From a Ph.D. in philosophy to a career in strategy consulting
After completing my studies in philosophy and economics, I started working in a boutique consulting firm that specialized in branding and marketing in Zurich, Switzerland. Since I hadn't had enough of the books just yet, I joined the Ph.D. program in philosophy at the London School of Economics. Although I enjoyed the research and teaching aspect of academic life a lot, I opted for the more interactive and result-oriented consulting world and, hence, joined Roland Berger.
Principal
I am a Principal in the Consumer Goods and Retail Competence Center. My work focuses on marketing and sales topics – ranging from procurement questions around marketing services (e.g. how can you change your agency set-up such that the overall costs go down) to branding and marketing strategies (e.g. what should your target customer segment be?) to issues affecting future marketing organizations (e.g. if everything is shifting toward online channels, what does this mean for my organization?). I also enjoy contributing to our studies and research activities, which allows me to explore some of my academic interests.
Being around very smart and motived people
Over the years I have learned that it is truly a privilege to be in an environment with smart and motivated people – an environment where you can get things done. Although it can be demanding sometimes, it is an environment that really allows you to grow. There is always room to grow and to test your limits.
Listen to your preferences and don't do the standard thing
Combining philosophy and economics presented me with a lot of questions during my studies. And to be honest, I asked myself quite frequently what the value of a philosophy degree could potentially be. The one thing I realized, though, is that you'll get to deliver great work and get good feedback in exactly those areas where you have a passion. And good feedback usually creates opportunities. I truly believe that there is a lot of room for non-standard career paths and that this diversity is indeed a huge value add for any company.
Running 100 km in 9 hours
As you might be able to tell from this quote, I am quite into running. Ultrarunning (all distances above marathon distance) actually taught me quite a lot that I can now use in my day-to-day work as a consultant. It might sound like a broken record but there is truly a lot more potential in you than you believe at times... most certainly if you are at a low point at 60 km into a 100 km race. Resilience, self-confidence and the ability to endure stress are definitely good qualities to have when you're thinking about entering the consulting world.
