Current role
Director of Strategy
Loading…
Qwestrum — Career Profile
Sefu Diallo
Director of Strategy | Management Consulting | Lagos, Nigeria
Current roleDirector of Strategy
EducationUniversity of Lagos (2019)
Short bio
From engineering undergrad to consulting to corporate strategy. Documenting my professional milestones honestly — the airport sandwiches, the 80-hour weeks, the slides you remember years later. Written for anyone considering consulting as a launchpad.
Why I'm sharing
I would have made fewer mistakes if I had read something like this at 22. Hoping this helps the next person.
Career milestones
Engineering Undergraduate2013-2017
University of Lagos — Education
Context
Realised by year three that I liked the people side of engineering more than the equations. Pivoted to case competitions and consulting clubs.
Challenges
Career counsellors expected an engineer to take an engineering job. Explaining a consulting interest at home was its own project.
Learnings
Structured thinking is taught nowhere as honestly as in case prep. Even if you do not become a consultant, the rep matters.
Outcome
Off-cycle internship at McKinsey & Company that turned into a return offer.
Skills
Engineering basics, case competitions, public speaking, club leadership
Business Analyst2017-2019
McKinsey & Company — First Job
Context
Two years as a generalist BA. Healthcare, retail, banking — every engagement a new vocabulary.
Challenges
Hours were brutal. Confidence cycle: feel smart Monday, feel useless Wednesday, restart Friday.
Learnings
The deck is the artefact; the meeting is the work. Senior partners speak in trade-offs, not opinions.
Outcome
Sponsored for an MBA after two years.
Skills
PowerPoint, Excel modelling, client communication, structured problem solving
MBA Candidate2019-2021
University of Lagos — Higher Studies
Context
Two years of MBA — clubs, electives, a summer at Unilever that became a return offer.
Challenges
Imposter syndrome among peers who all seemed more accomplished. Decision fatigue around post-MBA roles.
Learnings
An MBA is your last cheap risk window. Use the network during; never after.
Outcome
Switched from consulting to in-house strategy at Unilever.
Skills
Strategy, finance, organisational behaviour, network, electives in operations
Director of Strategy2021-Present
Unilever — Promotion
Context
Moved up from senior manager to director leading a strategy function. Less deck-making, more political navigation.
Challenges
Saying no to interesting initiatives that did not fit the bet. Hiring senior people who teach you new things weekly.
Learnings
In corporate strategy, time horizons stretch. Patience compounds. Influence is a slower currency than the consulting hours felt.
Advice
Use consulting for two to three years, not six. The marginal learning drops sharply.
Skills
Corporate strategy, M&A, board communication, cross-functional leadership, mentoring
Biography-focused profile
Sefu Diallo
Director of Strategy | Management Consulting | Lagos, Nigeria
Strategy Consultant
Business & Entrepreneurship | 9 years experience
Education
University of Lagos (2019)
Short bio
From engineering undergrad to consulting to corporate strategy. Documenting my professional milestones honestly — the airport sandwiches, the 80-hour weeks, the slides you remember years later. Written for anyone considering consulting as a launchpad.
Why I'm sharing
I would have made fewer mistakes if I had read something like this at 22. Hoping this helps the next person.
Journey overview
2013-2017 | Engineering Undergraduate
Duration: 4 years
Realised by year three that I liked the people side of engineering more than the equations. Pivoted to case competitions and consulting clubs.
2017-2019 | Business Analyst
Duration: 2 years
Two years as a generalist BA. Healthcare, retail, banking — every engagement a new vocabulary.
2019-2021 | MBA Candidate
Duration: 2 years
Two years of MBA — clubs, electives, a summer at Unilever that became a return offer.
2021-Present | Director of Strategy
Duration: 5 years (ongoing)
Moved up from senior manager to director leading a strategy function. Less deck-making, more political navigation.