Q&A with Alex Liu - 2/19

What advice would you give to junior staff on cultivating mentorship and sponsorship?

Alex, although it's clear you enjoy what you do and are an inherently driven person, I'm sure there have been times that you would really rather not do some work but powered through anyways.

Which city has the nicest ATK office?

Alex - amazing how you’ve taken out the taken out time to answer all of these questions is such detailed manner. I’m so glad I’m joining you guys in 2 weeks...

Just wanted to say “Thank you” Alex for taking time to give your thoughtful and thorough responses today! Can’t stress enough how impactful your answers are.

As companies get more sophisticated with their in house strategy, data science and analytics groups in shaping their strategy, how do you see the role of consulting firms evolving over time?

You seem to be a big believer in EQ > IQ, especially in our business. Does this let you handle failure better? What is your tolerance when your teams fail? Do you believe in fail fast, fail often?

Hi Alex. What would you like your legacy at AT Kearney be known for?

How do you balance the perceived bias towards extroverts in consulting? ATK culture is shifting towards being more fun, social, informal & collaborative. What does that mean for introverts?

Hi Alex, What do you typically look at when laterally hiring from other consulting firms?

Can you talk about ‘joyful consulting'? I saw it mentioned in your FT article and it was interesting to hear that word used in a consulting context... what do you mean by it? What is ATK doing?

Hi Alex - when looking at professional services today as compared to 5-10 years ago, how do you now prioritize the personal health of employees? The new gen. demands flexibility to sleep, workout, etc

How is ATK planning to deal with the disruptions in the consulting industry?

How has being Asian American influenced your consulting career? Have you faced any bamboo ceiling challenges throughout your career?

Hi Alex, what’s the biggest challenge you are facing, after being as the MP of the firm for a year?

What are the things you read regularly that most inform your point of view?

Thank you so much for doing this Alex! What advice would you give to a junior employee at ATK who wants to become MP some day?

Alex, what are the top things that help you build strong relationships with your clients and be a trusted advisor for them for years ?

How would you compare your time at a tech startup to consulting?

What would you advise on building/keeping relationships with senior clients? As a manager I can fairly easily build rapport during the project behind my expertise, however...

How much of your success do you think is due to hard work vs. luck?

Alex, what are some of the most inspiring books you’ve read? How do you approach learning on an annual basis?

At what age do you see yourself retiring? I am going to take a wild guess and say you are pretty well off so what keeps you working instead of being on a beach somewhere 😎

With the rise of internal consulting arms within the Fortune 100, freelance consulting, AI-based consulting, and/or other new/ growing players...

Alex, I have witnessed myself + peers be staffed in roles solely to be billable (ie $ for project officer), rather than roles suitable to personal prof. dev. Friends at MBB don't have this issue.C… more

When assuming new role/stepping up to bigger challenge (changing a country, leading big program) what would be your advice on things to prioritize to ensure fast & successful ramp-up in the new ga… more

Continuous learning is key to success. What are you learning now? And what shall we learn to stay ahead of the game?

What behaviour turns you off the most?

What’s a common mistake you see younger employees making as they look to climb the corporate ladder?

Alex, what are we doing to promote female representation at all levels, but especially senior levels at ATK? Esp. given there are major ATK offices today in which there is not one female partner.

How do you reinvent yourself in this profession when what you were once a specialist at may have grown old or the market has saturated? How do pick the next best thing to place your bets on & purs… more

What is your advice for consultants/ managers who are a bit "late" to the consulting game but bring strong experience and leadership skills?

Alex, do you root for foreign candidates and hire them?

In a partnership model, how do you ensure incentives stay aligned and that varied contributions are properly rewarded at the partner level? How do you avoid bureaucracy & keep partners client faci… more

What responsibilities do consulting firms have when they consider taking on “controversial” clients? (E.g. authoritarian governments, gun manufacturers, pharma companies, etc.)

What's the best advice you've ever gotten?

Hi Alex! What makes you stay at ATK and what are your priorities for both ATK and the consulting industry as a whole in the foreseeable future?

What character traits would you suggest to focus on building early on in one's career?

In your opinion, what can disrupt consulting industry?