EP21 – Expanding Our Toolkits: Taking Our PhDs Into Strategy Consulting

Florian Muller shares his journey from growing up in Berlin with a global perspective to leading Bain’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in EMEA. He discusses how early interests in technology and business evolved into a career focused on AI and innovation. Hear how Florian is helping clients scale AI solutions through integrated teams and strategic execution.

Sarah Elk shares her journey from environmental engineering to leading Bain’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in the Americas. She reflects on her path through multiple industries, her passion for transformation, and how she’s helping clients embed AI into core strategy. Hear how Sarah is bridging technology and organizational change to drive scalable, lasting impact.

Richard Fleming’s career spans continents and industries, driven by his passion for technology and making an impact. From building roads in Africa to leading Bain’s AI, Insights, & Solutions practice in APAC, he shares how personal goals, global experiences, and a deep curiosity for AI have shaped his journey. Hear how Richard is helping clients turn strategy into action through cutting-edge innovation. 

Eric Sheng, Bain’s Global Lead of Data Science and Machine Learning Engineering Group, shares how his passion for technology led him to leading AI innovation across industries. From early roles at HP and NVIDIA to shaping strategic solutions at Bain, he reflects on the power of technical depth, curiosity, and real-world impact.

Chuck Whitten, Global Head of Bain’s digital capabilities, shares his journey from consulting to leading digital transformation at scale. He discusses how these capabilities integrate AI, data science, and enterprise technology into business strategy, helping companies solve their toughest challenges. With insights on Bain’s partnerships with OpenAI and Microsoft, as well as the future of AI-driven disruption, this episode explores how companies can leverage technology to redefine their industries.

Christophe De Vusser, Bain’s Worldwide Managing Partner, returns to Beyond the Bio to discuss his vision for the firm. Christophe reflects on navigating today’s challenging global business environment and shares how Bain is supercharging client success through innovation, technology, and extraordinary teaming. Listen to an inspiring conversation on leadership, collaboration, and the strategies driving Bain’s continued impact.  If you're a longtime listener, you’ve heard Christophe’s journey to Bain from his first appearance on the podcast. Rather than repeating his career story, the first half of this episode features highlights from that original conversation to bring you up to speed. If you’re already familiar with his background, skip to 14:00 to hear Christophe discuss his agenda as Worldwide Managing Partner in his return to the show.

Keith Bevans returns to Beyond the Bio after his sabbatical, joining guest host Daniel Yellin to reflect on this year’s episodes. They explore themes of professional growth and development highlighted through stories of role transitions and career advancements among guests. The episode also offers a preview of what’s to come for the podcast in 2025.

In this episode re-release, we re-introduce Kelly Boone Swaintek, a partner in our Austin office who transitioned to a career in consulting after serving in the U.S. Army. Knowing firsthand the challenges veterans face reentering civilian life and the workforce, Kelly continues to advocate for and support veterans as they transition to a career at Bain. This episode was originally shared on the podcast in November 2021. Learn more about Veterans at Bain affiniity group at bain.com/careers/life-at-bain/affinity-groups/.

Guest Host Daniel Yellin speaks with John Dryden, a lead data scientist based in our Los Angeles office. John spent a decade working in industry data science roles before joining Bain in 2022. He recently won Bain’s Global Hackathon by creating CreationSpace (formerly known as Seer), an AI-driven consumer insights platform, which is now part of our Founder's Studio and will soon spin out as a standalone startup. Listen to John's journey from industry to consulting and how Bain helped him develop a tech startup.   John isn't the only data scientist who has stopped by the show to share their Bain experience. After hearing from John, listen to our episode with Sharona Sankar-King on "Why More Data Scientists are Coming to Bain."    Curious about how Bain's Global Hackathon produces new startups and CEOs? Listen to our episode with Patrick Obeid ("Patrick Obeid’s Journey from Bain Consultant to an ESG CEO"), a previous winner who now leads as CEO of ESG Flo, the leading ESG software that leverages AI to seamlessly automate the collection and transformation of ESG data into audit-ready metrics. 

Guest host Daniel Yellin talks with manager Alice Saltão da Silva and senior manager Lee Foster, both based in our Atlanta office, about transitioning into consulting. Alice went from professional dancing to earning a dual DPT/PhD and joining Bain through our ADvantage program, while Lee shifted from teaching and policy work with Teach for America to consulting after earning her MPP. They highlight how diverse backgrounds enrich Bain's teams and align with the firm's principle of "Diverse Teams, One Bain," demonstrating that varied experiences can enhance consulting success.