Beyond the Bio: Recent Episodes
Bain & Company
Keith Bevans, partner and global head of consultant recruiting at Bain & Company, dives deeper into the stories of some extraordinary Bain people, from their perspectives. You can read their business bios online, but those barely scratch the surface of who they are and the important work they are doing. If you would like to comment or give feedback on this series, please email our inbox at BeyondTheBio@Bain.com.
There's no shortage of predictions about what AI means for the consulting industry. Ron Kermisch, Bain's global head of talent acquisition, brings 30+ years of perspective to a more grounded take: how AI is actually reshaping the way Bain hires, what types of talent are we looking for, and what it means for candidates.
Interested in joining Bain? Visit Bain.com/careers to find open roles.
Americas Regional Managing Partner Tamar Dor-Ner shares how AI is reshaping the work at Bain and what that means for the next generation of talent. She explains why this moment is unlike anything she has seen before, and why the opportunities ahead are greatest for those who embrace continuous learning.
Interested in joining Bain? Visit Bain.com/careers to find open roles.
Advisory Partner Jimmy Allen shares the practical survival tips he has developed over decades at Bain. He introduces frameworks like the “front and back of the T-shirt” to highlight the importance of seeking honest, often uncomfortable feedback, and the “five-slide loop” to help individuals communicate with clarity and impact. Beyond skills, Jimmy emphasizes the importance of enjoying the journey and learning from those around you. He also offers a perspective on sustainability, offering simple but powerful ways to manage energy and build a career that can endure over time. Tune in to hear how you can apply these ideas in your own career.
In this episode, Jimmy Allen, Advisory Partner and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Forum, reflects on a career shaped by constant reinvention and a willingness to reset his path along the way. He shares how early experiences and pivotal mentors pushed him to take himself seriously, and why he has approached his time at Bain as a series of 13 distinct, three-year missions across roles, geographies, and leadership opportunities.
Jimmy also discusses his work bringing CEOs together to learn from one another, highlighting the importance of curiosity, humility, and continuous learning in navigating an increasingly complex business environment. He also explores the idea of the Founder’s Mentality, the leadership approach that helps companies scale while staying close to customers, maintaining an owner’s mindset, and preserving the energy of a founder-led business.
Listen to this episode, then explore The Founder’s Mentality podcast to hear more insights from CEOs on how to lead and grow in today’s environment.
Reflecting on a year of conversations, Keith Bevans and Daniel Yellin revisit the ideas shaping Bain today. From technology to talent, they reflect on what the firm has accomplished this year while looking head to the next.
Listeners, we'd love to hear from you! Have any recommendations or ideas for the show? Reach out to us at beyondthebio@bain.com.
Simran Ahuja and Taylor Williams journeys to and through Bain couldn’t be more different. From early career pivots and global moves to building skills and discovering unexpected passions, they share how each chapter shaped why they continue to stay and grow within their career at Bain.
As mentioned in the episode, Simran also brings her passion for business and career storytelling to life through the content she creates on Instagram (@successfullyyoursbysimran), where she shares insights and advice with an engaged community. Listen and explore how your journey could grow here, too.
Consultants John Kunzo III and Meghan Allman share their paths from growing up in Cleveland to joining Bain Chicago. John discovered consulting through Bain’s Building Entrepreneurial Leaders (BEL) program while studying sociology at the University of Chicago, and Meghan explains how she translated her love of sports analytics at Notre Dame into strategy work full-time. With perspectives on authenticity, staying curious, and building community, this episode explores a question everyone who joins our firm considers: Why Bain?
In this episode of Beyond the Bio, Keith Bevans and Daniel Yellin gather advice from Bain consultants who recently went through recruiting, offering candid tips on staying authentic, intentional, and even enjoying the process. Their reflections provide a reassuring, practical guide for candidates considering Bain.
With candid reflections, practical advice, and even a few bonus clips at the end, this episode offers a thoughtful, reassuring perspective for anyone preparing to take the next step in their career journey with Bain.
Senior Manager Daniel Yellin shares his journey from aspiring aerospace engineer to Bain consultant, shaped by curiosity and a love for learning. He reflects on what drew him to Bain, including the firm’s leadership development, collaborative culture, and the vibrant community in the Atlanta office. Now balancing life as a new parent, Daniel opens up about how Bain’s flexibility and support continue to make it the right place to grow.
Florian Muller shares his journey from growing up in Berlin with a global perspective to leading Bain’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in EMEA. He discusses how early interests in technology and business evolved into a career focused on AI and innovation. Hear how Florian is helping clients scale AI solutions through integrated teams and strategic execution.
Sarah Elk shares her journey from environmental engineering to leading Bain’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in the Americas. She reflects on her path through multiple industries, her passion for transformation, and how she’s helping clients embed AI into core strategy. Hear how Sarah is bridging technology and organizational change to drive scalable, lasting impact.
Richard Fleming’s career spans continents and industries, driven by his passion for technology and making an impact. From building roads in Africa to leading Bain’s AI, Insights, & Solutions practice in APAC, he shares how personal goals, global experiences, and a deep curiosity for AI have shaped his journey. Hear how Richard is helping clients turn strategy into action through cutting-edge innovation.
Eric Sheng, Bain’s Global Lead of Data Science and Machine Learning Engineering Group, shares how his passion for technology led him to leading AI innovation across industries. From early roles at HP and NVIDIA to shaping strategic solutions at Bain, he reflects on the power of technical depth, curiosity, and real-world impact.
Chuck Whitten, Global Head of Bain’s digital capabilities, shares his journey from consulting to leading digital transformation at scale. He discusses how these capabilities integrate AI, data science, and enterprise technology into business strategy, helping companies solve their toughest challenges. With insights on Bain’s partnerships with OpenAI and Microsoft, as well as the future of AI-driven disruption, this episode explores how companies can leverage technology to redefine their industries.
Christophe De Vusser, Bain’s Worldwide Managing Partner, returns to Beyond the Bio to discuss his vision for the firm. Christophe reflects on navigating today’s challenging global business environment and shares how Bain is supercharging client success through innovation, technology, and extraordinary teaming. Listen to an inspiring conversation on leadership, collaboration, and the strategies driving Bain’s continued impact.
If you're a longtime listener, you’ve heard Christophe’s journey to Bain from his first appearance on the podcast. Rather than repeating his career story, the first half of this episode features highlights from that original conversation to bring you up to speed. If you’re already familiar with his background, skip to 14:00 to hear Christophe discuss his agenda as Worldwide Managing Partner in his return to the show.
Keith Bevans returns to Beyond the Bio after his sabbatical, joining guest host Daniel Yellin to reflect on this year’s episodes. They explore themes of professional growth and development highlighted through stories of role transitions and career advancements among guests. The episode also offers a preview of what’s to come for the podcast in 2025.
In this episode re-release, we re-introduce Kelly Boone Swaintek, a partner in our Austin office who transitioned to a career in consulting after serving in the U.S. Army. Knowing firsthand the challenges veterans face reentering civilian life and the workforce, Kelly continues to advocate for and support veterans as they transition to a career at Bain.
This episode was originally shared on the podcast in November 2021. Learn more about Veterans at Bain affiniity group at bain.com/careers/life-at-bain/affinity-groups/.
Guest Host Daniel Yellin speaks with John Dryden, a lead data scientist based in our Los Angeles office. John spent a decade working in industry data science roles before joining Bain in 2022. He recently won Bain’s Global Hackathon by creating CreationSpace (formerly known as Seer), an AI-driven consumer insights platform, which is now part of our Founder's Studio and will soon spin out as a standalone startup. Listen to John's journey from industry to consulting and how Bain helped him develop a tech startup.
John isn't the only data scientist who has stopped by the show to share their Bain experience. After hearing from John, listen to our episode with Sharona Sankar-King on "Why More Data Scientists are Coming to Bain."
Curious about how Bain's Global Hackathon produces new startups and CEOs? Listen to our episode with Patrick Obeid ("Patrick Obeid’s Journey from Bain Consultant to an ESG CEO"), a previous winner who now leads as CEO of ESG Flo, the leading ESG software that leverages AI to seamlessly automate the collection and transformation of ESG data into audit-ready metrics.
Guest host Daniel Yellin talks with manager Alice Saltão da Silva and senior manager Lee Foster, both based in our Atlanta office, about transitioning into consulting. Alice went from professional dancing to earning a dual DPT/PhD and joining Bain through our ADvantage program, while Lee shifted from teaching and policy work with Teach for America to consulting after earning her MPP. They highlight how diverse backgrounds enrich Bain's teams and align with the firm's principle of "Diverse Teams, One Bain," demonstrating that varied experiences can enhance consulting success.
In our 3-part series “Inflection Points,” guest host Daniel Yellin discusses impactful career moments with our people. At Bain, we’re committed to a culture of learning and development, offering global training opportunities. In this episode, Daniel speaks with Diego Verastegui, an expert associate partner in innovation, and Harry Brennan, a senior manager, who participated in our Leadership Development Training session. Diego, who led the training, emphasizes its importance for newly appointed managers, while Harry shares his experience teaming with Daniel. This conversation highlights Bain’s investment in professional growth through innovative, senior-led apprenticeship training.
Arpan Sheth is Bain’s Global Capability Leader of our digital delivery platform, Vector. Throughout his time at Bain, Arpan has combined his engineering and business expertise to help build and grow our practices in India, lead our Innovation and Design capability, and support mergers and acquisitions of digital capabilities. In this encore episode, listen to Arpan share his journey to Bain, how he expanded our practices in APAC, and give insight into Vector, our digital delivery platform.
Since this episode’s original release in November 2022, we have 1,500+ diverse in-house members part of Vector and its family of capabilities in our Innovation and Design, Enterprise Technology, and Advanced Analytics practices. In addition to our acquisition of Vertical mentioned in this episode, Bain has had many more acquisitions that are enhancing our machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities across the globe.
Learn more at bain.com/vector-digital
Kara Gruver, our Chief Talent Officer, has spent 35 years at the firm leading in various roles including Head of Americas Consumer Products practice, Bain Boston’s Office Head, and Chief Transformation Officer. Now as our CTO, hear how she’s focused on our people-first priorities, including building our effective teams, developing talent, maintaining a consistent Bain experience for all employees, and more.
Ignacio Otero and Antonio Martinez Leal, Bain's current and former Managing Partners of our Iberia offices, have been supporting each other throughout their careers personally and professionally. As we conclude our Operating Principles series, join us as these leaders share how the principle, "A Bainie Never Lets Another Bainie Fail," has shown up for them during their years at the firm.
Ivan Hindshaw, our Americas Regional Managing Partner, has been living our Operating Principle “Guided by True North” throughout his extensive Bain career and personal life for decades. Sharing experiences of how his career has made him have to have tough conversations in order to do the right thing, Ivan joins us as we continue our Operating Principles series and breaks down what “Guided by True North” means for our clients, people and communities.
Connie Kwok, an Expert Partner in our Singapore office, was taught practicality early on and made career decisions based on this approach. After studying at Oxford and the London School of Economics, she joined Bain as an associate consultant in 2004. She’d later gain experience outside of the firm working with world-renowned restauranteur, Alan Yau, and Amazon before returning to Bain to lead in our Retail practice. Embodying our Operating Principle, “Practical and at Cause,” Connie joins us to share how she’s applied this principle throughout her career.
Melissa Artabane, Executive Vice President of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is passionate about ensuring Bain is a place where everyone feels accepted and can be themselves. Based in our Boston office, Melissa joins us to talk about our Operating Principle, “Diverse Teams, One Bain,” and shares how her unique childhood sparked a personal interest in DEI, leading her to champion Bain’s focus on diverse teams.
Manny Maceda, Bain’s Worldwide Managing Partner, joins us to kick off a 5-part series on our Operating Principles. Like other episodes, you’ll hear Manny’s career journey, but you’ll also hear why these core principles produce our outstanding results, empower our teams, and make us a great place to work from the voice of our global leader. Join us as we define our Operating Principles, and hear why Manny believes the principle “Passion for Results” is rooted in the success of the firm and our clients.
Easton Dickson, our Global Treasurer and co-chair of Americas Black at Bain, is dedicated to the financial health of the firm and creating a supportive environment for his colleagues. Join us as Easton shares his journey from Jamaica to leading in Bain Boston, a path he attributes to wisdom from his loved ones, taking on challenges, and his affinity to ensuring members at Bain have a sense of belonging, support, and trust.
Learn more about our affinity groups at Bain.com/careers.
Join Keith Bevans and Daniel Yellin for our 2023 Year-in-Review episode as they reflect on why Bain is widely recognized as a best place to work. They’ll review standout topics covered last year including our unparalleled opportunities for knowledge experts, our strong culture, and how we support Bainies beyond the firm. Looking ahead, Keith shares what’s in store for Beyond the Bio this year including new episodes on our Operating Principles and a new season of Whiteboard Innovators.
We’re happy to share that Bain has ranked #1 in the US and UK on Glassdoor’s Best Place to Work 2024 lists. We’ve consistently been recognized as the top consulting firm in the US and are the only company to be ranked #1 six times since its inception in 2009. This is also our second consecutive year as the top ranked company in the UK. Being named one of the Best Places to Work is an honor we don’t take lightly. You can learn more about this ranking and this episode by following this link: https://www.bain.com/insights/btb-best-place-to-work/
Keith Bevans, a partner in our Chicago office, EVP of Global Consultant Recruiting, and the host of Beyond the Bio, is shifting interview seats and finally sharing his journey to Bain. Join us as he talks about how his exposure to electronics at a young age led to a career of following passions, embracing unexpected opportunities, transforming Bain recruiting, and the importance of taking a well-deserved break.
If you'd like to keep up with Keith during his time away from Bain, be sure to follow his travels on KBevPhoto.com and @KBevPhoto on Instagram. Be sure to also subscribe and listen to his new podcast, My Home is Special.
On September 27, 2023, we sat down with Anne-Laure Malauzat, a partner in our Dubai office, to hear the story you won't find in her bio. Interested in social impact work, she was inspired by a Bain consultant to join the Dubai office while at Georgetown. In addition to her client work, Anne serves as the Chief DEI Officer for the Middle East focusing on gender equity in the GCC, and has recently released a report, "Advancing Gender Equity in the Middle East Workforce." Learn about Anne’s journey and gain insights into how her worldview supports our work and DEI efforts.
Miles Cook, a partner in our Atlanta office, has had many leadership roles since joining in 1986 including helping establish and later becoming head of the Atlanta office. In addition to serving our clients, he sits as Chairman of the Investment Committee for Bain’s Future Back Ventures, our alumni venture fund that offers financial and non-financial support to Bainies who’ve started businesses. Listen as Miles shares his remarkable Bain journey spanning from the late 80s to the present and how the firm is supporting our alumni community through Future Back Ventures.
Jen Andrasko served as a U.S. Navy pilot for almost a decade before embarking on her Bain journey. Joining as a consultant in our Atlanta office after earning her MBA from Darden, Jen would later leave the firm to lead the University of Virginia’s Alumni Association before returning to Bain to lead our Advisor Network and Global Alumni Network. Hear Jen’s captivating career story and learn why Jen and Bain are passionate about community and staying connected with our alumni.
Sharad Apte, a partner in our Bangkok office, chairman of Bain Thailand, and APAC regional recruiting lead, started in the consulting industry as a receptionist and followed his passion to where he is today. In this re-released episode, he discusses the benefits of his non-business background, building his own Bain, and the big role Bain’s True North value system has played in both his personal and professional life.
Hernan Saenz, a partner in our Dallas office and founder of our Familia at Bain affinity group, is an advocate for taking the non-linear path and pursuing opportunities that will help you grow and give you energy. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, this re-released episode shares not only Hernan’s journey to Bain, but how the firm supports professionals with Hispanic, Latino/a/x, Chicano/a or Latin American heritage or interests. Hear Hernan’s story and learn more about our Familia at Bain affinity group.
Interested in learning about Familia and our other affinity groups at Bain? Be sure to learn more on our website: https://www.bain.com/careers/life-at-bain/affinity-groups/
Ramesh Razdan, Bain's Global Chief Technology and Information Officer, had an extensive career leading roles in technology before joining Bain in 2019 to shape and transform our technological capabilities. In this episode of Beyond the Bio, Ramesh shares his insights on our remarkable growth in digital transformation, our top priorities in innovation, and how we ensure every member at Bain has the necessary tech support to scale business operations.
Satish Shankar, our Asia-Pacific Regional Managing Partner, pursued a chemical engineering career before transitioning to business and earning his MBA. After initially hiring a Bain team while working at an airline in Indonesia, he was invited to join the firm where he would later become Southeast Asia’s managing partner. Satish now leads our business in the Asia-Pacific region where he focuses on our top priorities for this region. Listen to Satish’s journey to the firm and learn Bain’s target business priorities in APAC.
Betsy Peretti, an expert partner in our San Francisco office and one of the founders of our Innovation and Design capability, developed a passion for business at an early age thanks to watching her father run a casino hotel. Her journey has taken her to Bain and beyond before boomeranging back to the firm. Two months after returning to Bain, her life took an unexpected turn when she suffered a traumatic brain injury that caused her executive function skills to severely suffer. Betsy shares how Bain was incredibly supportive throughout her recovery and allowed her to return to work when ready. Listen to Betsy’s inspiring story and hear how she uses profound empathy in problem-solving to not only impact the firm, but Bainies worldwide.
Mike Garstka, a partner in our London office and former managing partner of our UK and Ireland offices, is passionate about apprenticeship and being a servant leader. From serving six years in the Air Force to globetrotting throughout his career at Bain, Mike advocates for training the next generation of leaders to help keep Bain thriving. Listen to Mike’s journey to Bain, why servant leadership is so important to him, and how these opportunities support our firm.
Onyinye Ibeneche Avbovbo, a partner in our Boston office, focuses her work on how our clients can leverage automation while keeping workers at the center of the workforce. Onyinye joins us to share how her experiences prior to Bain, as an engineer and running her father's chicken farm in Nigeria, led her to the firm and make her a better consultant who thinks about prioritizing people and communities.
Join Bain innovation experts Dunigan O’Keeffe and Ron Kermisch to learn about Bain’s overall innovation strategy, Next℠ - our team of business-building experts, and Founder’s Studio - our internal incubator. As part of our special edition series, discover the important role innovation has at the firm and how it leads to added value for our clients.
Tamara Lewis, a partner in our Seattle office, spent 10 years in our Boston office before heading to Seattle to become one of the office’s founding partners in 2018. As part of our special edition series, Tamara discusses how Bain approaches entering new markets, innovation in Seattle during the early days of the firm's presence in the city, and her experience as an intrapreneur building Bain's Seattle office.
Kent Bennett, Bain alum and a partner at Bessemer Ventures, joins us for a special edition episode to take us through his journey of being a Bain associate consultant to a Hollywood screenwriter before diving into the world of startup investing. Hear how Kent has used the Bain toolkit throughout his career and how it has proven invaluable to him in the world of venture capital.
Sarah Dey Burton is the co-founder of Bain's Innovation and Design (I&D) Practice and credits much of her success to the importance of listening to the people we serve. In this special edition episode, discover how Sarah and her co-founders transformed I&D from a startup into an integral part of our client offerings at Bain. Gain insights into the dynamic world of I&D's interdisciplinary teams, and learn how a multiplicity of perspectives can create truly disruptive client results.
Patrick Obeid, founder of ESG Flo, is building something big. As the first graduate of Founder’s Studio, Bain’s internal incubator program, Patrick is combining his decade-long consulting experience with an audacious goal – revolutionizing how companies perceive and optimize energy consumption. In this special edition episode, hear how Patrick went from Bain consultant to startup CEO.
Katlyn Gao, a Bain alum and CEO of League One Volleyball (LOVB), a first-of-its-kind women's volleyball league in the US, is focusing on the lifetime consumption of this predominately female-led game. With backing from big-name investors including Billie Jean King, Kevin Durant, and Chelsea Handler, Katlyn is on a mission to drive commercial success and create more professional opportunities for women the volleyball. In this special edition episode, hear how Katlyn got her start at Bain and founded LOVB with another Bain alum.
Keith Bevans is handing over the mic to guest host, Olivia Pavco Giaccia, where she'll be talking with visionaries across Bain including entrepreneurial alumni, innovation strategists, Bain’s Founder’s Studio members, and more. From the birth of game-changing ideas to their translation into real-world solutions, the whiteboard at Bain is a hub where disruptive innovation takes shape. So, grab a marker and join us as we sketch out how our guests bring innovation to life, at Bain and beyond.
Beyond the Bio listeners, we want your feedback. You’re invited to share your thoughts with us by reaching out to beyondthebio@bain.com or completing our listeners' survey. It will take less than 3 minutes and help us shape the direction of future episodes. Head over to atbain.co/btbsurvey to share your feedback.
Debra McCoy is a partner with a global mandate at Bain. She leads our clients in making consequential operating and investing choices. Hear Debra share what motivates her and how her experiences are helping guide our clients.
Steve Berez, an advisory partner in Bain's Boston office, developed an early interest in computers thanks to his brother. Joining the firm as an associate consultant in 1980, he witnessed how the firm was embracing technology before leaving to pursue an MBA from Stanford, work at his family's business, and later return to Bain to start our Enterprise Technology practice, which he has been leading ever since. Steve talks about his career, what led him to write "Doing Agile Right: Transformation without Chaos," and the latest technology he's excited about, including Bain's strategic alliance with Open AI.
Bain’s commitment to sustainability impacts not only our clients, but the firm. Sam Israelit, our first Chief Sustainability Officer, is focused on our dedication to the social and environmental standards we’ve set for ourselves on a global scale. Listen to how he is implementing the same ESG initiatives we advocate for our clients and our plans to reduce our environmental footprint, enhance employee well-being, and maintain high standards of integrity in creating a more sustainable world.
After rising in her career, Sharona Sankar-King was faced with deciding to run a company or doing what she loved within her previous operational roles. Now an expert partner in our New York office who is able to bring her extensive knowledge of data science to the firm, Sharona is shedding light into how Bain’s capabilities allow her to have a career she is passionate about outside of traditional data science opportunities.
Using data to fuel customer needs is important now more than ever. Nikolaus Zacher, a partner in our Munich office, has substantial experience in advanced analytics with a focus in retail and consumer products. Knowing first-hand the importance of data-driven decision-making, Nikolaus is leading our clients’ business growth by the power of our digital and advanced analytics capabilities. Listen to Nikolaus share his extensive analytics background along with how Bain is using this capability to support better customer experiences.
A great customer experience creates loyal consumers, and loyal consumers proudly promote the businesses they love. Darci Darnell, a Partner in our Chicago office and the leader of our Global Customer Strategy and Marketing practice, has extensive knowledge on how to create outstanding customer experiences. On this episode, Keith talks to Darci about how her globetrotting career gave her the experience needed to lead a practice, and how Bain's consulting, advanced analytics, data science and marketing roles all come together to drive client success and sustainable growth.
Beyond the Bio listeners, we want your feedback. You’re invited to share your thoughts with us in our listeners' survey. It will take less than 3 minutes to complete and will help us shape the direction of future episodes. Head over to atbain.co/btbsurvey to share your feedback.
We’ve known our host, Keith Bevans, to lead insightful conversations with some remarkable guests throughout the years, but this episode is slightly different. Keith is sitting in the guest seat and answering questions from consultant and Beyond the Bio producer, Daniel Yellin, to share some insight into the why of Beyond the Bio, dive a little deeper into a few topics we’ve covered on DEI, mergers & acquisitions, mental health in the workplace, and our work in ESG, and share some insight into what’s to come for the firm’s business, capabilities, and recruiting efforts in 2023.
Beyond the Bio listeners, we want your feedback. You’re invited to share your thoughts with us in our listeners' survey. It will take less than 3 minutes to complete and will help us shape the direction of future episodes. Head over to atbain.co/btbsurvey to share your feedback.
Robert Cercós and Juan Pablo (JP) Garcia, founders of Spike SpA - a leading provider of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions - joined the Bain family after Spike was acquired by the firm earlier this year. As part of Bain adding more client-demanding capabilities to our toolkit, Robert and JP bring a new expertise to the firm that not only provides resources for our clients but opportunities for advanced analytics and machine learning experts to work on impactful projects and solve the world’s most challenging problems. Listen to this duo’s journey from engineers to entrepreneurs and how their friendship led them into consultancy.
Lauren Kelley, CEO of OPEXEngine, a member-based benchmarking community for software and SaaS companies that joined Bain in 2021, found a gap in how companies measure data and chose to do something about it. Lauren joins us to share not only her journey to entrepreneurship and what’s driven her throughout her career, but how OPEXEngine is meeting the needs and answering the hard questions companies are asking around performance and what led to its recent acquisition as part of Bain’s aim to build a larger suite of capabilities to support our clients.
Neil Shah, Executive Vice President of Global Mergers & Acquisitions, studied government at Harvard. After graduating, Neil joined Bain as Associate Consultant for a few years before pursuing a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Boomeranging back to Bain after a few career opportunities in banking and policies, Neil now leads our global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that help meet capability demands that support our clients. Listen to Neil’s journeys to Bain, how his government background supports his impact at the firm, and gain some insight into our recent M&As that are helping grow our capabilities in advanced analytics, marketing, innovation & design, and more.
Arpan Sheth, Bain’s Global Capability Leader of our digital delivery platform, Vector, is all about embracing open doors. Following his father's footsteps and becoming an engineer, Arpan shifted to consulting after hearing inspiring stories from people he knew in business. Throughout his time at Bain, Arpan has combined his engineering and business expertise to help build and grow our practices in India, lead our Innovation and Design capability, and support mergers and acquisitions of digital capabilities in Vector. Listen to Arpan share his journey to Bain and how he expanded our practices in APAC as well as give insight into our fast-growing digital platform, Vector. Additionally, learn how Bain is integrating engineers, data scientists, marketers, and innovators into how we’re supporting our clients.
After many years at Bain helping start our Retail practice, Erika Serow left to become the US CEO of Sweaty Betty before returning to the firm as our Chief Marketing Officer. Erika’s leadership career stems from her desire to be an operator and run a retail business, but over time found that she truly enjoys working with smart and skillful people for a brand that she believes in. On this episode, Erika shares her journey to Bain, what made her choose the firm as a place to build her career, and how her passions led her to become our Chief Marketing Officer.
Julie Coffman, our Chief Diversity Officer, leader of our Global DEI practice, and Keith Bevans’s first manager who helped mentor the leader and host we know today, joins us to talk about her extensive career at Bain and how she’s currently leading the firm’s DEI initiatives. As part of our 5-part environmental, social and governance (ESG) series, Julie shares insight into the social part of this capability. Listen to how we not only support our clients’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, but how we’re leading by example through our internal commitments and annual DEI reports.
In this episode we discuss:
- The 3 chapters of Julie's extensive Bain career
- What sparked Julie to shift her career to supporting our DEI initiatives
- A deep dive into our initiatives and how we're supporting our people and clients
We'd love to hear from you! If you liked this episode or have any feedback to share, let us know by completing the form on atbain.com/btbfeedback.
Sasha Duchnowski, a partner in our Chicago office, joins us as part of our 5-part environmental, social and governance (ESG) series to dive into some of the work we’ve done as our commitment to social impact. We discuss our work with The Nature Conservancy and the Republic of the Marshall Islands on an innovative approach to delivering sustainable cans of tuna, and how this work had led to better fishing environments for employees, retailers gaining supply chain traceability and visibility, and consumers being able to trust the products they’re buying.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why Sasha decided to pursue consulting
- His journey to Bain
- His work with The Nature Conservancy
We'd love to hear from you! If you liked this episode or have any feedback to share, let us know by completing the form on atbain.com/btbfeedback.
Bain's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) capabilities focus on helping our clients make real impact in sustainability, equity, and inclusion for all. Having a passion for this work, François Faelli, our Global Managing Partner of ESG, joins us for a five-part series to share how we're centering these efforts across the globe. On this episode, François not only shares his journey to Bain, but takes us through his moving journey of becoming the firm's first Global Managing Partner of ESG and the current priorities of embedding ESG into 100% of our client projects.
In this episode we discuss:
- How François got his passion for ESG
- How he became the firm's first Worldwide Managing Partner of ESG
- The firm's ESG priorities for our clients
We'd love to hear from you! If you liked this episode or have any feedback to share, let us know by completing the form on atbain.com/btbfeedback.
Domenico Azzarello, EMEA Regional Managing Partner based in Paris, was introduced and pre-destined to an international life in consulting thanks to his consultant parents. Born in Milan, his career has spanned the globe with stops in various cities including Chicago, San Francisco, and Paris where he now leads our fast-growing business in the European, Middle Eastern, and African regions. On this episode, Domenico shares his consulting journey, including how he advanced within the industry to join Bain as an established consultant, and how he helped develop our Telecommunications practice. He also sheds light on EMEA’s business priorities as we continue to grow in this region.
In this episode we discuss:
- Domenico’s early introduction to consulting
- His part in growing Bain’s Telecom practice
- His time leading the Paris office
- How he became EMEA Regional Managing Partner
- EMEA’s business priorities
- How EMEA is incorporating ESG into their business
We'd love to hear from you. If you liked this episode or have any feedback to share, let us know by completing the form on atbain.com/btbfeedback.
Whitney White, Bain alum and founder of Take Back Your Time – a coaching program that helps executives live up to their full potential - uses her entrepreneurial spirit to help executives learn how to work sustainably while having the life they desire. Having a deep passion for helping others, listen to Whitney share her journey to Bain, why she decided to jump into becoming an entrepreneur instead of going to business school, and how she became the business owner she is today.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Whitney joined Bain after studying Anthropology at Davidson College
- Why Whitney chose to jump into entrepreneurship instead of going to business school after leaving Bain
- The origin story of Take Back Your Time
- Why working sustainably is so important to long-term success
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Andy Dunn, Bain Alum, founding CEO of Bonobos, and author of Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind, is on a mission to normalize discussing mental health in the workplace. On this episode, we’re joined by previous guest, Mackenzie Morrison, as we chat through how the workforce can break stigmas around mental health as well as normalize conversations around it to create supportive environments.
In the demanding consulting world, health and wellness can sometimes be overlooked when we’re diving deep into work. Knowing this first-hand, Mackenzie Morrison, Director of Global Professional Development in our Chicago office, helps Bainies learn how to have successful yet sustainable careers at the firm through inspirational leadership. On this episode, Mackenzie shares how the firm is supporting all Bainies through our health and wellness program, B.E.S.T.
Andrew Schwedel, a partner in our New York office and leader of our Macro Trends Group, knows the importance of organizations reevaluating and changing how they think about work in a post-pandemic workforce. The pandemic has not only shifted perspectives on what people want out of their jobs, but also what they want out of their lives and if they’re able to work sustainably. On this episode, we explore how Bain is thinking about new ways of working along with how to learn what type of worker you are and what working styles may look like from different perspectives.
Prasad Narasimhan Sulur, a partner in our Boston office, came from a family of medical professionals in India who encouraged him to pursue the same career path, however, he had other plans. On this episode, Prasad shares how his idea to study engineering led him to the U.S. and Bain, where he now leads our technology and cloud practice and our Americas Asians at Bain affinity group.
Brittany Matthews, a partner in our Chicago office, knows the importance of supportive and collaborative spaces for Black communities in the workforce, especially for our Black leaders. Launching the Black Leaders Forum (BLF) in 2020, Brittany and Black executives from various industries come together throughout the year to provide that space with their colleagues and friends. In this episode, Brittany shares how her journey to Bain inspired the creation of BLF and why spaces like it are so important.
Alex Noether, an expert partner in our New York office, is passionate about our Blacks at Bain network, his tattoos, and addressing unconscious bias in the workplace. In this encore episode of Beyond the Bio, Alex and Keith discuss the concepts of unconscious bias and the ways Bain is building and scaling best practices to ensure our processes are equitable for everyone.
Adrienne King, executive VP of Bain’s Americas Talent Management, and Modupe Akinola, Bain alum and associate professor of management at Columbia Business School, built the framework for Bain to recruit and retain our Blacks at Bain community (BABs). On this encore episode of Beyond the Bio, they share their journey of pioneering and implementing ExperienceBain, a pre-MBA program for Black recruits attending business school, as well as organizing an annual conference for our Black community and developing our firm’s infrastructure to support underrepresented individuals.
Rebecca Burack, a partner in our Boston office, transitioned from an industrial engineering career to consulting after learning about Bain through her manager who was pursuing a career at the firm. Once joining Bain, Rebecca did everything to avoid private equity cases, but as she accelerated within her career, she learned why it's important to jump on these cases early to succeed in the consulting world. Now as a leader in our private equity group (PEG), Rebecca shares the origins of private equity consulting, the importance of PEG and how consultants can navigate within this practice for career success.
Christophe De Vusser, a partner in our Brussels office and the head of our EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) private equity practice, joined Bain after leaving his purchasing and strategic sourcing career at Proctor and Gamble (P&G). Seeking more opportunity that Bain could offer, Christophe found himself enjoying work in the private equity practice, strongly focusing on environmental, social and governance work (ESG). Christophe shares why investors are being more thoughtful about ESG and how Bain is a leader in incorporating sustainability within the private equity space.
Kelly Boone Swaintek, a partner in our Austin office, transitioned to a career in consulting after serving in the U.S. Army. Knowing firsthand the challenges veterans face reentering civilian life and the workforce, Kelly has made it her mission to support veteran Bainies transition from one career to the next as well as advocate recruiting them and their talents to Bain.
Anita Cohen and Andrew Kunkel, partners in our Chicago office, didn’t plan on specializing in private equity, but once they were exposed to the world of fast-paced cases and non-standard approaches to problem-solving, they fell in love with the work. Anita and Andrew share their journeys into private equity and PEG, our private equity group, and explain why Bain is the leader in this industry.
João Soares, a partner in our London office and the global head of BGLAD, Bain’s LGBTQ network, shares how he not only transformed his career, but Bain’s approach on creating inclusive communities. *This episode was recorded in June 2021 during PRIDE month.
Kiki Yang, a partner in our Hong Kong office and the leader of our Asia-Pacific Private Equity practice, shares how Bain has provided flexible opportunities and support for her to create a sustainable and successful career after pivoting from investment banking to consulting.
Pete Forsberg, Chief Operating Officer of our digital marketing agency, FRWD (pronounced “forward”), discusses his journey into disruptive technology and bringing his experience at Uber back to Bain through the FRWD acquisition in 2018 to lead operations in the digital marketing space.
Guest host Sharad Apte, a senior partner and head of APAC recruiting, speaks with Kate Liu, a senior manager in our Shanghai office, to discuss her journey from getting her PhD in applied economics to eventually becoming a consultant at Bain. They dive deeper into her fascinating PhD dissertation on using pitching in baseball as a way to gain insights on global warming, why consulting is a particularly good route for advanced degree candidates, and her exciting casework within Bain’s private equity, consumer product, and digital delivery practices
Guest host Sharad Apte, a senior partner and head of APAC recruiting, speaks with Willy Chang, an associate partner based in Southeast Asia, to discuss his fascinating career path from academia to consulting. They dive deeper into his PhD on quantum computing at Harvard, how he ended up in consulting, his work at Bain in private equity and digital delivery practices, and his most recent role publishing an internet economy report with Google and Temasek.
Guest host Sharad Apte, a senior partner and head of APAC recruiting, speaks with Annabel Chew, a manager in our Singapore office, to discuss her journey from getting her PhD in materials science to eventually becoming a consultant at Bain. They dive deeper into her love of science from a young age, how she handled Bain’s recruiting and interview process, her exciting casework, and how her PhD helped her with Bain’s ‘answer first’ approach.
Todd Sangster, an expert associate partner in our San Francisco office, and Erin Ney, an expert senior manager in our Boston office, spent part of their careers immersed in science and healthcare – Todd with a PhD in genetics and Erin as an MD and practicing physician. Before becoming experts in our healthcare practice, they spent time working across different industries and clients as general management hires at Bain. They discuss their backgrounds in science and medicine, their paths to and within Bain, and how experts at Bain add extraordinary value to both our clients and our case teams.
Michael Schallehn, a partner in our Silicon Valley office, and Jackie Flanagan, an associate partner in our Washington, D.C. office, both joined Bain after completing PhDs – Michael in materials science and Jackie in biophysics. They discuss their journeys away from academia and into consulting, how their backgrounds have contributed to their long-term success at Bain, and how our Advanced Degree recruiting and program efforts have evolved to bring in record-high numbers of Advanced Degree hires and provide tailored support for their professional development.
In our last installment of our Black History Month mini-series, we’re joined by Bain partners, Jon Barfield in our NY office, and Darren Jackson in our LA office, both members and leaders within our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practice and Blacks at Bain community. They discuss our investment in sustainable change through actions like launching a DEI practice area to support our corporate clients, the addition of our new social impact pillar focused on racial equity and social justice, hosting a Black Leaders Forum and more.
Bain alums, Ali Evans, a VP and technology investor at Francisco Partners, and Anjarae Hamilton, head of apparel at Faire, share their thoughts and experiences of creating a space at Bain to discuss the social and racial unrest in the US and its impact. You’ll also learn more about them—their experience working here, being part of the Blacks at Bain community, and their impressive career journeys.
Adrienne King, executive VP of Bain’s Americas Talent Management & Modupe Akinola, associate professor of management at Columbia Business School and Bain alum, discuss how they built a framework for Bain to recruit and retain our Blacks at Bain community (BABs). They share their journey of pioneering and implementing a pre-MBA program for Black recruits going to business school, known today as ExperienceBain Diversity, organizing an annual conference for our Black community, and developing our firm’s infrastructure to support underrepresented individuals.
Check out this brief preview that shares more about what's to come in the next few months on Beyond the Bio, including a Black History Month series featuring current and former Bainies, and an APAC recruiting mini-series, hosted by Sharad Apte, a partner in our Bangkok office.
Hernan Saenz, a partner in our Dallas office, is an advocate for taking the non-linear path and pursuing opportunities that will help you grow and give you energy. He discusses how Bain's culture was the perfect fit, his globetrotting years working at offices across the world, and his accomplishments throughout his career including important client work, stepping into leadership roles, and eventually getting a seat on Bain's board of directors.
Jennie Tung, a VP in our Palo Alto office, has played a critical role in the way we view training, both internally and with our clients. She discusses how she found full support in Bain when taking on a new role at a critical time in her career, and how that role eventually grew into her building out Bain Academy, a team that provides customized learning experiences led by Bain experts.
Stef Chavin, VP of recruiting in our Chicago office, spent her career at Bain pursuing her passions. She discusses some important pieces of her journey including utilizing our flexible working model, her entrepreneurship within the firm, and most recently, planning a successful virtual Summer Associate intern program.
Courtney della Cava, a partner in our San Francisco office, has returned to Bain twice after taking on exciting roles at various companies. She discusses what it’s like being a ‘boomerang Bainie,’ her role within the Bain Career Advisory and Bain Executive Network, and how we’re committed to helping our people succeed both inside and outside the firm.
Sharad Apte, a partner in our Bangkok office, started in the consulting industry as a receptionist and followed his passion to where he is today. He discusses the benefits of his non-business background, building his own Bain, and the big role Bain’s True North value system has played in both his personal and professional life.
Jen Hayes, a partner in our Atlanta office, is passionate about championing women to grow and thrive in the workplace. She discusses her work leading the Global Women's Leadership Council and the important gender parity research she’s done around what inspires women to reach for the C-suite.
Dan Kuzmic, a partner in our Stockholm office, explains the importance of calculated risk taking and bold decision making, even in times of uncertainty. He discusses his background in the military and Bain’s recent acquisition of Qvartz, a Nordic-based consulting firm, which merged with our firm in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sarah Dey Burton, a leader in our digital delivery practice in our San Francisco office, discusses her previous career at Gap Inc., leading Bain's Advanced Digital and Product Team, and how her team delivers a new kind of value to Bain's client results stories.
Alex Noether, an expert associate partner in our New York office, discusses a few things he's passionate about: our Blacks at Bain network, his tattoos, and Bain's efforts to address unconscious bias in the workplace.
Miguel Simoes-deMelo, a senior partner in our London office, has worked in all three Bain regions and played a critical role in the success story of several global transformation projects. Miguel goes into detail on his globetrotting career, what it's like to spearhead a transformation, and how it's okay to not know your 'five-year plan'.
Sanjay Dhiri, a partner in our London office, began his career doing important humanitarian and development work around the world. As he transitioned into consulting a few years later, he realized that a career at Bain meant the ability to keep his hand in his previous career through pro bono and volunteer work.
Sam Rovit, a partner in our Chicago office, is back at Bain for the third time after a successful career running multiple food business. Sam discusses his early days in journalism and reporting, the capabilities he developed at Bain that still play a monumental role today, and how he has leveraged our toolkit for growth outside the firm.
Clare Gordon, a partner in our London office, is a woman who does it all. From running startups and nonprofits to moving around the world while building her family, she has charted her course in a way that allows her to thrive both personally and professionally.
Lalit Reddy, a partner in our Bengaluru office, discusses going to school in different parts of the world, his path to Bain, and how he has played a critical role in our growth story in India.
Rishi Roongta, founder & VP of the Bain Innovation Exchange in our San Francisco office, discusses his background, the work he has done with early-stage startups, and his efforts in the digital space at Bain.
Sinead Mullen, a partner in our Chicago office, discusses her background as a teacher, what led her to consulting, and how she has been able to pursue her passion for education and social impact at Bain.
Maria Gordian, a senior partner in our New York office, discusses her background in medicine, what led her to consulting, and how she is helping to shape Bain's Diversity & Inclusion efforts.