did a Bachelor in Business Administration at the American University of Beirut, where she graduated with distinction. In 2009, she joined Ernst & Young, where she specialized in performing audits for the banking sector. During more than 4 years with the firm, she climbed up the ladder to become a Senior Auditor and simultaneously became a CPA - Certified Public Accountant. She then became the lead Senior Internal Auditor for MetLife’s Lebanon operations. This role gave her the opportunity to work with the local team, as well as the regional and global internal audit teams. After a year and a half at MetLife, she decided to move to Montreal to join the full-time MBA program at Â鶹AV, where she was actively involved as VP of internal affairs for the Desautels Graduate Student Society. Since her graduation in May 2017, she has been working as a Consultant at Chappuis Halder & Co. We have asked Daisy to tell us a bit about her MBA experience and her choice to join this company.Â
What was your favourite part of the Â鶹AV MBA Program?
My favourite part of the Â鶹AV MBA program was getting the chance to brainstorm and experiment within a safe environment. I came in to the program knowing very well what I did not want in my post-MBA career. The opposite, however, was not true. I was not sure what I wanted my post-MBA career to look like. I spent the full length of the program exploring options that ranged from fashion marketing to starting an event planning company. No ideas were labeled as bad or outrageous; with the support of my classmates, professors and the career services team, I was encouraged to take every idea as a legitimate option for my post-MBA career, to discuss it with industry professionals, weigh the pros and cons and reach a conclusion that I would be convinced with. After a process of elimination, I ended up being convinced with my current career choice but going through this process with my classmates, and knowing that I was not alone in the exploration process made the process less worrying and stressful as well as more exciting and enjoyable.
How did you end up working at Chappuis Halder & Co.?
During the second year of my MBA, I participated in the ‘Chappuis Halder & Co. and Desjardins Insurance Innovation Case Competition’. My teammate Edouard Lyan and I were chosen as the winning team of the case competition and as a result, I got the amazing opportunity of being part of Chappuis Halder & Co. (also known as CH&Co)’s team in Montreal.
Could you tell us more about CH&Co and what sets them apart in your opinion?
CH&Co is a global management consulting firm specializing in the financial services industry. In my opinion, what first sets CH&Co apart from other management consulting firms is the team. While the firm is classified as a ‘boutique’ firm in Montreal with around 20 employees, it also has eight offices all over the world, giving it a global feel while still enjoying the familial aspect in the local office. Montreal employees get access to local as well as global expertise in a wide variety of topics, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), risk management, data management, and many others.
Second, the sense of involvement in influencing the company’s growth and strategy is very rewarding. Consultants at CH& Co are directly involved in all the initiatives and are encouraged to participate in business development. Also, consultants are involved in internal streams such as HR or IT, which make them even more engaged internally.
Third, the exposure to new types of consulting projects is very interesting, and the learning opportunities are endless. Whether it is through being exposed to different projects and clients or through an involvement in content creation and research, the team always has opportunities to develop new expertise and enjoy learning.
In your opinion, what is a key quality that all consultants should have?
It is quite challenging to pick just one quality that is needed to succeed as a consultant. To avoid cliché skills such as team work and positivity that are inevitable in today’s world, I will bundle the variety of skills required under the quality of ‘versatility’.
Today’s successful consultants have a not one, but a variety of skills. In addition to having a structured mindset, consultants are expected to have great people skills to build partnerships and long-lasting relationships with their clients. In order to have credibility with clients and provide real value, consultants should develop specific areas of expertise and be on the radar of the newest market trends of opportunities.
Also, Consultants should deal well with unpredictability. They should be able to juggle client requirements, internal obligations and initiatives, while also being ready to deal with any urgent matters and surprises that may come along during the day. While this bundle of skills seems to be overwhelming, these skills are not expected to all be present from day one in consulting, but rather are developed and perfected with experience.
Pictured above: Here is Daisy at the consulting panel that took place November 2017 with colleagues from McKinsey, Roland Berger, KPMG, and Accenture (also Â鶹AV MBA Alumni).
Desautels MBA Program
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