In this Q&A, we sit down with Cassy Osokin, Manager at L.E.K. Consulting, to talk about her journey from New Zealand to Sydney to Paris, her experiences in healthcare and MedTech consulting, and work/life balance.
Tell me about your background and how you ended up at L.E.K. Consulting.
I grew up in the UK, I’m half Russian, and then I moved to New Zealand. Years of watching Grey’s Anatomy and House made me fall in love with the medical world – but I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor. So, I took a slightly different path and studied Biomedical Engineering and Physiology / Sports Science to maximise my exposure to the field whilst also leaving options open.
I worked for an engineering company after my degree, but I realized I didn’t want to be an engineer. It felt too granular. I couldn’t imagine working on the same project for four years like the PhD students I was alongside. What I really enjoyed was working on commercial feasibility studies, figuring out market opportunities, and reverse engineering how new technologies could fit into the real world.
That led me to an internship with EY’s healthcare team in Auckland. I worked on six or seven projects over four months, mostly in the public sector, and I loved the variety. Through the grapevine, I heard about L.E.K., especially its strong healthcare practice, and eventually joined the Sydney office in 2019 as an associate.
How did you go from Sydney to Paris?
My move to Paris actually came after another highlight in my L.E.K. journey. Right before relocating, I did a secondment with Johnson & Johnson. That was an incredible experience because I worked on two completely different businesses: one in New Zealand that felt like a 20-person start-up, and one in Australia with over 300 people. For one, I worked on an internal data strategy, and for the other, I focused on evidence generation to help get medicines approved in New Zealand, which is one of the toughest markets in the world for medicine approval and funding. That experience really broadened my perspective before heading to Europe.
As for Paris, part of it was personal. My partner is half French, and we’d always imagined living here one day. After COVID, the timing was right, and we made the move in 2022, arriving at the beginning of 2023, with a four-month travel sabbatical in between.
L.E.K. was fantastic about it. They said, “It’s a shame, we’ll miss you, but it’s a great opportunity.” Honestly, if it weren’t for L.E.K., moving to Paris would’ve been terrifying. I only had high school French at the time. But I started taking French classes, and now, two and a half years later, I run client discussions in French and work with French clients. There’s no substitute for being immersed.
You’re now a manager—congratulations! What has that journey been like?
I got promoted about a year ago. I’ll be honest, my first case as a manager was tough. It really challenged me, and at the time I wondered if this was what the job would always be like.
It’s quite a mindset shift from being a Consultant – you need to be across all of the detail without the ‘doing’, and you’re also closely managing the partners and the client. As an associate, you are grinding away on research, modeling, slides. As a manager, you’re focused on guiding, reviewing, anticipating client and partner questions, and making sure the big picture is on track.
After a year in the role, I can say that my favourite thing about being a manager is the flexibility: you have greater autonomy over your schedule and can hone your work style and energy for each case’s needs.
Another big part is driving the decisions on the case, sometimes even pushing back on partners, and setting the tone for the team. The atmosphere really matters, and as a manager you can create a positive environment from the top down.
One unique part of my job that I love is coordinating content and delivery of trainings with the European Learning & Development team. It is really rewarding to take my accumulated years of ‘L.E.K. knowledge’ and teach the next generation of Associates and Consultants – everything from Modelling Bootcamp to Virtual Presentation Skills!
Can you share a particularly memorable case?
My favourite case as a consultant was for a company designing optical diagnostic devices. The problem was that opticians found them too complicated, while ophthalmologists found them not specialized enough. A classic engineering dilemma!
We identified a niche in the U.S. around quick, affordable walk-in eye exams. The devices fit perfectly there: not too technical, but more advanced than what opticians could offer. That was a highlight case for me. The client was lovely, and it was exciting to help them find their market.
Consulting can be demanding. How do you approach work-life balance?
I would say that work-life balance has been easier to manage as a manager. A lot of the job is ‘filling in the gaps’ – I’ll jump in and make slides, run expert interviews, whatever needs to be done. But generally, I find the days are more flexible than as a Consultant or associate.
I am also a huge proponent of pay-for-leave policies: our job is great, but it’s hard, so I make a point of planning regular holidays throughout the year to stay energized and have something to look forward to. This flexibility is one of the best things about our project-based style of work.
Outside of work, I do a lot of boxing, always in the morning because it’s the most predictable time of day. It’s a great way to start the day, clear my head, and get some energy. I love the gym, and I love sports – though this is more difficult to find in Paris than in Sydney!
I also take French classes twice a week, and one of my favorite things to do is just explore Paris. I know it sounds cliché, but wandering and eating my way through different neighborhoods and being a tourist in my own city is something I love.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Honestly, I don’t know exactly. I definitely want to stay in healthcare and MedTech. What I love about consulting is the variety. You become a mini-expert on something random for a month, then move on to the next project. It’s intense but never boring. So for now, I’m happy as long as I’m learning. If an amazing opportunity came up, I’d consider it, because the consulting toolkit is so transferable. But for the moment, I’m still learning, still challenged, and still happy.