As leader and CEO of a company, I think the greatest single quality I acquired from my years at BCG is confidence—intellectual confidence in my strategic decisions, organizational confidence to win over other people to my vision, and the personal confidence to succeed as a manager.

The role of a real-life CEO is greater than I had theoretically envisioned. I can tell that everyone in the organization looks to me and counts on my leadership. The confidence of a CEO can swiftly bring about change in the right direction, resulting in growth not just for the company, but also for the CEO personally.

However, being a CEO can be harsh and lonely sometimes. Whenever that's the case, I find the triple confidence I have gained from working at BCG to be the strongest motor that keeps me going.

Kwangsoo received his MBA from The Wharton School and his undergraduate degree in business administration from Yonsei University.

Prior to joining BCG, Kwangsoo worked as a manager of the strategic planning department for Hansol Group and as an assistant manager of the investor relations team for Hansol Paper Ltd. Kwangsoo later worked for Woongjin Bookxen as a CEO and for Woongjin ThinkBig as a managing director and CFO.

At BCG, you are truly valued as an individual, regardless of your age, gender, or background. You are encouraged to develop both your individuality and your expertise, and in my case this has meant focusing on industrial goods. I have been able to gain experience in different industry sectors such as construction, machinery, and mining, but also to specialize in a topic that I feel passionate about: large capital expenditure projects. For me, it has also been very important to build an international career, and at BCG I have been able to work on projects in Europe and Asia. In addition, I had the opportunity to spend one year in BCG's Tokyo office and one year in the Perth office when it was just opened. Both of these experiences were invaluable for me in developing professionally and personally.

Kaori holds an MS in industrial engineering and management from the Helsinki University of Technology. Before joining BCG, she worked for four years with KONE Elevators in Tokyo. Kaori was born and raised in Finland but has her roots in Japan.

Balancing work and family is a top priority for me. I have three young children at home, and I have worked part time since my oldest son was born.

I was elected partner while working part time, and I continue to do fascinating work and drive meaningful change with a great set of clients. I am also able to be the room mom for my son’s pre-school class and take my daughters to gymnastics.

BCG’s flexibility and support is unsurpassed.

Lucy is a member of the consumer practice.

Before joining the firm, Lucy was a consultant with Monitor Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts and spent a summer as an assistant marketing manager for General Mills.

Lucy earned an MBA from Stanford University, where she was named an Arjay Miller Scholar. She also graduated, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a BS in economics.

Done with university, 25 years old, and about to start the marathon which my professional career will represent. Stiff competition with many challengers, it truly is an endurance race—probably not done until I am in my sixties. It sounds terrifying.

Bang, it all starts. Suddenly I am surrounded by a strong group of athletes, with strong legs, strong will, and loads of experience. I feel at ease because I am not running alone and no sharp elbows are hurting me. It is more like a team race: we are more like a relay team than individuals, one for all and all for one.

As I pass the 10km mark I throw a glance, barely a glance, at the race clock just to verify what I already knew—my split time is strong, our split time is strong. I move to the lead to set the pace and the other athletes fall in behind—it feels good to give back once you're good at something. We are all in good shape and maybe, just maybe, this group can take me all the way to the finish line—no matter which challenges we face or how far ahead it lies. At the very least, I have BCG to thank for a great split time in the marathon that a professional career represents.

Egil joined BCG after completing his MS in economics at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration.

His previous experience includes officer training school with the Royal Norwegian Marines.

Since college I have wanted to deliver real impact in a creative area based on the law. After graduating, I joined an insurance company. Even though I was told that I worked quickly and worked well, about three years after joining the company I began to feel dissatisfied. It was time to think about my next career move. I looked for another division to which I could relocate, but found that a transfer took about ten years, and I couldn't wait that long. I decided then to look outside.

Management consulting resolves corporate leaders' problems. This came close to my career goal and the creativity I wanted to express. Another point was that BCG people are all very smart. Their conversation is stimulating. I felt strongly that I would be able to grow quickly at BCG.

A key capability in consulting is using your brain in a completely different way. In other words, you become clear about those areas you need to develop. Because there is much to be learned, you grow with each new challenge.

My strongest desire now is to satisfy my clients. As you devote yourself to your work at BCG, your future career comes naturally into focus. Working at BCG represents the quickest path to achieving your goals.

Toshifumi holds a BA in law from the University of Tokyo.