Andreas Meiser
What did you do previously in your career, and what made you choose the independent path?
After six years at McKinsey & Company in Germany, I joined forces with a colleague to create a biotechnology start-up. When we transferred business activities to the US, I found myself with more time on my hands, which I used to do some independent consulting work. I very much enjoyed being back in consulting, and so I continued… it’s been over seven years now.
What are the main other activities you do alongside your consulting projects?
I still work as adviser for our start-up. I enjoy the variety of my work: independent consultant on one hand, and technical scientific advisor on the other.
You have a lot going on. How do you balance it all?
A while ago I took up running, and I now realise how important it has become for me. It takes hard work at times to be disciplined enough to keep going during projects… I also try to go into the mountains and get away from everything at least once a year – including laptops, internet and email.
And what are the most fulfilling aspects of what you do?
I enjoy working with different people on different topics. On each project you learn completely new things. You can observe what companies do to keep the world running, even if you don’t usually notice all the activities that happen behind the scenes.
As an independent consultant, why do you choose to work with Eden McCallum?
Eden McCallum is a professional consultancy, and I definitely enjoy the family-like atmosphere in the London office – it feels good to be a part of the team.
What have been some of the high points in your work with Eden McCallum?
I love projects that have a scientific core and business development goals. One of my most rewarding projects was to develop business cases around smart particles, which are able to make industrial processes more efficient and reduce their environmental impact. On the more personal side, I enjoy to work with analysts and see how they develop throughout the duration of a project while you work with them.
In what ways does being independent influence your impact on projects?
Since I can choose which projects I want to work on, I am able to select projects that I personally find interesting.
How does working with Eden McCallum differ from working within a traditional consulting firm?
While the work itself is very similar, the big advantage is that teams work smoothly and get along well, as team members don’t compete with each other. Also, it’s much easier to take time off between projects and do something different.
What would you say are some of the characteristics of a successful independent consultant? Any advice for those considering this path?
As an independent consultant, you need to learn to deal with ambiguity as projects often come out of the blue; and predicting your project pipeline is a difficult task. To be successful, it is essential to apply a solid set of consulting tools.