According to Wikipedia, sobremesa is “the Spanish tradition of relaxing at the table after a heavy meal, that typically lasts between half an hour and an hour.” I might need to submit a correction, because if you’ve ever had dinner with an Argentine like myself, you probably know that the conversation after a meal is at least two to four hours long. I have always found so much joy and inspiration in the simple act of engaging with people – the sharing of ideas, the fostering and nurturing of relationships. It is a passion that extends well beyond friendly meals and has shaped my career in management consulting, where effective collaboration is critical to achieving impactful results.
After graduating with an Undergrad and MA in Economics in Buenos Aires, I moved to Washington DC to begin my career as an economic researcher at the World Bank before transitioning to a fintech big data start-up, where I spearheaded the international expansion of our operations and led teams across three countries. From these experiences, I learned how much I enjoyed leveraging diverse perspectives and talent into effective strategies and, with the help of multiple mentors, realized how well it would position me for success in consulting.
I like to think that the cultural tradition of “sobremesa” has stayed with me in spirit and helps me always to put people first, whether it be my teams, my clients, or their consumers.
As a result, I decided to pursue an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and subsequently joined Bain & Company. Throughout projects with a wide variety of clients, I always found the most fulfilling ones always involved consumer facing industries because it required listening to the voice of the consumer to understand their sentiment and behaviors. Therefore I decided to continue my consulting career at A&M Consumer and Retail Group. Here at CRG I lead talented teams of consultants and former industry operators, and work closely with clients to deliver bold strategies that ultimately impact how people perceive, engage, and relate with a brand.
Although we sadly may not have the time to indulge in sobremesa with every team and client interaction, I would like to think that this cultural tradition stays with me in spirit and helps me always to put people first, whether it be my teams, my clients, or their consumers.