I have spent the bulk of my career in consumer goods and retail environments. Over the years, I have worked alongside several consultancies, all with different experiences. I first came across AlixPartners at my last employer, the John Lewis Partnership. AlixPartners was supporting them with a Category Profits program, and I was impressed by the firm’s agility and pace in delivery and the willingness to work closely with me and my colleagues to find and implement solutions.
As a working parent to three children, I’ve worked flexibly over the past decade. Five years ago, I would have never considered a career in consulting. But as the pandemic created more opportunities for flexible work, I’ve reconsidered my career path. Thinking back to the positive experiences I had with AlixPartners as a client, I was interested to understand more when I learned about an opening on the firm’s retail team.
The conversations I had with AlixPartners throughout the recruitment process were positive, with open discussion around how I could make consulting work as a working parent. AlixPartners has an environment where individuals are encouraged to bring and own ideas, step into new spaces, and be part on the development of the firm. I was able to get a sense of the focus on client value creation, the breadth and depth of experience within the firm and the value I could add. Being able to see a path for progression, with engaging and challenging work, whilst balancing family life is an opportunity I didn’t expect to be able to have with a consultancy. It’s a great place to be.
Since joining, I have focused on meeting new people and building visibility across the breadth of the work we do. I arrived at AlixPartners in time to attend a retail conference with my new colleagues and then immediately joined a project, so I stepped straight into the action! Colleagues have been supportive amidst the pace of the project to answer my questions and help navigate the firm. With a network of buddies, performance partners, and members of my engagement team, I have many places to go to build and learn about our culture and our work. It’s been an exciting and fulfilling first few months!