I believe that Bain's passion for results really differentiates them from other consulting firms.

• Why Bain?

  I went through many rounds of interviews with all the major strategy consulting firms. Bain was different from the rest. They don't try to make you fit to a particular standard - they are open to the value and benefit of each individual's background. They value the fact that every employee is different and recognize this as a key asset. Every individual is seen as a contributor for their client or their office. This open-minded approach, which I later discovered to be one of the key principles at Bain, drove my choice to join the firm.
  
  I also believe that Bain's passion for results really differentiates them from other consulting firms. I remember my first interview at Bain very well. At the end of the case interview, the interviewer was proud to show me what results the client had achieved with their help. After a case interview at another consulting firm, the interviewer was proud to tell me the case had taught his company to develop another new framework and methodology they could apply to future cases. I personally value an individual approach to client problems that produces concrete, tangible results.

• My passion

  What drives me every day is demanding more of myself, pushing expectations further and believing I can go the extra mile. It is this same passion that drives the Bain teams and our clients to achieve better results. I am not only passionate about the results of our clients, but also about the results of my team.
  
  As a manager, I take my coaching role very seriously. I want the members of my team to become successful professionals, and I find it very rewarding to see the progress of those I coach. I firmly believe that one of Bain's key assets is the attention they take to developing their people.
  
  Outside my work, I make time for a variety of different sports and I also enjoy playing music.

• My favorite case

  We were working for an international division of a leading European banking group. The division, which concentrates on branch banking and specialized financial services, has operations in more than 60 countries. Bain was asked to lead a major transformation of all business lines to develop a common culture across the organization and to achieve revenue synergies.
  
  I very much enjoyed this case because it involved a significant amount of client exposure; this really helped drive the client to change their day-to-day working practices. I worked directly with the division head, and together, we created considerable impact and achieved great results.

• My Bain experience

  To give a complete overview of all my great experiences at Bain would take too long. Instead, I'll focus on some of the important steps I have been through along my Bain career.
  
  I started with Bain Rome, but a few years ago decided to transfer to the Paris office for a couple of reasons. First, my husband had a great professional opportunity in Paris, and I decided to follow him. Also, having specialized in financial services, I was strongly attracted by an interesting challenge in the French market: to be part of the team to build up Bain's market capabilities and scale in financial services. This was very exciting, and today I am proud to have contributed to making Bain a top-tier market player in this sector.
  
  It is also a very rewarding experience to work with people from a different culture. As I did not speak a lot of French, integration could have posed great challenges. But Bain supported me through the process, facilitating my transfer and arranging intensive French lessons for me. As a result, I integrated very rapidly into my new office.
  
  A second important aspect of Bain is the flexibility they offer. I just returned from maternity leave and am able to manage both work and caring for my family. I think Bain is one of the few places where you can have a child and not be forced to sacrifice your career..

• A final thought

  I would advise people interested in consulting not only to go to the companies' websites but also to go and talk to consultants. It's important to meet people with different levels of experience and with various backgrounds. Candidates should not hesitate to write an email to actual consultants; I am personally very open to answering questions a candidate might have.
  
  I would like to stress two further important points about Bain. First, I think Bain people are really down to earth - something that I believe differentiates us from many other companies. Second, our focus on results means we really do effect change for our clients and give them a tangible return on their investment.