1

What do you like most about Berkeley?

What continues to surprise me (in the best way!) is the way Berkeley has cultivated the perfect melting pot of work and play. We are staffed on some of the most challenging engagements, for some of the highest profile organisations, in tricky roles where we learn and grow week by week. Equally, we’re well looked after! The partners and your other consultant colleagues genuinely recognise the work you do and don’t wait to make this appreciation known. It’s these little things that make you more motivated to put the extra mile in!

2

What’s the most important thing you learned at Berkeley?

To trust my own judgement. As with many of my colleagues, I worked at various other consulting firms before landing up here. The common thread being a great deal of red tape; even when you’re managing your own team there are always a few degrees of hierarchy when you look up. At Berkeley, I feel completely empowered to make my own decisions, trust my own instinct, following my own direction, all with the solid, genuine backing of my team. This has made me believe in myself and my own abilities far more than I had ever done previously. 

3  Why did you become a management consultant?

For me, honesty, integrity and trust are really significant values. It’s important to me that you surround yourself with the right people, not only in your personal life, but in your professional life as well. This has impacted where I have chosen to take up jobs, the sorts of colleagues I have formed lifelong friendships with, and equally, where I have chosen to step away from certain jobs. It’s what I look for in an employer – one that actively fosters a culture based on transparency, equality and openness.

I’m big on supporting and encouraging others, and understanding that doing so never detracts from your own achievements. This is where I feel like Berkeley is a step ahead of other consulting firms: rather than being pitted against each other in a continual race for promotions and bonuses, we’re actively encouraged to help one another to achieve great things.