Hey there,

Yes, of course. There’s many paths leading to C-level but there’s no path that works for all! 

The only commonality is that it takes time and effort (+ luck) for anyone to get there (for established corporates, not startups) and you will have to prove yourself along your own personal path.

 I have worked with many C-level folks and they all had such different backgrounds:

• Some are super specialized (often in Germany), others have MBAs
• Some have been with an entity for 15ys before getting the “C”, others were hired external
• Some are great and caring people leaders, others are ruthless with limited social skills
• Some wanted to get there desperately, others just sort of ended up there as it was meant to be

When I started my path, nobody would have predicted where I ended up. This is the case for most people, including yourself.

If in doubt, take a leap of faith and go with your gut!

Best of luck!

Moritz

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(editiert)

Seems like you've spent quite some time thinking about this. I appreciate the analysis. 

At the same time, I believe it's impossible to generalise. Climbing to C-level is all about the value you provide and the relationships you develop. 

You could do these from any position of the organisation, as long as you make the value transparent and you have access to developing these relationships. 

In-house consulting can actually give you great access to both these things because you end up working on issues that are relevant for the entire organisation, often pulling together different departments and working with their leaders and having a transparent impact that can be correlated with the top metrics of the organisation.

At the same time, you could achieve this also from being in Opeartions and working your way up to head of the divison or somewhere else. 

Best,
Cristian

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Hi there,

Q: In a nutshell - if my ultimate goal is to rise to a C-level within the group, would it be helpful to join such a role that focuses on operational aspects for functions and BU? Or, it would be better to join a corporate strategy team that focuses more on the “big impact” projects?

It seems you have done due diligence already on the likelihood of an exit from in-house consulting firms similar to the one you would join. From what you shared, this is possible but not very common. 

Whether it is the best path for you depends on the alternative you would have compared to that exit. I would also account for how much you like the team/job of the in-house consulting, as your long-term goals might change.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi,

I think that Christian just said it. 

Climbing the C-Level is not about the position per se, but an individual. If you are motivated enough and know how to build professional connections, it doesn't really matter where you are coming from and what your background is. Also, luck can often play a role when it comes to one's career advancement.

Most of those working in the corporate world would be fine with their specialist or middle management roles, with no desire to play politics and climb any higher.

Regards,
Nick

 

Hi there,

While I really like that you're being objective-driven here, I'd actually recommend less “strict” targets when picking between offers, if that makes sense. Think about general career goals and other aims (type or work, workplace etc.). Additionally, think about which role is the most flexible in terms of future career goals (they might change!)

Ultimately,  yes, this role can lead to a C-suite position (after many years!), but, as the other coaches have mentioned, this absolutely depends on the individual.

While the “corporate strategy” type is more promising in terms of reaching a top-level position in a large corporate, it is very important that you do your own research regarding how this works in the specific company you are joining. It is possible that their path to the top indeed expects you to be good at those types of problems you have in their internal consulting department.