Corporate Strategy or MBB Knowledge

Question

Situation: Currently I'm working as an Strategy Analyst for a Procurement department in a fund manager with an offer to remain as a Strategy Associate (12 months as Analyst + full time role now - please consider that a promotion is always valued). The role has been created to create from scratch this department which will leverage efficiencies across the funds and allows me to improve stakeholder management (direct contact with suppliers) and be involved in the strategy (dpt. has few resources and in a current ramp-up to bring experts but I would remain as gatekeeper of strategy and processes).

Alternative: I've received an offer to join an MBB Org Design / Op. Models Knowledge Team which would allow me to gain that market expertise / insights in relation to corporate strategy / business transformation.

Decision: If goal is to remain with the most amount of exit options possible but having experience in a MBB is a great leverage for your career, would it be the best option to join MBB Knowledge Team considering I would have a back-office role and the expectations / responsabilities are lower than in my current company?

Goal: Ensure that I can exit at a point MBB Knowledge Team (externally to Corp. Strategy team or internally as Business Analyst - i.e. Fellow intern) avoiding closing doors but having a reputational role.

Answer 1

Congrats! Here’s my take:

Stay (Strategy Associate in Fund Manager)
– Pros: Greater ownership, real strategy work, direct stakeholder exposure
– Risk: Niche scope (procurement), less external brand leverage

Move (MBB Knowledge Team, Org Design)
– Pros: Strong brand, access to MBB network and methodologies, potential internal mobility later
– Risk: Back-office perception, less operational responsibility, unclear path to external strategy roles

Conclusion
– If your priority is long-term optionality and MBB brand matters to your target employers, the Knowledge Team move makes sense
– But be proactive early on: build relationships internally, push for visible work, and clarify if internal transfer to consulting track is viable down the line

Let me know if you want to draft a message for negotiating or exploring lateral moves inside MBB.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

Hello

Join the MBB Knowledge Team. Even as a back-office role, brand, visibility, and network position you better long-term. You have room to transition later on to a front-line role or leave to corp strategy with higher credentials. Your current job has depth aplenty, but MBB gives you broader leverage.

Best, Alessa

Answer 3

Hi there!

Let's put aside the fact that it's impossible to know what will give you most exit options because it all depends on what you will do while in those roles as well as the state of the market when you want to do the exit.

In that case, indeed, the McKinsey role might be the more obviously prestigious one and give you the highest range of options.

If you allow me though, having your goal that of remaining 'with the most amount of exit options possible' sounds a bit loaded. In the sense that it might be worth doing a bit of introspective work to figure out what you actually want rather than moving from one role to the other, without a clear idea of what you're finally aiming at.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

Hi there,

You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this, and both options offer valuable experience — but since your long-term goal is to keep as many doors open as possible, here are a few perspectives to consider:

Joining an MBB Knowledge Team does carry strong brand value, and can definitely open doors externally, especially in corporate strategy, transformation, and internal consulting roles. Even though it’s a non-client-facing role, you’ll still gain exposure to top-tier strategic thinking, frameworks, and internal networks. That said, transitioning internally to a client-facing consulting role (like BA or Fellow Intern) is possible but not guaranteed — it often depends on performance, networking, and business needs.

On the other hand, your current offer as a Strategy Associate sounds like a high-impact, visible role with real ownership and stakeholder engagement. Building a function from scratch, driving strategy, and owning processes can position you as a future corporate strategy leader — and hiring managers value that kind of end-to-end responsibility.

If you’re optimizing for reputation and optionality, the MBB brand may offer a broader signaling advantage early in your career, especially if you aim to move internationally or into elite MBA programs later. But if you’re optimizing for depth of ownership and leadership experience, staying might give you more autonomy and strategic muscle early on.

There’s no wrong choice here — just different strengths. If you do choose MBB, make sure to network internally and clarify possible pathways early. And either way, you’re building a strong and unique foundation.

Happy to chat more if helpful!

Best,

Evelina