• INSEAD MBA
• 8+ years of consulting industry experience
• Entrepreneur and former Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company

Byron Ascott-Evans worked for McKinsey for five years, doing projects in the world of strategy, organization, and private equity. As a consultant, he cut across many industries, working on projects in North America, Europe, the Far East, and Africa. Byron was a strategic projects analyst for SABMiller Africa before moving to McKinsey. Between roles at McKinsey, Byron also completed his MBA at INSEAD.

Byron is an extremely focused professional dedicated to expanding economic opportunities in his home country of South Africa. Most recently, he launched South Africa’s first rooftop boules activity pop-up, Let’s Talk Boules, in Cape Town. Already, the integrated entertainment space has hosted one of South Africa’s leading banks for a corporate function. In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, Byron’s passions include traveling and teaching. He brings great enthusiasm and commitment to his teaching, with a genuine interest in helping students to achieve their own professional goals. 

Clients don’t want discrete solutions, they want an end-to-end solution that is fully cognizant of their context. Consulting professionals will need to listen and seek to understand more, have deep expertise in one area while having a handle on the top issues in different industries and functions.

Q&A with Byron:

What do you enjoy most about your industry?

Three things: (1) Constantly learning about new industries and/or functions, (2) working on questions that matter, and (3) being challenged daily but feeling supported every step of the way. 

What are you working on right now?

I’m setting up a program to help small-to-medium enterprises in the manufacturing, agro-processing, and services sectors overcome their biggest growth challenge so they can scale and create jobs.

Why did you decide to get involved with teaching and how do you continue to keep things fresh?

I’ve taught throughout my career and it has been something I’ve always said I want to do more of. To keep things engaging for students, I try to make the theory as practical as possible – for example, using immersive learning techniques and real-world examples.

How do you see the consulting industry changing in the next year to five years? What skills will professionals need to have?

Clients don’t want discrete solutions, they want an end-to-end solution that is fully cognizant of their context (e.g., level of maturity, capability, shareholder expectations). Professionals will need to listen and seek to understand more, to have deep expertise in one area while having a handle on the top issues in different industries and functions.

What skills will students have after graduating from your class?

Students will leave my class with a toolkit that they can apply in their studies and any future career. They will have the ability to get smart on a problem quickly, and an understanding of how to leverage the strengths of a team.

What’s one piece of advice that you have for the class of 2021?

Take ownership, and take risks.

What would students be surprised to learn about you?

I started my own DJ business when I was 13. Also, I know all the lyrics to Wonderwall.