleague. There are no trick questions, no stress interviews, and no bad cops. They want you to succeed so just tell your story as best as you can and have fun cracking the case.

Who has had the biggest impact on you at McKinsey and how has she/he helped you? I don’t think I would be able to choose just one person.  There are three amazing women at McKinsey to whom I’m grateful:

Fernanda Hoefel, my mentor and my example of a caring and fierce leader. The woman is smart and quick on her feet and problem-solving with her is a learning in itself. She truly cares about us, if we’re happy here and if we’re leading sustainable lives.

Stella Santos, my professional development manager, who’s my biggest advocate. Coming from a non-traditional background and having her support made the difference in my first year. She looked out for me, counseled me, and held my hand in tough times.

Letícia Suzuki, from my first team, who became a mentor, a coach, and a friend. She’s always been there for me and made me know I belong.

My most meaningful achievement (professional or personal) and how it made a difference is…Back when I was practicing medicine – I have a residency in ophthalmology and two fellowships in cornea diseases and cataract surgery – there was a teenage patient who had gone to almost every other cornea specialist in the clinic. She was very skittish and wouldn’t trust anybody. At some point, she ended up being referred to me. On our first appointment, she was super angry and reactive, but I realized she was just scared. I took the time to explain to her what was happening and what the treatment was about. I gained her trust and she let me perform her surgery. I ended up treating her for almost three years. During those years, I met her boyfriend and her whole family. A few days before I left practicing medicine, she and her mom came to the clinic to say goodbye and tell me how much they would miss me.

A fun fact about me is…I am the personification of the crazy pet lady, I moved to Switzerland for my MBA with two cats and a dog, and I got a second dog while living there.