Hi Jean! Who are you and what do you do now?
I’m Jean Clavel, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Paris. I lead the financial institutions practice for France, and a member of the Paris Executive Committee as People Chair where I manage everything related to our staff. I joined BCG in 2020 right after Rothschild & Co, with 400 consultants at the time, and we’re now 1,200.
When did you join Rothschild & Co?
I joined the Paris office straight out of college in 2007 as an analyst, and left after three years as a fondé de pouvoir, which these days would be an associate. I don’t know if these old-school titles remain, but at the time I thought they were pretty classy.
What are your memories of your time at Rothschild & Co?
I remember the hard work, lots of multitasking, late nights and the quality of the people that made it all possible and sustainable. My best memories are from these tough moments that came with a strong sense of camaraderie, solidarity and shared experience of being exposed to super senior clients and visible deals.
Are you a member of the Rothschild & Co Alumni Network?
I'm connected through the Alumni Network, but also directly through people whom I worked with, although I don't see them as much as I would like to. I’ve attended some cocktails, wasn’t able to make it to others, but we still have an annual dinner with my class of 2007 at Rothschild & Co. You spend a lot of time together in investment banking, so you keep these strong connections many years after.
What do you miss most about your time at Rothschild & Co?
Definitely the people. The FIG [Financial Institutions Group] team was great. I worked at lot with Cyril de Mont-Marin, George Amatoury, Riaz Vayid, Raphael Fassier and Catherine Philippeau as my seniors, most of who are still at Rothschild & Co. Even though the workload was high, they were aspirational each in their own individual way. I remember the good parts, like the lunches at Le Griffonnier. Even if I don't see them often, these are colleagues I still feel connected to 15 years later. It just goes to show how super-demanding environments can build connections that go beyond time.
How did your time at Rothschild & Co help you get you where you are today?
These were my first years out of college, so very much the years where you are really being structured to adapt to business standards in terms of analytical rigor, customer service, client-comes-first mentality, and managing pressure. When I left Rothschild & Co for BCG, I knew I was ready for the new job, even though the consulting world is different in many aspects. Over the years we've hired a few ex-Rothschild & Co people who have gone on to do well. We're always happy to hire people that come from Rothschild & Co.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-clavel-715b981/