I joined BCG right after university. Having studied journalism and philosophy/sociology, I was interested in many different things and couldn't decide what I wanted to pursue. By coincidence, I became aware of management consulting and was immediately attracted to the aspect of continuous learning and the challenge it presented. With consulting, I found I could go a step further than in journalism: instead of writing about what others were doing, I could actually help companies change.

As an associate, I worked across many different industries and topics. Later, as a consultant, I worked all over Europe and in the United States, mostly with industrial goods clients. As a principal, I asked BCG for an opportunity to work in Asia and spent two years in Shanghai at the end of the 1990s. Being elected partner coincided with my first pregnancy; and since the birth of my two sons, I have worked part-time as sector leader of BCG’s activities in the paper industry worldwide. After 18 years with BCG, I am still amazed by the variety of tasks, the continuous intellectual challenge, and the satisfaction of working with long-term clients.

Today I specialize in the luxury and tourism areas; brand strategy, distribution strategy, portfolio strategy, and organization. I combine my passion for these sectors and my passion for analysis à la BCG. I am also responsible for recruiting at a European level, after having been responsible for it in Paris. I like holding interviews; it is always an exceptional experience, fed by the variety and the richness of personalities.

Now, I am getting ready to take three months of sabbatical leave, as all partners do every five years. As part of the program is a round the world trip with my family

Jean-Marc graduated from the Ecole Centrale Paris in 1993, and from INSEAD. He specializes in the luxury and tourism sectors.

At BCG, the complex mix of interesting problems to solve, fascinating people (both clients and colleagues), and unexpected experiences is amazing to me.

When I joined BCG, I predicted that I would reach a saturation point within a few years, but the opposite has actually happened.  I am constantly inspired to want to be here longer.

Throughout my career, I have worked in industries ranging from consumer goods to transportation, helping solve problems from logistics to marketing. Nowhere else could I have imagined getting the breadth of experience I have had at BCG. And the most exciting part was being able to apply all my learnings to one of our long-term nonprofit clients and to help transform education in the city where I live.

Nneka holds an MBA from Kellogg, a JD from Northwestern, and a BS in chemical engineering from Stanford.

Nneka is a member of BCG's Diversity Initiative, and of BCG's Education practice.  Her BCG practice includes industrial, consumer goods, education and non-profit clients.

Nneka was a summer intern with BCG in 1999, and rejoined the firm in 2002.  Prior to joining BCG, Nneka worked as a product development consultant with George Group in Dallas, and as a project engineer with Motorola in Phoenix.

In her spare time, Nneka enjoys skiing, writing fiction, attending sporting events, and spending time with her son.

I started my BCG career in the Munich office as an Associate after university. I then moved to Spain as a Principal, and worked in many different industries, from supermarkets to hospitals, motorways, telecoms and television. It was in Spain that I discovered my passion for media which I have been able to pursue further in London. As a Partner in the London office I am now responsible for leading our Media practice.

Looking back at my time with BCG, two things strike me as unique about our organisation. First, the huge variety of opportunity I have had; to work in different industries and countries and on different types of projects. The many different project experiences I have had have enabled me to discover what really excites me and have allowed me to build a career with BCG in an area I am passionate about.

The second thing that strikes me as special is the way BCG enables you to choose your own path. There is no cookie-cutter approach, no attempt to mould everyone in a certain way. It is about giving individuals the opportunity to discover what interests and excites them and enabling them to develop their own career path.

Jan joined BCG in 1994 and is a member of the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications practice,.

Before BCG, he worked for McKinsey and Banque Nationale de Paris.

Jan holds a first degree in mechanical engineering from George Washington University, and a master’s in management from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) Paris in conjunction with The London Business School.

Balancing work and family is a top priority for me. I have three young children at home, and I have worked part time since my oldest son was born.

I was elected partner while working part time, and I continue to do fascinating work and drive meaningful change with a great set of clients. I am also able to be the room mom for my son’s pre-school class and take my daughters to gymnastics.

BCG’s flexibility and support is unsurpassed.

Lucy is a member of the consumer practice.

Before joining the firm, Lucy was a consultant with Monitor Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts and spent a summer as an assistant marketing manager for General Mills.

Lucy earned an MBA from Stanford University, where she was named an Arjay Miller Scholar. She also graduated, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a BS in economics.

I started working at BCG more than 20 years ago in London and 12 years ago I was promoted to partner. I'm as enthusiastic as I was on my first day about helping directors, business people, and managers solve their problems.

Competitive challenges are more and more intense and only close collaboration with BCG consulting teams and client managers allows us to wade through the sea of information and barriers, to change them into knowledge and actions that help better the world.

From the first weeks, where I worked on stock optimization topics to make a retailer viable, up to today, I've had the opportunity to look for solutions, developing and applying strategy concepts and innovative techniques.

Nothing compares to the experience of working with exceptional people who, through the years, turn into friends.

After three years as a solicitor, I wanted something different—a career that offered continuous learning with room for independence and creativity.

After an MBA, I joined BCG. This was definitely the right career move for me. I have worked with clients on a variety of business issues, in industries ranging from financial services to pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas.

I have also defined a career path that works for me, which includes taking on non-client-facing roles when I need to be more available at home for my young children.

Azah has an honors degree in law from the International Islamic University, Malaysia, and an MBA from Imperial College, University of London.

She now works primarily with both private and public sector clients in Malaysia.

BCG has provided me with an enormous breadth and depth of local, regional and global leadership opportunities, allowing me to partner with and lead others to deliver value for our clients as well as creating change internally.

A highlight of my client work was leading the global BCG team working on one of the biggest PMIs in Australia. I have also supported many client team engagements across Asia Pacific and Australia. Within BCG, I have led via two avenues – governing and managing aspects of BCG's internal processes, and spearheading the development of some of our intellectual property.

Internal leadership roles include my position as regional and global leader of our Organization Practice Group (OPG); membership of the Officer Compensation Committee; BCG 2015, where I have been involved with other company leaders planning our firm's future strategy; and supporting fellow partners in their ability to deliver value for our clients. I've also worked in partnership with BCG teams to undertake research and co-author material for clients, as well as implementing global training events to develop our people.

Andrew holds an MBA from IMD in Switzerland, a Master of Commerce (Finance) from the University of NSW, and a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the Australian National University.

He joined BCG in 1994 and is currently the worldwide leader of our Organization Practice Area.

I joined BCG in 2006 after working at two semiconductor startups and receiving my MBA from London Business School. Since then I have deliberately pushed for a diverse experience and have worked in technology, media, retail, financial services, and private equity.

Throughout my time here, I have found that it is the people that make the difference at BCG. The LGBT Network helps nurture individuality and provides access to worldwide connections within BCG. I was recently awarded a position in BCG's Ambassador program to spend a year in another office. The LGBT Network was an invaluable source of contacts and advisors around the world to help me choose my preferred location.

Shane earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at University College Cork and an MBA from London Business School.

Since joining the London office in 2006, he has worked in the media and retail sectors as well as in the Financial Institutions and Private Equity practice areas.

I came to BCG because I wanted to be part of a firm that was making a difference in the world through its ideas, people, and client relationships.

When I joined BCG New York in the summer of 1992, the office had fewer than 30 consultants (today there are more than 300), a strong collaborative culture and an entrepreneurial sprit that encouraged individuality and growth—for its people and its clients.

When I left New York in 1996 to join the team starting the Washington D.C. office, our objective was to infuse a similar spirit into the new office. The results have been fantastic. In my current capacity as the head of the consumer practice in the Americas and the head of the Women’s Initiative, I continue to value and encourage this spirit—and its associated ability for BCG to drive impact for its clients and the world.

Sharon graduated from Harvard Business School and received her undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University. She joined the New York office in 1993 and transferred to DC in 1996.

Before joining BCG in 2001, I worked in global health for Doctors Without Borders directing blindness-prevention programs in East Africa. During this part of my career, I realized the critical role the private sector plays in health services, so after earning my MBA, I joined BCG. I was primarily attracted by the incredible opportunities that BCG gives individuals to grow professionally and have a direct impact on organizations.

I became part of a thriving health care practice at BCG and was able to help increase our influence in the biopharmaceutical sector on the West Coast of the United States. Over the past few years, I have gained the skills and expertise that have allowed me to become a trusted advisor to executives in this fast-growing sector.

I have also been able to leverage my background to help enhance our social impact efforts in the area of global health. BCG has given me a truly unique opportunity to create a career path that allows me to have an impact in the business sector while also maintaining my commitment to global health.

Dirk has extensive experience in global public health programs, having worked as a consultant for Pfizer's international trachoma initiative in New York, as a program director for Healthnet International in Kenya, and as a program coordinator for Doctors without Borders in Sudan.

Dirk received his MBA from Stanford, as well as a master’s in public health from Harvard and an MD from Leuven University in Belgium.

I discovered BCG and consulting as a client. It was rewarding and a real pleasure working with experienced and always enthusiastic teams. When I reoriented my career, I wanted to find this mindset again, and I naturally turned to BCG.

Working on the other side of the desk fulfills me beyond my expectations because of the international nature of assignments and approaches, and the unfailing curiosity and commitment of consultants.

Agnès Audier joined the Paris office of BCG in 2007.

She was lead engineer of the Mine Corps, and is a former student of the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, graduating in physics.

She worked for four years in government, as technical advisor to Simone Veil, Minister of Social Affairs, at the health and city ministries, then as Director of Cabinet for Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Minister of SMBs, Commerce, and Crafts.

She has been director of strategy and development at Vivendi Universal, and chief performance officer of the Havas communication group.

I come from a family of small-scale entrepreneurs and after my postdoc I decided to leave academia for the private sector.

BCG has been the ideal platform for me to grow as a person, and grow a significant business in the field I'm passionate about—health care.

In the Nordics our business has grown by over 50% annually since 2001 and we have built the largest health care consulting business in the region. I've worked in all parts of the industry and have had the privilege of supporting many of the most prominent leaders in the sector. We are a strong hub in BCG's global health care team, providing outstanding international opportunities for our consultants.

Also, for our alumni, our network has provided several of the most attractive jobs that have been offered over the last few years.

Stefan has an MD from the Karolinska Institute and did his PhD training there and at Harvard Medical School.

Stefan joined BCG in 1996.  He is the leader of BCG's Health Care Practice Group in Northern Europe and of the company's global Scientist Network.

The highest impact cases I have worked on at BCG have been those where we have first been involved in determining the future strategy, then worked closely with teams to design the details of the solution and then finally, assisted in the actual implementation of the solution.  Where we have done all three pieces, we have been able to ensure that the strategic insights have not been 'lost in translation'. 

In London we have done this sort of work for a number of retailers.  This has enabled clients to drive the top line and gain share in their specific markets whilst maintaining or growing margin.  In several cases the underlying issues have been a lack of investment in the business over a number of years, a failure to ensure that the customer proposition remained relevant to a changing market, and a general falling off of competitiveness.  Our work has resulted in a significant turnaround in performance.

With four children, it is very important for me that I maintain the right balance between work and home. I have been at BCG for not far off 20 years now (this includes a number of breaks for business school and maternity leaves). I would not still be here if it had not been possible for me to work on a part-time basis. I have worked at 70% or 80% since my first child was born. Having Friday at home is very important to me. Whilst we work hard at BCG, the fact that I can control my hours and that there is flexibility in terms of where we work, are important factors that enable me to meet the needs of my family alongside the needs of our clients.

What matters is that the service we provide to our clients is of the highest quality, not how many hours or how much face time we put in.

Charmian is a member of the Consumer Goods, Operations and Financial Services practice areas.

Prior to joining the firm, Charmian worked in advertising and public relations for Lloyds Bank SA in Paris, and as a Research & Sales Analyst with Nomura Securities in Geneva.

Charmian received her BA with Distinction in Modern History and French from Brasenose College, Oxford and her MBA from INSEAD.

I joined BCG after a first experience in Africa and thought I would only stay a few years. Yet, ten years later I am still here and I have as much fun as on my first day. If BCG was the choice of reason at the beginning, today it is the choice of passion. The quality of projects, the international exposure, our client relationship, but above all the value of teams, keep on confirming to me the choice was a good one.

After having tested several industries, I specialized in the pharmaceutical industry, and in a paradoxical way, this specialization allowed me to go back to Africa—I dedicate part of my time to global health projects aimed at improving the research and access to medicines in emerging countries.

Before joining BCG in 1997, he worked for several years in Africa for Proparco (Groupe Caisse Française de Développement) in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, then as operations director of a company in the tourism sector in Tanzania.

Mathieu graduated from HEC in 1995.

I started my career in international brand management at a major consumer goods company. My five years there were outstanding, giving me real insight into how one of the best consumer-driven companies in the world continues to achieve competitive advantage.

In 1999 I moved to BCG for two reasons. First, I wanted to broaden my experience to industries beyond consumer goods and to functions beyond marketing. Second, I wanted to deepen my experience to include strategy development, financial analysis, and greater exposure to senior management.

When I joined BCG, my plan was to stay for two years, learn as much as I could, and then return to industry or set up my own business. Almost ten years later, I am still at BCG and am now a partner in our Financial Institutions and Retail practices. So why did I stay? At its simplest, BCG continues to supply me with personal development and satisfaction that makes every day different and interesting.

At this stage in my career, I cannot think of another job that would give me the opportunity to work with such a diverse and talented group of people (BCG and clients) on such a diverse range of business problems.

If you are considering consulting as a career, I would give three pieces of advice. First, understand what consulting is (from friends, Web sites, literature, and recruiting events) and build your story as to why you could make an impact at BCG. Second, prepare for the interviews. You are going to be asked to do case studies, so practice—using the examples on the Web site—before you turn up. Finally, spend time understanding the culture of the firm you plan to join.

The primary reason I chose BCG ahead of other offers was because the people I met were smart, engaging, and highly professional, and I really wanted to work with them—a feeling that continues to this day.

Stuart joined BCG’s London office in 1999.

He holds a bachelor of arts in English literature from Cambridge University.

Stuart’s work has focused on the financial services, retail, and consumer goods sectors.