Quit MBB on 1 year basis

Question

Hi,

For the last year I've been working on a MBB and I've noticed I don't really enjoy the daily basis and what would suit better for me is a start-up / scale-up.

I've received an offer to move as a Head of Strategy & Business Operations to a 200 FTEs scale-up to lead reestructuring, GTM to EMESA / LATAM and drive a large upside on x years as they've gone under a sell-off to large TMT, PE, etc players to drive growth.

My question is: considering the offer I have, is it a good exit opportunity considering the 1 year landmark?

Answer 1

hey there :)

Yes, this can be a very strong exit even after one year, especially given the senior scope, direct ownership and exposure to GTM, restructuring and value creation. From an MBB perspective, exits are judged much more on role quality and learning curve than on an arbitrary tenure threshold, and a Head of Strategy role in a 200 FTE scale up with clear upside is well defensible. If the mandate is real and you will truly lead these topics, it is absolutely a credible and attractive move. Feel free to reach out if you want to sanity check specifics.

best,
Alessa :)

Answer 2

This is a fantastic opportunity, and you should absolutely prioritize the quality of the exit over trying to hit some arbitrary time stamp on your resume.

The standard advice is often to stay 18-24 months to gain the promotion and better signal quality, but that rule exists primarily for candidates who are being pushed out or taking a generic exit. You are being pulled into a role that is genuinely high-leverage. Taking a "Head of Strategy & Business Operations" title at a 200-person, strategically backed scale-up after just one year shows incredible optionality and validates your MBB experience instantly.

The critical factor here is the strategic backing (TMT/PE players). This structure significantly de-risks the scale-up environment; it ensures professionalism, established metrics, and a clearer mandate, which is exactly what an MBB consultant needs when jumping into operations. You are moving from a planning role to a leadership role with execution P&L impact on GTM and restructuring. This is a clear, upward step on the impact scale.

My advice: take the role. Focus your remaining time on making sure you leverage your firm’s knowledge base for best practices around restructuring and GTM before you leave. When you explain the move later, frame the short tenure as a highly opportunistic pivot to take a leadership position that was a perfect fit for your skill set and career trajectory—it was too good to wait for.

All the best with the transition!

Answer 3

Hi,

It sounds like there is significant upside if you either expect a good exit in x years time (your phrasing wasn't very clear if the start-up is already PE owned and looking for first buyout or first exit).

I think if you don't enjoy the work, make the jump. It could open more doors to similar contexts i.e. startups in the phase of scaling up, tech ops etc