The reception counter at the New York office of Mercer Oliver Wyman (MOW) operates like a library's circulation desk. However, instead of circulating books, the receptionist checks in consultants who are "hotdesking" and checks out desks. When I arrive, I ask for Michael Gormley, who is the marketing manager of MOW and my appointed guide for the day. I wait for him briefly on a black leather chair.
Michael greets me and we walk to "Gramercy." (Every meeting room is named after a New York City neighborhood; every conference room is named after a famous New York City building.) I leave my belongings on a black ergonomic chair and head to the lunchroom ("Hell's Kitchen") with Michael for some coffee.
As we walk over, I notice a long, wide table in the middle of the office. It looks like a king's banquet table. A few consultants sit in clusters at different points along it. Michael tells me that it is called the "Zen Zone." Fitting, I think. (Everyone is focused.)
Back in Gramercy, with a black mug-full of espresso in hand, I sit down to chat with Amira Leifer, the head of North American Human Capital at MOW. She tells me about her transition from McKinsey to Mercer. We discuss Mercer's "distinctive value proposition": the promise of an entrepreneurial environment, "readiness-based" and not "tenure-based" promotions, and the lack of an up-or-out policy. She smiles when she talks about her job of helping consultants through career development issues.
Soon after, I meet Stacey Mullin, whose title is "consultant," though her role is that of a senior job manager. (At MOW, client-facing employees are either "consultants" or "directors," regardless of tenure.) She beams while recounting her past six years at the firm. We talk about her experiences abroad: the year in Germany and The Netherlands where she met her fianc
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.