Karoline, Associate Consultant

What was your background prior to joining OC&C?

I was born and raised in Norway and did my BSc in Economics at the Norwegian School of Economics with exchange semesters in Shanghai and Manchester. I really enjoyed studying abroad so I decided to undertake a 2-year master’s in Management at ESCP Europe, studying for one year in London and one year in Paris. After my studies, I worked for Google and Innovation Norway for shorter periods, but (oddly enough) fell in love with London in the end and decided to apply to OC&C.

What’s your favorite OC&C experience?

One of my favorite experiences at OC&C so far was organising this year’s event for International Women’s Day. We asked the entire office to send a PowerPoint slide each (we are consultants after all!) about a woman that inspired them and why. These slides were displayed on large screens in the cafeteria throughout the day for everyone to see. At lunch time, we bought some amazing cakes and gathered the entire office to view the slides together. The contributions we got ranged from personal stories about moms, wives and family members, inspirational clients who made us think differently about how we understand industry dynamics, to fierce and compassionate CEOs who both men and women at this firm aspire to become. It was a great way of celebrating inspirational women and to fuel a positive conversation about gender equality.

What do you like to get up to in your free time outside of the office?

I’ve recently taken up boxing as a weekend-activity, which is somewhat painful but so much fun! London is also a great place for a foodie like me, and I try to eat at a new restaurant at least once every weekend. As we most often work from our London office, I have more flexibility to travel over the weekend. My goal for this year is to explore more of the UK – and to drive on the left hand side of the road for the first time!

What advice would you give to someone applying at OC&C?

Try to look at the interview process as a two-way process. You want to make sure that OC&C is the right choice for you, so do ask questions and try to get to know the company on a deeper level to make sure it is the right match for you. If you are able to have fun and enjoy the process, you will get so much more out of it!