A thought leader in diversity and diverse leadership teams, Vivian Hunt was named one of 2017’s Top 25 Consultants by the Consulting Magazine.
Managing Partner for McKinsey & Company’s United Kingdom and Ireland offices, Hunt is no stranger to this type of recognition. Earlier this year, the London Financial Times listed her as one of the 30 City people who will most influence Britain’s post-Brexit future, and she has been named as the “most influential black woman in Britain” by the Powerlist Foundation.
Diversity Matters
An eloquent proponent of racial and gender diversity, at McKinsey Hunt has co-authored one of the influential consultancy firm’s most downloaded and most shared articles: “The Power of Parity: How advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth” (McKinsey Institute, September 2016).
It’s a powerful statement that makes the case for gender and ethnically diverse companies – and how they are more likely to outperform their less diverse competitors.
She is in no doubt of the importance or resonance this work has, telling Consulting Magazine: “At McKinsey we work with some truly exceptional people on some of the toughest problems facing our clients and, through them, society. We have the opportunity to make a difference at scale, across a wide range of industries and functions.”
A Medical and Pharmaceutical Focus
Her work has led to diverse roles including sitting on the Advisory Council of Tate Modern and the Southbank Centre, Chair of the CBI London Council, and chair of HRH Prince of Wales’ Business in the Community’s “Seeing is Believing” program. But she began her early career with a focus on the medical sector – leading McKinsey’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Products practice in EMEA.
“I always gravitate back to healthcare as my base,” she told Consulting Magazine, “I think this is because there’s always a human story at the heart of it and it sits right at the intersection of the private, public, and third sectors.”
Before her Harvard MBA and subsequent job with McKinsey in Boston, Hunt had joined the Peace Corps after her undergraduate degree. She worked in Senegal as a midwife and primary care worker for two and a half years.
Managing Partner UK & Ireland
Now, Hunt has risen to managing partner at McKinsey’s UK and Ireland division, leading a team of 1,100 representing 50 nationalities. She continues to advise leading companies on a broad range of strategy topics, with a particular focus on performance transformation and organizational development, and be a powerful advocate for diversity.
