BZZ Advisory’s Post

In the consulting industry, personal feedback is a cornerstone of growth and improvement. Recently, I had the opportunity to review a set of anonymous feedback from some of my colleagues. As someone with a background in physics and a career in finance, I expected that the hard, number-focused skills would be at the forefront. However, the feedback was more nuanced: compassion, empathy, thoughtfulness, pragmatism, and candidness. (Full disclosure: They also mentioned my lack of knowledge about American sports!) This reaffirmed my belief that success in business, as in life, is not solely about specific knowledge or outcomes, but often about how we approach our work and collaborate with the people around us. That’s certainly been the case during my time at Oliver Wyman. What sets our Restructuring team apart is an exceptionally talented and diverse range of skillsets and a shared commitment to delivering excellence for our clients. Above all, our work is guided by the principles of being impact-focused, collaborative, and resilience-driven - embracing the "work hard, play hard" mentality. Looking ahead, I’m genuinely excited about the growth of our team and the ambitious goals we’ve set. And, whether it's improving my American sports knowledge or honing other skills, I look forward to every opportunity to grow alongside my colleagues. Up next in our #RestructuringReflections series, is a post from my colleague Purav Adiecha, CFA, CIRA uncovering the challenges facing automotive suppliers.

Combining job accessibility with on-the-job training equips people with valuable skills, creating new pathways to career growth. Our portfolio companies continue to score high in both areas. Managing Director and Chief Impact Officer Sandra M. Moore dives into the report insights, showcasing how our portfolio companies continue to lead in impact in a new blog post. Explore the report results: https://lnkd.in/eHE7VD4f #ImpactData #SocialImpact #ImpactInvesting

Authority magazine has run an in-depth interview with me about how I approach the consulting industry, hard lessons I learned in my career, how I've made tough choices, and how we manage New Markets. If that's a topic that interests you, give a read: https://lnkd.in/eucfebXz

I just completed BCG's Strategic & Experience Design on @[Forage](urn:li:organization:68514998). In the simulation I: * Completed a job simulation where I helped to research and design a new banking product for a hypothetical client * Built a research plan, developed primary research tools, and reviewed data to understand the target customers' attitudes, needs and beliefs  * Created a customer persona to inform new product ideas and presented these using a concept chart Check out the simulation here: https://lnkd.in/gFQHej4u

I just completed BCG's Strategic & Experience Design on @[Forage](urn:li:organization:68514998). In the simulation I: * Completed a job simulation where I helped to research and design a new banking product for a hypothetical client * Built a research plan, developed primary research tools, and reviewed data to understand the target customers' attitudes, needs and beliefs  * Created a customer persona to inform new product ideas and presented these using a concept chart Check out the simulation here: https://lnkd.in/ewFPzRTV

I just completed BCG's Strategic & Experience Design on Forage. In the simulation I: -Completed a job simulation where I helped to research and design a new banking product for a hypothetical client. -Built a research plan, developed primary research tools, and reviewed data to understand the target customers' attitudes, needs and beliefs.  -Created a customer persona to inform new product ideas and presented these using a concept chart.

Dear LinkedIn community, At the end of August, I officially wrapped up my 30-year adventure at McKinsey. What a ride! Tackling some of the most critical and complex real-world challenges alongside incredible clients and colleagues (many of you reading this right now) at a truly unique, world-class company has been immensely rewarding. For that, I’m deeply grateful. My two homes at McKinsey were always the Banking sector and the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), our think tank. When I first encountered McKinsey as a summer intern in 1990, Europe was just emerging from the Cold War. Back then, the world’s largest banks were Japanese, stocks were traded in bustling pits, and bank branches were so abundant that you could fit the entire population inside at once. ETFs were brand new, and fintechs were still the stuff of science fiction. So, what’s the “record” when I look back? Over the past 30 years, the world has prospered, and global wealth has tripled. Yet, we have also faced recurring periods of crisis. Critical moments for an industry that serves as the glue and lubricant of the economy. Over these decades, we’ve endured the dotcom crash, the global financial crisis, the Eurozone crisis, COVID-19, and now, the war in Ukraine. Each crisis brought its own lessons, and the industry has evolved as a result. While we have made impressive progress, there is still much to be done. Many banks remain stuck in a value trap. Equally pressing is the challenge of mobilizing hundreds of billions of euros in the coming decade to rebuild infrastructure sustainably, address demographic shifts, and strengthen our defenses. This feels like unfinished business to me (and probably for many of us). That’s why I plan to shape my future around the same two core areas: the banking sector and MGI-style research. I am excited and curious to explore new roles, likely stepping beyond my familiar ground of independent advising. But until my calendar fills up again, I am taking the opportunity to finally pursue some long-awaited personal goals, starting tomorrow with fly fishing in Sweden.

Career Conversations: Taking a Different Approach to Problem Solving As an Associate at McKinsey & Company, Stephanie Graskoski, CFA needs the financial acumen and agility to solve problems across different industries. Watch: https://buff.ly/4cr9IEP #CFAInstitute #CFAProgram #WomeninFinance #FinancialCareers #FinancialProfessionals

💥 BA Digest (Q4) is out! A great read each quarter of thought provoking articles for BAs! 📘 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/givQVwQZ 👉 Share with your colleagues! 👊 Let's get our BA careers thriving! Adrian Reed Blackmetric Business Solutions #BusinessAnalysis

Our Co-Founder Lauren Howes is hosting a panel discussion at the IRM Business Analysis Conference in London next week. The topic of discussion is around crafting BA career paths and development programs in your teams 📈 The session’s panelist offers depth of knowledge on the matter and will provide insights to grow your current team whilst welcoming the next generation of BAs in your teams. Check out our latest article on our new website to read all about what to expect from this session! ✨ https://lnkd.in/eXCqSTjH #businessanalysis #businessanalyst