Christopher Mullin

What's your job about?

I’m a senior consultant at Oliver Wyman, a global strategy consultancy with over 5,000 staff across 70+ global offices. Oliver Wyman works with clients to provide strategic advice on how they can optimise their business and accelerate their organisational performance.

As a senior consultant, I am responsible for owning the structuring, execution, and completion of work modules within a project (only staffed on one project at a time). Most of your time is typically split across four types of work:

1. Excel – Excel modelling tends to be the primary method of quantitative analysis (although Python and other tools such as Geospatial modelling are becoming more prevalent). In the past, I was responsible for owning a cost and profitability model for a new transportation route, used in the context of assessing market entry
2. Stakeholder Interviews – This is one method of gathering primary information for a project (others include consumer surveys and desktop research) and can be with clients, independent industry experts, or global Oliver Wyman partners
3. Whiteboarding/Ideation – This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the job and is where hypotheses on potential problems are formed (usually consists of brainstorming and prioritising ideas with your team around a whiteboard)
4. PowerPoint –  This is the way consultants articulate their findings and hone their messaging. It tends to be the output of the above three steps

While these are the main elements of the job, plenty of time is also spent on getting involved in firm-wide social activities.

What's your background?

I grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, playing squash at a competitive level and enjoying the laid-back lifestyle that Brisbane is known for. I was fortunate enough to travel abroad to both Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Zagreb (Croatia) for 2 semesters during my time at university, which formed an interest in travel and a desire to seek out new experiences (two things that get fulfilled in my job!). Back at my home university, I also got involved in social impact clubs and case competition teams, which led to my interest in consulting.

Following my graduation, I moved to Sydney with my partner in 2021 to work in corporate finance at a large bank. While I learned a lot and enjoyed my time there, I still had an interest in consulting and decided to seek out a new role after about 12 months. This led to me joining Oliver Wyman in March 2022.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes! The beauty of consulting is that every time you start a new project in a new industry, everyone starts from zero (Projects that I’ve worked on include the review of an airline network planning process, commercial due diligence on the sale of telecommunication towers, and the creation of an operational risk framework for a global microfinance not-for-profit). This means we have a variety of backgrounds (e.g., politics, arts, maths), and everyone is supported through formal and informal learning. The main criterion for success is a genuine curiosity about the problem at hand, and a willingness to be coachable.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

The coolest thing about the job is that you’re working on challenging, high-priority problems. The tangible outcome of your work may manifest itself as a presentation to the CEO of an ASX100 company or as a headline in the AFR, but either way, it motivates you to produce your best work. It’s a bonus that along the way you have access to the cumulative expertise of industry veterans that would be off-limits to almost anyone else, allowing you to learn constantly and be stimulated.

What are the limitations of your job?

The downside of the job is the intensity which it can sometimes necessitate. While the pace of work and hours logged aren’t any worse than peer companies in the industry, it can take its toll over time if you don’t look after yourself. Fortunately, this has been a big focus for the industry in recent times, and there are many initiatives in place to support a sustainable work-life balance, while also providing plenty of incentives to ensure that people are rewarded for their hard work (e.g., work offsites, team dinners and extra leave)

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

1. Make the most of your opportunities at university. If that means taking an extra year to complete your studies, then that might even be a good thing!
2. Don’t feel the need to rush into your perceived ‘dream job’ – there’s value in taking a winding path to reach your destination, and there’s no better time to explore career paths than straight out of university.
3. Make sure you periodically take the time to understand what motivates you. The corporate world exposes you to many motivated people with different aspirations – don't get caught up working towards someone else's goal.