Strategy & Deals has given me a real insight into the sports industry
When Timi joined the Strategy& team in 2022 he knew he had an exciting career ahead of him. What he didn’t know was that even in his first year on the graduate programme, he’d get to work with some incredibly interesting clients, including those in the sports industry.
Originally from Middlesbrough, Timi graduated from Kings College London with a degree in Economics. After completing his degree he went traveling through Asia, and on his return spent time working at London Zoo before applying to the Strategy& Graduate programme.
‘Working in Strategy& Deals, I’ve had the chance to work on a variety of projects in the travel, technology and recruitment sectors. I’m also a massive sports fan and it’s been fascinating to have had first hand insight into the business world of sports. I never thought I’d have a career that would give me these opportunities and I’m so grateful to be part of a team where I work with such high profile companies.’
As an Associate, Timi’s role involves undertaking research and analysis on his clients, their competition, and the relevant markets. Following his findings, he’ll take the time to produce the information in an easy to digest format for his contacts.
He’s supported throughout the process, and with career coaches and mentors, he has a lot of people to turn to for guidance.
‘One of the best pieces of advice that I was given when I first joined PwC was to try and communicate clearly and early. That means that if I’m struggling with something, whether it's a complex task or something I’ve never tackled before, as long as I ask for help, people are always understanding and willing to provide support. It’s better to ask for help than to sit and stress about it.’
Outside of work, Timi is a huge Arsenal fan and most weekends he’ll be following their progress on the pitch. As any football fan knows, there’s often highs and lows throughout the year, and so it’s fitting that one of the words he thinks would describe him best would be ‘calm’. He most certainly would have needed to be calm throughout the year Arsenal have just had.
He’d also describe himself as ‘thoughtful’ and ‘curious’, both great characteristics for someone working in strategy consulting where there’s a need to think outside the box and ahead of the competition. When we asked Timi what he thinks some of his best skills are that have helped him in his career so far, he mentioned communication and being able to understand the perspectives of others.
As a consultant that’s imperative. Often you’ll work with peers, or clients, who’ll have a different perspective, or bring a different proposal to consider, and if you have the ability to understand how they’ve reached that point that will only help encourage further discussions.
‘Learning, understanding and coming up with innovative solutions to both new and existing problems is something I find extremely interesting and important in our ever-changing world. I feel that my role in Strategy& can give me so much opportunity to make a change.’
Like many people before they start a new job, Timi was unsure of how he’d fit in with his peers, but sings nothing but praises for everyone he’s met in Strategy& and the wider PwC network.
‘I’m encouraged to get involved in the wider activities that inspire me, including those promoting diversity within our workplace, just like my career story you’re reading now.
Socially, there’s a lot going on within my immediate team too which means I get the chance to meet a lot of people across consulting and also those who work in other business areas.’
