Ranked #1 in the World
By Benny Axt
What’s the size of the diaper market in the United States? How long does it take Starbucks to serve enough coffee to fill the gas tank of a Hummer? If you participated in the Consulting Functional Day on Friday, September 30th, 2011, you are now better equipped to handle some of the challenging questions that commonly confront candidates in consulting case interviews.
During the Consulting Functional Day, Thunderbird students were privileged to interact with a diverse, interesting panel of speakers. Representatives from KPMG, Vanguard Marketing International, Carla Carter & Associates, and A.T. Kearney were present to provide industry information and answer student’s questions. In the morning, the TMCA executive leadership team, the CMC, and a few TMCA club members hosted a breakfast for the speakers. The roundtable breakfast provided a forum for an enlightening discussion about KPMG’s plan to acquire Optimum Solutions, an Oracle Platinum Partner.
After breakfast, the speakers were escorted to Lecture Hall 54 where they were impressed to find a packed house. With over 120 RSVPs to the event, the Consulting Functional Day drew one of the most remarkable turnouts in recent history.
Our first speaker, Travis Beeman, provided an overview of his role at KPMG and his responsibilities as a senior manager. His colleagues, Paul Torres and Melissa Levy (’03), also discussed their experiences in advisory and tax consulting. The KPMG presentations were entertaining because the speakers talked candidly about their best and worst days on the job. Carla Carter, the CEO of a local boutique consulting firm, spoke about organizational improvement and human resource development. She also introduced the Baldridge Criteria as an effective tool for assessing corporate management systems. Vanguard Marketing International sent Thunderbird alumna Julie Vasquez (’09) to provide a nuanced perspective on marketing consulting. Each speaker offered wonderful advice and shared interesting experiences from his or her niche in the management consulting industry. Following the presentations, Thunderbird students also benefitted from an open forum with the panel.
The Consulting Functional Day concluded with a presentation by A.T. Kearney Senior Manager, Patrick Hoffmann (’05). Patrick gave an overview of the analytical strategy necessary to crack management consulting case interviews. In addition to demystifying the process, he also provided useful resume writing tips.
Feedback from everyone who participated in the Consulting Functional Day was positive. Speakers described students as engaged, enthusiastic, and intelligent. And students were impressed by the expertise and experiences of the presenting consultants. Thank you for your interest in the field of management consulting and your support for the TMCA. Your participation contributed to the success of this year’s Consulting Functional Day. We look forward to seeing you at future events!
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