In this article, we dive into life sciences consulting at Advancy through a conversation with Kim Elbilia, a manager in the firm's New York office. The firm does work in three main sectors within life sciences - biotech, pharma services, MedTech - with a focus on growth strategy.
So, keep reading to learn about the exciting life sciences work at Advancy, the firm's special sauce, 4 reasons to consider working for Advancy, and plenty more. Interested in learning more about the firm? Send an email to Advancy's recruiting team and/or find the firm on LinkedIn.
Advancy's Work In The Life Sciences - Transcription
MC: Namaan Mian
Kim, thank you so much for joining us today here at Management Consulted. I am really excited to get to know more about you, and more specifically, about the life sciences and biopharma work that Advancy does. Before we dive in, can you provide a brief overview of your background?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Of course. Today, I'm a manager at Advancy New York, but I'm originally from France where I did most of my studies. I started with “classes préparatoire,” a two-year intensive program that prepares you for the national entrance exam to a French business school. I then joined Emlyon business school where I did my master's in management.
After Emlyon, I started at Advancy as an intern for an end of study internship back in 2018. I’ve been with Advancy ever since, working in Paris for three years before transferring to the New York office two years ago.
Business School To Consulting
MC: Namaan Mian
Amazing! You got exactly out of business school what you wanted, which was a consulting internship that led to a full-time role. Can you talk to us about how you transitioned from b-school to consulting? Do you have any advice for current students?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
I would say that if you want to pursue a consulting career, start with anything but a consulting internship. That’s advice I got when I was in business school, and it was some of the best advice I received. A non-consulting internship allows you to gain real corporate experience and build more business sense before joining a consulting firm.
I did my first internship in 2015 in New York in the pharma space. There, I learned a lot about the healthcare and life science industries. My experience there made it clear that healthcare was an industry I wanted to work in someday.
After that, I got a second internship, at P&G (Procter and Gamble). It was a very different experience in the consumer industry, which made me realize two things. First, that the consumer industry is fascinating, but I was not passionate enough to make a career out of it.
Second, I realized that selling is not an art. P&G had an almost scientific approach to selling – a clear road map, strategy, actionable items, methodologies, sales training, etc. That inspired me to learn how long-term strategy could contribute to a company’s success in its day-to-day operations.
MC: Namaan Mian
That's something that a lot of people don't understand. There's a science behind selling and it's definitely more science than art. I am curious, Kim, what drew you to life sciences specifically? You had this broad exposure to multiple industries – what was it about the life sciences that really attracted you?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Honestly, life sciences chose me as much as I chose life sciences! In my first three years at Advancy, I didn't do that many life sciences projects. I was working in various industries like automotive, consumer, retail, etc., but in forming the new office in New York, we had the opportunity to pursue new dreams and develop new practices.
Life sciences made a lot of sense given our chemical expertise and scientific approach. From there, we started to do more and more engagements in the space. My interest was piqued and I decided to focus more in this field.
Why Advancy?
MC: Namaan Mian
I love that. You went to a very well-regarded business school in Europe and in France. I'm sure you had a lot of options as you were leaving that program. What drew you to Advancy specifically?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
What drew me to apply to Advancy in the first place was the firm’s reputation and brand recognition in France, the focus on growth strategy – rather than cost-cutting or optimization projects – and the international nature of the company.
These are the reasons why I originally applied, but not why I accepted the offer. I accepted the offer mostly because of the people I met during the interview process. I found them to be far from the stereotypical consultant who is only interested in checking off boxes.
I also realized the company has a unique approach to consulting. Advancy is not interested in polishing the truth, but is instead focused on providing clients with clear, data-driven guidance – an approach that a lot of our clients value.
MC: Namaan Mian
That’s really unique in the space – to just be very blunt and honest with your clients and tell them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear.
Life Sciences Work At Advancy
MC: Namaan Mian
What type of projects are you working on in biotech and life sciences? What type of problems do you help your clients solve?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
We focus mainly on strategy, and only on growth projects – either internal or external growth.
For instance, a client wanting to expand their presence in novel biotech fields (such as monoclonal antibody manufacturing, cell and gene therapies), diversify their life science portfolio (with cell culture media, reagents, lab consumables) or integrate into new competencies (contract manufacturing, pharma services).
And then talking about the sectors that we focus on in the life science practice, there are three main ones: biotech, pharma services, and MedTech. Biotech is either biotech consumables, equipment, and lab tools.
Pharma services mainly consists of contract manufacturing or CDMO for small molecules, and Medtech is medical devices and technologies.
MC: Namaan Mian
Kim, do you have a favorite sector?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
I think my favorite sector would be the biotech space because of the diversity of business cases and problems we can help solve. Plus, you get to meet many fascinating industry experts. For example, a PhD scientist participating in the development of cutting-edge treatments for rare diseases or the Covid-19 vaccine.
MC: Namaan Mian
It sounds like across the sectors that Advancy operates in, there's a lot of exposure to different problem types and business models. Would you say that really is the most exciting part of the job for you or are there other factors that are fun and exciting for you as well?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Yes, that's one reason for sure. Because of the strategic nature of our engagements, projects are pretty short compared to the industry average. Each project is between three and four weeks long on average, which comes out to 12 projects per year. That’s 12 unique business cases, 12 different industries that you're going to look at, 12 different ways of solving an issue, and 12 different teams you’re working with. I find it very exciting!
For a curious mind, it’s one of the most interesting jobs there is, because you never stop learning. I think that's what has kept me at Advancy for as long as I’ve been here. Also, the nature of my work has evolved a lot over the years, so I really keep the same enthusiasm coming to the office every day.
What Sets Advancy Apart
MC: Namaan Mian
That's also unique. So, you've been at Advancy for five years, which pretty much doubles the industry average for consulting. You said you've seen a lot of changes in that time. Is there one trend or one change that you've seen over the last five years that really stands out to you?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
What I’ve seen evolve at Advancy is the way we approach our job. We have a unique scientific heritage, which we leverage more and more to give the most accurate recommendations to clients.
When we start a project, we analyze the entire value chain. We go back to the detailed study of the raw materials of a product to ensure that we capture all the subtleties of a given market's dynamics. So, that's what I've seen evolve at Advancy – this intellectual honesty that has become a core value and a way to differentiate ourselves.
This is something that people at Advancy are proud of and why they like to work here. We know that we're doing quality work, and, thanks to that, we're capturing market share and giving clients recommendations that are backed by science, data, and expert feedback from the industry.
MC: Namaan Mian
Again, that's unique in consulting, going all the way down to the raw materials and starting there and building from there.
I think one of the things I really love about Advancy is that you combine that strong scientific heritage with a very laser focus on strategy. Would you say that's the unique differentiator in the marketplace between Advancy and everyone else?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Yes, completely. That's why people, especially curious minds, love to work here. We never have the same approach twice, and that's something that is really refreshing when you work in this industry.
At Advancy, I'm constantly challenged to have a laser understanding of one specific market area.
Advancy New York
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
I would say that another thing that is really different about Advancy, especially in New York, is the culture. It’s what I really enjoyed about the New York office and the reason why I wanted to be part of the firm’s expansion into the US.
In New York, we still benefit from the brand name and the recognition of Advancy coming out of Europe. On the other hand, we have the flexibility of being a medium-size company with a growth-oriented structure.
This allows us to shape our working environment as new people join every week or month. We are constantly adapting and improving the working model to fit the needs of employees. It's this hybrid model between a well-established company and the fast growth of a new office that is allowing us to test and learn and create our own environment and culture, which is really exciting.
MC: Namaan Mian
It’s almost like the New York office is like a boutique firm with the backing of a larger firm. It’s the best of both worlds.
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Yes, exactly!
MC: Namaan Mian
That sounds like a really exciting environment to be a part of, and, from what I’ve heard, you are growing very quickly.
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
We are growing very quickly. When I came a few years ago, the office had less than 10 people and we were in a small corner of a WeWork.
Since then, we’ve changed offices three times – from a slightly larger space in the WeWork, and then a bit larger, and now we have our own office and our own address, which was a big step for us. We designed the office together with the team. “How would you want to occupy the space? What do you think is better for the meeting rooms?” It was a back-and-forth discussion between everyone.
MC: Namaan Mian
Everyone had ownership. Well, we’ve been talking a lot about the work that Advancy does and why you love it. Do you have a favorite client engagement that you can share about with us?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Yes, sure. My last engagement in the life science space was to advise a PE firm on the acquisition of a large manufacturer of capsules for the pharmaceutical and health and nutrition markets. We had to understand the market trends, competitive dynamics, and regulatory environment in both markets.
Pharma and Nutrition have completely different requirements in terms of regulation, format, and innovation level. Thus, studying the different dynamics and exploring consumer trends between those two markets was quite challenging and interesting at the same time.
Four Reasons To Work For Advancy
MC: Namaan Mian
Kim, it's clear that you're passionate about your work and the work that Advancy does. Why should prospective consultants who are considering breaking into the field consider applying for a role with Advancy's life sciences practice?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
First, the types of projects that we work on and the firm’s focus on strategy and growth engagements are really appealing to me. Second, due to the strategic nature of our engagements, you'll be working on 12 different business cases per year and learn very fast.
The third reason why prospective consultants may want to work at Advancy is because of the type of people you’ll work with every day. We have a mix of very smart, kind, and creative minds in this office, which is both stimulating and refreshing. There's a lot of discussion and comparing points of views. I love the collaborative environment, which I think is critical for a junior consultant to experience.
Finally, the level of ownership given to every consultant at every level – whether junior consultant or senior consultant – and at every stage of the project is incredible. This is precisely the signature of Advancy because we believe that there is no better way to learn than to do.
A junior consultant is quickly going to be put on a project and assigned a mini workstream to take ownership of. They will do everything in that workstream, from analysis to conclusion.
Of course, they will have supervision, but they’ll be given the space to grow and show what they can do – we're not afraid to give more and more responsibility to someone who is curious and wants to learn.
MC: Namaan Mian
That's a really good summary. You get to do strategy work. You get fast exposure to different types of clients and problem types – 12 projects a year is a lot. You’ll learn quickly, you get early ownership, and you get to work with smart and nice people. I think that's a very compelling pitch for Advancy.
If I'm reading this and I'm interested in learning more or even applying, what's the best way for me to get to know more about the firm?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
We recently published a few videos on LinkedIn to communicate more about what we're doing. So that's a good first step to learn about what we're doing on an everyday basis – to meet different people working here through the internet and see if that's something you would want to participate in. Of course, you can always check out the website.
Some people also like to get in touch and ask questions directly through LinkedIn. Whenever we have time, we will respond and are happy to have a quick chat to explain who we are and what we're doing.
Getting To Know Kim On A Personal Level
MC: Namaan Mian
Amazing! You heard it from Kim directly. You can learn more about the firm on LinkedIn. You can find her and other members of the New York office on LinkedIn and if you write a really good message, you'll get a response and you'll get answers to your questions.
Kim, before we end today, it's a tradition here at Management Consulted to end an interview with some personal questions to get to know you a little bit better. My first question for you – you've traveled the world, so what is the favorite place you've been so far? And then what's a place on your bucket list that you haven't been to yet?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
That’s a tough one. I did travel a lot and one of my most exciting experiences was in Asia. Before doing my exchange program in Shanghai, I took one month and did a long trip in Thailand, Bali, and mainland China.
For me, it was one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen and definitely something I didn't know existed. It's always nice to get out there and see the world and have an open mind about what you might find.
MC: Namaan Mian
I would agree. I spent some time in western China, and I thought it was beautiful. So what's the next place you're going to travel then?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
I'm going to Mexico City in two days. I'm very excited about that.
MC: Namaan Mian
You will have to eat some street tacos for me, please.
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Of course, I'm a foodie! I will try every street taco in the city.
MC: Namaan Mian
I love it. And then if you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Advancy: Kim Elbilia
Always look around and ask yourself “Am I still inspired by the people around me and do I want to grow with them?” If the answer is yes, then you’re on the right path. That's a question you need to ask yourself during your whole career just to understand if what you're doing now makes sense and continues to energize you!
MC: Namaan Mian
I think that is very, very wise advice and one that all young professionals should follow. Kim, thank you so much for joining us today. Kim is a manager at Advancy's New York office and she joins us today from the Advancy office in New York City. Thank you so much, Kim.
Conclusion
Many thanks to Advancy's Kim Elbilia for sharing her journey to Advancy and more about the firm's exciting work in life sciences. If your interest is piqued, Advancy is growing strong and hiring. Explore openings on the firm's website or reach out to the recruiting team directly.