What was it like starting at Bain?
Starting at Bain was both exciting and a little nerve wracking, but in the end felt like I was being welcomed to a new family. The first few weeks were dedicated to getting to know the people who I’d work with and who’d be my sponsors and supporters throughout my career. I was nervous starting in a job as an 'expert' and worried that I wouldn’t have the chops to cut it in such a high performing firm, but everyone around me was extremely supportive, welcoming, and down to earth. They made sure I knew that as a new joiner, the firm didn’t expect me to know everything and that they would work with me to build the set of promoters and the skills I needed to be successful in my new role.
What has it been like changing roles?
It was an adjustment going to a professionals services firm after being in industry for almost 10 years. The biggest adjustment was moving from an operator to an advisory role. I had to transition from working with a single company to multiple companies and learn how to distill my operator knowledge and experience into advice that could resonate and apply to varying industries and contexts. It was above all else a tremendous learning experience for me.
To what do you credit your success?
There are many factors that helped me succeed at Bain. One is my previous experience as an operator, which helped me connect and relate to my clients on a deeper level, as 'someone who has walked in their shoes.' Another is the sponsors and advisors who have helped me access amazing opportunities to work with great teams and who gave me the advice and coaching I needed when I needed it. I also have wonderful family and friends who have supported me along my entire career. I couldn’t have done any of this without them.
What case are you most proud of?
I had this manufacturing client who had a really tough problem to solve. They’d reacted to rising inflation and rising input costs by increasing their prices. But now they were facing recessionary conditions—volume was declining, demand was softening, and their customers were growing increasingly vocal about continued high prices in the face of declining input costs. The client called in Bain to reset their whole pricing architecture—list prices, discount structures, incentive programs, you name it—and they needed it done in record speed. We were brought into this discussion late, and I was able to convince them of the deep pricing expertise we had. Through the great work our Bain team delivered, we were able to expand our relationship to support the client in many other areas to drive additional enterprise value. Our client has been very happy with the result, and we've become a trusted advisor.
Do you feel the culture is inclusive?
Bain’s inclusive environment is one of the reasons I decided to join. As I reflect back on my career, at times, I felt I needed to expend too much of my energy on fitting into the company’s culture or a desired archetype if I wanted to be successful. At Bain, I’m able to redirect all that energy to just getting good work done. It's so much more enjoyable. I feel free on so many dimensions, and it’s allowed me to progress in my career.
Are you part of any groups?
I’m part of both Asians at Bain (AAB) and Womxn at Bain (WAB). I’d describe both as having an instant home and a circle of people to connect to. I have found great friendships and mentoring relationships in both circles.
What else should candidates know?
That the people at Bain are truly the best to work with!
