Munich Senior Associate Consultant Konstanze Inderhees shares her insights on the world of strategy consulting, life in the Munich office and how she maintains a work-life balance.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in strategy consulting?
In summer 2020, I did an internship at L.E.K. for two months and then rejoined in November after finishing my master’s degree in neuropsychology. Prior to L.E.K., I had little experience with strategy consulting and actually had planned to stay in the field of psychology. However, my internship quickly made me realize that I enjoyed the work in consulting, including the need to quickly understand a company’s product portfolio, the company itself, the market it operates in and each client’s needs. These were topics that fascinated me from the very beginning and still do today.
What areas within the sector are you most passionate about? Was there a defining project?
My very first project was one of the most defining projects for me in the field of medtech. The client was a manufacturer of heart-lung machines, which was quite challenging, as we had to understand the human blood and perfusion system in depth in order to assess the key differentiators of our client’s product portfolio. I was fascinated by the interplay of clinical and technical understandings combined with the economic assessment of the market.
What is life like in the Munich office? How would you describe the office culture?
Compared to other European offices, the Munich office is rather small with around 80 people. As a result, you actually know everyone, and the atmosphere is more informal and friendly. We have a lot of fun events like Oktoberfest and ski trips that support the bonding experience and developing friendships. All levels communicate at eye level in an open and supportive manner that allows you to experience a steep learning curve. In case any L.E.K.er is in Munich, you should come by for a football match!
What do you believe are the key qualities and skills that are essential for success in strategy consulting?
The desire to learn something new and the ability to understand organizational processes are crucial to staying happy in this job. Being able to implement something I have only recently learned and establishing a deep knowledge of different industries are what drive me and what excite me the most about my job. Staying focused, synthesizing relevant inputs and translating them into actionable hypotheses are the biggest challenges and our most important value adds for our clients’ businesses.
How do you maintain a work-life balance in a demanding field like strategy consulting, and what strategies have you found effective in managing stress?
It can be quite difficult to establish and maintain a work-life balance in this profession, and this is still a challenge for me. Establishing routines helps me deal with stress at work. I’ve found that it’s most effective for me to work out at home early in the morning before I go into the office, for example. This helps me organize my thoughts and think about my tasks for the day and gives me a sense of accomplishment before the workday really starts. Sitting together with others and being in the office also help me cope with stress. Last but not least, coming home, meeting up with friends and family, and doing things I enjoy are essential to take my mind off work and get out of the consulting bubble.