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Meet Our Alumni

The eight years I spent at BCG after university were always interesting and rewarding. They gave me a really firm foundation for the Head of Strategy role at the BBC.

Anna
Head of Strategy, BBC, London

A Personal Story

The eight years I spent at BCG after university were always interesting and rewarding. They gave me a really firm foundation for the Head of Strategy role at the BBC that I moved to when I left BCG. The range of experiences I had was huge; a rich variety of projects, the opportunity to study for an MBA at Harvard, and a secondment at the BBC. The projects I worked on also gave me the basic toolkit and skills to operate effectively in any organisation. These skills included the ability to think strategically about issues; the confidence to get stuck into complex problems and work through a logical series of questions to reach sound conclusions; the ability to work effectively with others as a team; and a strong instinct for action – for deciding what needs to be done and getting on with it. It is hard to think of a better environment for developing these skills – and they will stand you in great stead for any career you choose to build.

Background

Anna holds a BA in Geography from University College Durham, DPhil in Geography/History and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Anna joined BCG in 1998 as a Consultant and left BCG in 2006 to take a role in the BBC.

Running your own company poses many challenges, but the wide range of skills I developed at BCG…gave me a strong foundation to set up my own business.

Amy
Entrepreneur, London

A Personal Story

After joining BCG from University, I spent two years working on a wide variety of consumer and retail projects. I then had the opportunity to go on secondment to the American fashion retailer, Express, which has 800 stores across the US. Based between Ohio and New York I worked in the brand development team on product, pricing and promotional strategies. I left BCG to start up mOma. We provide a fast and filling breakfast to hungry commuters as a healthy alternative to croissants and pastries. We launched in February 2006, producing blends of oats, yoghurt and fruit, sold from kiosks on main commuter routes. Since opening our first site in Waterloo Station we now have nine retail sites in central London stations and supply wholesome breakfasts to office and cafes around the capital. Running your own company poses many challenges, but the wide range of skills I developed at BCG and the experience I gained through my projects and secondment, gave me a strong foundation to set up my own business.

Background

Amy holds a BA in Economics and Management and joined BCG in 2002 as an Associate after a summer internship with us in 2000. Amy left BCG in 2005 to set up her own business.

Without a doubt, the years I spent at BCG were the best possible apprenticeship in business.

Elliott
CEO, Zelens, London

A Personal Story

Without a doubt, the years I spent at BCG were the best possible apprenticeship in business. The experience I gained, mainly working on retail and consumer goods projects, has been invaluable since I became the founding Chief Executive of Zelens – a luxury cosmecuetical company, which we launched officially 2 years ago. Zelens is a new scientific approach to natural beauty, aimed at an educated consumer who wishes to invest in the best possible protection against skin ageing. Working under the mentorship of our Chairman - the financial guru, Sir Mark Weinberg - we have developed ranges of products and launch strategies in over 20 markets around the world. Today, Zelens can be purchased in over 300 of the world’s most luxurious premium cosmetics retailers – and is rapidly establishing a cult following. The international nature of BCG’s case work prepared me to develop Zelens into a global company. Indeed, I still frequently draw on my former BCG colleagues and case experiences in solving both strategic issues, and day-to-day management challenges.

Background

Elliott holds a BA in Geography from the Brasenose College Oxford and joined BCG in 2004. He left BCG in 2006 to become the founding CEO of Zelens. He is currently studying part-time for an Executive MBA at the University of Chicago.

I learnt an enormous amount, both through a lot of direct client exposure and working closely with BCG managers.

Rachel
Strategy Manager, EMAP Consumer Media, London

A Personal Story

Like many people at the end of their degree I didn’t have a clear idea of what career I wanted to follow. I was attracted to BCG because it offered intellectual challenge, an unrivalled opportunity to learn about business, and exposure to a wide variety of different industries. Maybe I would find one I liked!

I wasn’t disappointed: my experience at BCG was fantastic. I learnt an enormous amount, through both a lot of direct client exposure and working closely with BCG Managers, who took a strong and personal interest in my development. I worked in Milan, Munich, Paris and London for clients ranging from heavy engineering to white goods, tackling topics from pricing to process re-engineering. Best of all, after working on three media projects I realised that I had found a sector that particularly interested me.

So early in 2005 I became Strategy Manager at Emap, a FTSE 100 company with a huge portfolio of assets across magazines, radio, music television, events and digital media – including many household names such as Heat, FHM, Kiss and Magic radio stations. Reporting directly to the MD, I was immediately leading and tackling a wide range of strategic projects across Emap. My BCG background has allowed me to add a lot to strategic thinking of the company and means I have become an in-demand resource. In two years, I’ve rapidly built up a knowledge of the magazine, radio, music TV and digital media sectors and I’m now starting to specialise a bit more, focussing on new product development projects in our digital media division. I’m enjoying being more ‘hands on’ in the business and taking more ownership of the decisions I make or contribute to (though it can be a little scary too!).

Since leaving I have stayed in touch with the many good friends I made, and taken advantage of BCG’s alumni programme – including dinners, wine-tasting, and industry discussion breakfasts. Recently, I attended the BCG European consumer goods alumni weekend. Alumni, current BCGers and industry experts gathered at a beautiful lakeside alpine castle hotel to discuss hot topics in the consumer industry, share views and experience, socialise and enjoy the surroundings. So both personally and professionally, I am happy to still feel part of the BCG family despite the new direction I have taken.

Background

Rachel holds a BA in Economics and an MA in European Studies from Cambridge University. Rachel spent a summer with us in 2000, before joining as an Associate in 2002. Rachel left BCG in 2005.

BCG was an important step in my professional development and also a very fun place to work, where I made several lasting friendships.

Tom
Alumnus

A Personal Story

Joining BCG after four years investment banking and an MBA from INSEAD was the ideal choice for me. It allowed me to put into practice many of the concepts and techniques I had learned at business school and provided me with a strong set of skills that were complementary to my financial background. My two years at BCG also gave me exposure to key issues across a broad range of industries, from telecoms to insurance to frozen food, and helped me decide which industries I wanted to specialize in (as well as those industries I didn’t!). The structured and creative approach to thinking that I developed at BCG, particularly when performing commercial due diligence for various private equity clients, has stood me in good stead since leaving. This has proved particularly effective in my post-BCG career where I have co-founded a private equity firm, Plane Tree Capital, focusing on projects that generate renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (generating carbon credits) in Latin America. BCG was an important step in my professional development and also a very fun place to work, where I made several lasting friendships.

Background

Tom holds an MA (Hons) from Edinburgh University and an MBA from INSEAD. Tom joined BCG as a Consultant in 2004 and left BCG in 2006 to make private equity investments in carbon and renewable energy projects in Latin America. Prior to joining BCG directly on completion of his MBA Tom worked in investment banking in London and New York.