About Jiyeon

Jiyeon Song is a Managing Director and Partner (MDP) from the BCG Seoul office. She joined BCG as an associate consultant in 2007 and worked in the BCG Tokyo office as a consultant for three years. She has led multiple projects in the Consumer Practice Area as a core consumer Project Manager since 2014 in BCG Seoul. For the past 5 years, she has been developing and leading projects in BCG Seoul Consumer PA for Korean mega e-commerce platforms, legacy retailers, and top logistics players.

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A positive transformation

BCG was my first professional home in my mid-twenties, and I find it hard to believe that seventeen years have already passed. During my tenure, I’ve witnessed a huge transformation within the company. From a business perspective, BCG has grown a lot and made a strong name for itself. While the old-school consulting firms were all about fancy strategies and theories, we shifted our attention to forward-thinking areas like tech, which turned out to be a smart move. What also makes BCG stand out from the crowd is that they focus on putting people first. BCG is dedicated to continuously improving the work environment by introducing flexible work arrangements and nurturing an inclusive culture. The evident strides in diversity and inclusion, particularly through initiatives supporting women, signal a meaningful evolution. The consistent emphasis on these priorities by our People Chair during global meetings underscores our dedication to fostering positive change.

Choosing all: career, family, and myself

BCG truly cares for its people. The countless well-being and flex programs it provides coupled with the support I receive from my family are some of the reasons I was able to be successful at the firm. I met my husband at BCG and he’s just become a BCG Alumnus. Being a former BCGer, he always understood my daily routine and the schedule that my job demands. With my daughters, though, I used to worry they would resent me in the future if I wasn’t able to manage my professional and personal life. But I’ve slowly realized that quality is far more important than quantity. As long as I am giving my children my undivided attention whenever I can like during weekends and holidays, they will grow to understand and respect me as an individual, recognizing the importance of the work that I do, taking pride in their mother. The support from my family is very important, even my mother plays a role and is there to help around and offer her heartfelt advice when I need it. With my new role as a Managing Director and Partner, I also realized that work can be never-ending and without hard stops. Since then, I also started making the most of my “Me Time” which was suggested by other successful MDPs to maintain a healthy balance. I take time to focus on my physical and mental health by exercising, shopping, and spending time with my family.

The mentor-mentee relationships at BCG

BCG offers a great network of mentors who were always there to support and guide me on the right path. Getting cheered for you on your success is what you experience with such great people around you at BCG. Throughout my career progression at BCG, my seniors have always had my back and offered me great advice and support whenever I needed it. For example, when I got my role as a Project Leader, I connected with my senior leadership and received practical tips and advice. Each piece of advice I received helped me mentally prepare for the challenges ahead. As an MDP now, I am gaining a lot of knowledge from hands-on work experience in real-world projects. I am focused on working with a variety MDPs, constantly learning, and establishing other role models to look up to. I thrive at BCG because of the mentorship I receive from my seniors, but also because my role lets me use my curiosity and problem-solving skills to tackle tough challenges: BCG has continually presented me with new challenges and goals, fueling the desire to keep climbing the mountain of professional growth.

My best memory at BCG so far

My most memorable moment at BCG was when I was appointed as an MDP at the World-Wide Officers Meeting in Mumbai, India. The applause from my peers and senior leadership that lasted for nearly 10 minutes was evidence of the recognition of my hard work and dedication. It was a moment of reflection, where the 15+ years of my BCG journey from Associate to MDP flashed through my mind, evoking a mix of fear and excitement for the future.

The world is constantly changing, but at BCG, I feel like I am right at the forefront. I enjoy helping big companies solve problems and stay ahead of the curve. This drive to be innovative is yet another reason I love working at BCG.

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