Success with Flex

Management consulting is a challenging and rewarding career. A.T. Kearney recognizes that the ingredients for success are different for everyone—and may change over the course of a career. Our “Success with Flex” program offers a suite of flexible work and alternative-path programs for greater flexibility in balancing the needs of both work and life. The program provides opportunities to work differently, such as through part-time options or working at home, or to do different work, such as internal job rotation. There is no one-size-fits-all career path, and A.T. Kearney is committed to working with our people on tailored career solutions that create a foundation for true success across the dimensions of family, client and firm.

Spotlight on Two “Success with Flex” Users

Rob Pepper, Manager, Atlanta
As a child, I never dreamed of becoming a consultant. Honestly, I didn’t consider it as a potential career before business school. However, over the course of my summer internship, I realized I had a passion for the profession and an affinity for A.T. Kearney’s people and culture. So, I joined the firm full-time after graduate school in 2007. Working for A.T. Kearney has provided me with too many rewarding experiences to count, but when my daughter was born I felt increasing pressure to work fewer hours and travel less so that I could be present more often for those once-in-a-lifetime moments of her childhood.

I considered leaving consulting in pursuit of a better work-life balance. However, I struggled to find an industry opportunity that would be as challenging and fulfilling as the bar set by A.T. Kearney. Friends and mentors within the firm encouraged me to consider the part-time program as a possible solution. At first, I was a bit skeptical because I thought I would lose touch with clients and the aspects of firm building that I truly enjoyed. After careful consideration, I made the decision to switch to a four-day work week, wherein I typically work at a client site for three days and from my local office two half-days. The split works well because it helps me stay connected to the office culture, which is part of what I love about the firm.

Life since the transition to the Flexible Work Program has been amazing. I am able to take my daughter to and from school two days a week, and we spend a lot more time making dinner and working on school projects together. My wife enjoys having me home more as well, especially since more things are getting done on the “honey do” list than before. I have even found time to take a few strokes off my golf game. I continue to enjoy and deliver great client work and have found that I have many supporters from around the firm who are just as interested in my personal happiness as my professional success.

Shirley Santoso, Principal, Jakarta
I joined A.T. Kearney in 1999 in the Singapore office and transferred to the Jakarta office in 2003. In 2006, I had my son and returned to A.T. Kearney on a part-time basis in 2007. The firm and the local leadership within Southeast Asia were highly supportive and understanding of my wish to balance my career and my new role as a mother, and arranged a program that allowed me to work on a part-time basis. During this time, I took on dual roles, which allowed me to control my time commitment—one role involved leading Southeast Asia’s HR and administration functions (heading the local administration team, recruiting, training, marketing and firm-building activities) and the other role involved consulting work as a subject matter expert on select projects. I can’t overemphasize how tremendously valuable this flexibility was in boosting the quality of my life, and today I am back to the consulting side, focusing on business development and assisting in project delivery in Indonesia.