How did you end up working at Bain?
My journey at Bain has certainly not been boring. It’s had its ups and downs, curves and gravel. I started on a 12-month contract in 2007 right as the world entered a global financial crisis. I thought I’d worked in high-pressure roles before but working at Bain during that time was like riding a tornado. Actually, it’s similar to today’s situation. There’s a saying I love, “Sometimes life brings you full circle to a place you’ve been before just to show you how much you have grown.” That's certainly true of my time here. I’ve worked on many exciting projects with the most intelligent people worldwide, and I know a lot more this time around.
Recently, I’ve been heavily involved with mergers and acquisitions (M&A). M&A is entirely new to me, so even after 16 years I’m still learning new things.
What has been one of your proudest moments?
I played a key role in setting up the first ever regional finance center in New Delhi. It’s a fully outsourced structure that was new to Bain. We started it with three employees and now we have far more, working on expenses, accounts payable, payroll, and accounting. This model was something we’ve since replicated for the Americas and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
My second proudest achievement was working with the Tokyo office finance team. They had lots of role changes and I was asked to support onsite. That was a great experience. I got to travel to Tokyo a few times and understand how they do things differently. I made amazing friendships and look back on those memories as among my fondest.
Why Bain?
Where to begin? I wouldn’t be here after so long if I didn’t enjoy the work and the people. The finance team in Australia are very close-knit. The Bain saying, “A Bainie never lets another Bainie fail” is 100% true for us. We would never let anyone fail. We work hard, we play hard, and we have lots of fun along the way—like axe-throwing, dodgeball competitions, and learning to juggle on the Sydney harbor. I just wouldn’t be here were it not for the team.
There’s also the learning and development. My time has been so enriching and rewarding. Bain prioritizes its people and talent. It really does. There are tremendous opportunities to learn, and I’ve never seen a company do so much to help people thrive. Oh, and Bain is big on mentorship. I’ve been fortunate to have some amazing mentors and now I’m a mentor, and humbled I’ve been asked to pay that back.
What social impact projects do you spend time on?
I’m a mentor for the Australian Business Council Network (ABCN), of which Bain is a member. We work with adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds to give them an opportunity to connect with someone outside their usual network, to help them embark into adulthood. This experience has been rewarding on a personal level, having come from a similar background. I get to show them it doesn’t matter where you come from—if you work hard and have people in your corner, you can do anything!
What should candidates know?
At Bain you’ll be surrounded by incredibly intelligent and caring people that will help support you to get to your next destination.
