Winny Arindrani

McKinsey office: New York, USA

Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia

MBA Program, Concentration: Duke Fuqua School of Business, Social Entrepreneurship and STEM

Undergraduate School, Major: University of Indonesia, Accounting

Focus of current engagement: Working with a financial group on banking issues.

Why did you choose McKinsey? The people and the culture. The diversity of background and the quality of people at McKinsey constantly amaze me. I’ve met an ex-molecular biologist and ex-professional dancer at the firm. One of the firm’s values, the obligation to dissent, is one of the many things that drew me to this place.

What did you love about the business school you attended? The culture. People at Fuqua are proof that intelligence and kindness are not mutually exclusive.

What lesson or skill did you learn from training at McKinsey and how has it helped in your role? It is how to put yourself in the shoes of executives and decision-makers to think about prioritizing issues to solve. This is widely applicable in real life and I now know how to prioritize much better.

Tell us about an “only at McKinsey” moment you’ve had so far. To work in a team in which each team member came from different continents.

What advice would you give someone interviewing at McKinsey? Practicing casing is obviously important, but also make sure you let your authenticity shine and be creative.

Who has had the biggest impact on you at McKinsey and how has she/he helped you? One of the associate partners in the New York office, Thomas Thire, is definitely one of the people who has had the biggest impact on me. He is my friend and my mentor. He always gives credit and actionable feedback.

My most meaningful achievement (professional or personal) and how it made a difference is… When I teamed up with my mom to build a social enterprise that sells Muslim ceremonial attire for women, empowering 50 underprivileged women in Central Java, Indonesia.

A fun fact about me is… I was the youngest contestant in the singing competition, Indonesian Idol, when I was 16 years old and had studied classical piano for 12 years. I joined the Indonesian Idol competition the same year of graduating high school one year early. It was undoubtedly one of the most challenging times of my life.