Partner, McKinsey’s Washington D.C. office

Lynn Taliento

Education: BA, American Studies, Yale University, 1994; MPP Harvard University – Kennedy School of Government, 1996

With no knowledge of Spanish, Lynn Taliento started working at McKinsey in Mexico City before transferring to the Washington, DC office four years later.  Currently, she is a partner at the firm, and leads the Social Sector Office across the Americas.  McKinsey’s Social Sector Office was created recently to help the world’s leading institutions, individuals, and foundations address important societal challenges.  Taliento’s work is organized around four priority areas:  global public health, education, economic development and opportunity creation, and philanthropy—much of which focuses on Africa.

How do you handle work-life balance? 
Over the years I have been on many variations of part-time programs, from 60 percent to 90 percent.  Currently I work 80 percent, which means I’m home on Fridays to be with my kids.  I also took a 6-month maternity leave for each of my children.
I think about work-life balance in chunks. Any given 4-week period may swing in favor of work or family, but I correct it the following month.  I also purposefully blend work and pleasure.  I choose my clients carefully, and they often become friends. My work is such an extension of myself that this comes naturally.

What makes your job meaningful to you? 
I have always wanted to make a difference in the world, and I feel that my current job at McKinsey allows me to do this. I help individuals and institutions solve some of the world’s toughest problems, in an organization that fosters collaboration with colleagues from all around the world who are real experts in their fields.   

Why do you work? 
Being actively engaged in making this world a better place gives more meaning to my life.  It also shows my kids what’s really important in life:  life is about being engaged with others to make a difference, however big or small.  I want my children to feel that and to value it.

What has been your greatest challenge, personally and professionally?
My biggest challenge is accepting the fact that being a mom, a wife, and a professional means I can’t give 100 percent to each all the time.  When I’m with my kids, I’m good about not looking at my BlackBerry or taking calls.  And when I’m at work, I’m focused on that.  But it’s those other hours that are tough.  At night, I should probably be reading the latest Economist piece on the food crisis, but instead I’m reading Cookie magazine about good themes for 4-year-old birthday parties.  I feel that tension all the time.  Ultimately, you have to accept it.  It’s important to embrace that the mix is powerful, and that it makes you a better mom and a better professional.