Before coming to BCG, I was a robotics research engineer with an Australian national R&D organization. But I wanted to be involved in something that would create an impact in a shorter time and allow me to deal with people issues rather than technology.

Basically, I think I wanted to get out of the lab! At the same time I wanted to retain the excitement of challenging my mind, dealing with bright and driven people, always dealing with new issues and always learning. BCG has been all of this and more.

Today, when I talk to my colleagues in early stages of their career, I say: aim high, there are no limits to what you can do and achieve at BCG. The firm will back you up and so will your team!

Matthew holds a PhD in engineering (William Culross Prize for Scientific Research) from the University of Adelaide and an MBA (CUB Award of Distinction) from Melbourne Business School.

He is a Fellow of the Melbourne-based Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Matthew joined BCG in 1997.

I was hugely attracted to the individual approach to managing my career that BCG offered. Compared to the other consulting firms I was looking at, BCG really stood out as tailoring an experience to meet my individual skills and aspirations.

I’ve been given fantastic opportunities and the support of mentors and colleagues to pursue them, as well as wide exposure to different industries and business problems. I’ve done a secondment at Foxtel, an MBA at Harvard and a fellowship in Cape York working on indigenous issues.

I think women are looking for a career where they can develop their skills, work flexibly as their personal needs change and make a meaningful difference in the world. Many of my friends have had to trade off personal development for flexibility, or meaning for security.

I’m very lucky that my career can meet all these criteria. Maybe I can’t do it all at once, but I still feel it’s possible to do it all.

Alex earned a bachelor of arts (philosophy) and a bachelor of laws with honors from the University of Sydney. She also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where she graduated with distinction.

She joined BCG in 2002.

When I joined BCG, straight out of university, I was looking for an opportunity to gain experience to unravelling important business problems, and a way to work in different parts of the world.

In my first five years with the firm, BCG certainly delivered on this—I was dropped in the deep end and asked to help solve complex business issues; worked in Hong Kong, London and New York; and even gained an MBA from a top U.S. business school.

Since returning to New Zealand five years ago, my career with BCG has continued to deliver challenges and opportunities. BCG has taught me how to lead a team, be part of building a business and deliver real results for our clients by helping them solve the problems that keep them up at night.

Reflecting on the journey so far, what I have appreciated most is that the challenges never stop—even ten years down the track. 

Matthew holds a master of commerce and bachelor of laws degree from Auckland University and an MBA from Stanford University.

He sits on the Advisory Board of the ICEHOUSE, a prominent New Zealand technology incubator.

I love to travel and explore new cultures and new ways of thinking—so I look for flexibility to move around the world within my job. One of my favorite things about BCG is the value it places on providing opportunities for its staff to work in different cultures, ranging from a short-term to a permanent basis. With more than 70 offices, there is a lot of choice.

After working in the London office for almost four years, I wanted to try working in a different region. I discussed various options with my BCG career advisor and ultimately transferred to our Dubai office for a 12-month period.

The working environment in the Middle East is very different to the European style of doing business that I was used to. Right away, I found that I was adjusting my style—I developed new ways of communicating, of working through problems, and even started considering different kinds of solutions. Looking back, it’s amazing to consider how much I’ve learnt since arriving in Dubai. Exploring a completely different way of thinking and doing business is something that you can only get through experience—and is an opportunity that I value very highly as I continue to work at BCG.

Kimberley holds an MBA from INSEAD in Singapore/France, a bachelor of commerce (finance) from the Haskayne School of Business in Calgary, Canada, and a bachelor of arts (international relations) from the University of Calgary, Canada.

She joined BCG’s London office in 2006 and transferred to Dubai in 2010. Prior to joining BCG, she was an investment analyst for a Canadian private equity company focused in the junior oil and gas market, and she was a risk analyst on the trading floor of a major Canadian oil and gas company operating in the Athabasca oilsands.