"Find a way to connect the dots to see how that really helps you to become the next version of yourself"
Mr. Jasper Yip
Class of 2013
While I was exploring mainly the financial industry, I kept myself open to different options. This was when Oliver Wyman came into play in my career. I discovered an interesting intersection between management consulting and finance – both provide clients with insights and help them formulate strategies to tackle existing challenges. This sparked my thought to try out the consulting industry with my financial expertise and intellectual curiosity.
What do you specifically like about your career?
First, being a consultant grants me the opportunity to get to know and connect with many prominent people in the workspace. Second, the team environment in consulting enables me to connect with a lot of great minds and bring people together. Third, I really enjoy being able to generate and witness my impact through different projects. In consulting, there are a lot of times when you would feel very satisfied seeing our clients really acting out what your team advises them to do.
What was the biggest challenge you have ever encountered? How did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge is you always have to project maturity beyond your age. When I first entered consulting as a career at 23 or 24, I was tasked to advise people with 5 to 10 years of experience in the industry. It really takes a lot for you to step up and learn things very quickly and be able to educate or advise your clients on a matter that is truly important to them. Now, as a partner, I have to connect with C-suite people of major companies to help them think through the top-of-the-house strategy question they're dealing with. It is a very challenging process that pushes me to find a way to become more mature and convince people that age isn't necessarily important as long as you can find the right way to provide them with a solution.
What do you think is the most valuable advice that you have taken from others?
The most important advice I have received is to think about what your client wants or needs versus what you know and are trying to tell. It's very easy to fall into the trap of generating an analysis you are interested in but ending up in a situation where your client lost interest or just got lost in it. So it's always important to take a step back, think through, and tailor the communication to the clients.
HKUST GBUS Alumni Series
Chapter 2 | Jasper Yip
