E42 | Billion-Dollar Leadership: Inside the Mind of British Council's CEO and Former Oliver Wyman Chief

Born in Toronto, Canada, Scott McDonald, the CEO of the British Council, spent his formative years in Saudi Arabia where his parents played pivotal roles in the establishment of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. With a background rooted in healthcare and education—his father a doctor and his mother a teacher and nurse—Scott's upbringing was marked by a commitment to service.

Scott's professional journey includes a significant tenure at Oliver Wyman, where he served as the Managing Partner of the Financial Services practice. In this capacity, he oversaw the global operations of the practice, spanning various service lines, and provided strategic counsel to senior executives in the financial services sector on a global scale.

Having joined Oliver Wyman in 1995, Scott's dedication and expertise led to his election as a partner in 2000 and subsequently as Managing Partner in 2007. His leadership role expanded in 2012 when he assumed the position of President, and in 2013, Marsh & McLennan Companies appointed him as the CEO of Oliver Wyman Group. This subsidiary encompasses renowned entities such as design consulting firm Lippincott and NERA Economic Consulting.

Now at the helm of the British Council, Scott McDonald brings his wealth of experience to lead the UK’s international organisation dedicated to cultural relations and educational opportunities. His role involves providing strategic direction to the British Council, guiding its mission to foster connections, understanding, and trust between people in the UK and overseas through initiatives in arts, education, and English language teaching.

We Discuss:

- Transitioning from Canada to Saudi Arabia

- Confronting the realities of the professional world

- Employment at a top-tier global management consulting firm

- Progressing from entry-level to the role of CEO

- Coping with the challenges of miscarriages

- Strategies for advancing in your career

- Managing the loss of a parent

- Navigating the fallout from the collapse of Lehman Brothers

- Transformative moments through letter writing

- Attaining the position of CEO at one of the UK's prominent charities, The British Council

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introducing Daily State of the Industry Update

(00:08:11) Building Trust through an Independent Organization

(00:16:22) The Job Search Struggles

(00:24:18) Getting Fired and Starting Over

(00:32:30) Rapid Growth and Financial Success

(00:41:03) Overcoming Miscarriages and the Journey to Parenthood

(00:49:13) Unexpected Promotion and Sudden Loss

(00:57:26) Dealing with the Loss of a Loved One in the Midst of Crisis

(01:05:38) Becoming the Group CEO

(01:13:47) Fostering Cohesion in the Workplace

(01:21:34) Developing People and Ensuring Efficiency in Consulting

(01:29:25) Investing in Soft Skills Training

(01:37:29) Transitioning to a New Organization

(01:45:29) Taking Risks and Embracing Optimism

(01:53:18) The Importance of Focus and Decision Making with Meditation

(02:01:17) The Importance of Meditation in Leadership

(02:09:17) Practices for Successful Self-Observation and Leadership

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