Michael | University of Illinois | 2019 summer, barcelona
Worked under bcg alumnus project lead
“I don’t know where else I could have gone that would have connected me with a Project Lead from a big consulting firm, given me the opportunity to travel and live in Barcelona for a month, and work alongside a lot of great people… It was very unique. In some ways it felt like a vacation, but I was also excited to wake up for work in the morning.”
barcelona: industrial hub on the picturesque Mediterranean
explore vibrant art amid a thriving start-up scene
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the capital of the independent community of Catalonia in addition to being Spain’s de facto center of industry. The largest city on the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is known for its incredible beaches, laid-back culture. The city is broken up into different districts, each with their own exciting and unique flare. Barcelona is brimming with museums and buildings featuring the work of some of Spain’s greatest artists and architects, including Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, both of whom have namesake museums in Barcelona. Picasso himself called Barcelona home! Feast your eyes on the intricate details of La Sagrada Familia and the Cathedral of Barcelona. Admire the colorful sculptures of Park Güell and the historic buildings of the Gothic Quarter. Tempt your taste buds with the unique and delicious foods you will find in El Mercado de La Boquería. Barcelona is an incredible opportunity for Fellows to engage with Spanish clients while soaking up some sea and sun.
Summer 2020 Barcelona Project Leads
Kemal Armada | Harvard MBA ‘21 | 3 years at McKinsey & Company
An engineer by background, with degrees in Electrical Engineering from EPFL in Switzerland as well as MIT, Kemal started at McKinsey after graduation, spending time in offices in Geneva, Switzerland and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Before taking an educational leave to pursue his MBA at Harvard Business School, Kemal had risen to the level of Engagement Manager (or Project Leader) and worked in 10+ countries across 3 continents, spanning industries such as pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, retail, and oil & gas, and functions such as corporate finance and M&A, marketing & sales, capital and infrastructure, public sector and economic development. In his spare time, Kemal loves playing squash, saxophone and traveling (70+ countries visited so far).
Why Beacon? “There is nothing more powerful than a mentee and mentor relationship. Everything I have done/achieved in my life was thanks to mentors I have met along the way. I love coaching and mentoring and it is one of my strong suits. I am delighted by the possibility of meeting all of you, developing long-lasting mentor/mentee relationships and solving tough business problems while learning about the management consulting industry (and while having lots of fun).”
Zhuopei Chen| Harvard MBA ‘20 | 3 years at Bain & Company
Zhuopei is finishing her MBA at Harvard Business School. She spent three years in consulting at Bain & Company in their Shanghai and London offices, finishing as a Senior Associate Consultant and working on projects across consumer goods, retail, and entertainment. A connoisseur of the arts, Zhuopei enjoys painting, music, photography, and even paragliding.
Why Beacon? “Coaching and mentoring have always been a significant motivation for me in all aspects of life, and Beacon’s mission aligns perfectly with my values.”
Summer 2020 Barcelona Clients
1-week program: webhelp
Webhelp is a leading customer experience outsourcing company with a global footprint in more than 36 countries, 140 locations and 50,000 employees. On this project at Webhelp’s Barcelona location, you will be part of a team aiming to design an employee retention strategy, engaging with Webhelp’s employees to help their management make the right decisions to retain talent. This critical aspect of human capital management will be great exposure to the types of business management projects consultants tackle all the time.
4-week program: Roche Diabetes Care
Roche Diabetes Care is a pioneer & global leader in integrative diabetes management, and innovative technologies and services, with more than 5,000 employees in over 100 markets worldwide. Roche’s goal every day is to help people with diabetes, and those at risk, experience true relief from daily therapy routines. On this project at Roche’s Barcelona location, you will be on a team working to improve their digitization.
past barcelona clients
Glovo
Glovo is a Barcelona-based service startup that specializes in food delivery, similar to DoorDash or Uber Eats, but also includes a variety of other lifestyle services. Glovo’s bike couriers with bright yellow delivery boxes in tow are a familiar sight in any Spanish city, and the startup recently reached unicorn status with their series E funding round. The Beacon Glovo project focused on geographic expansion, and you can read here about the implementation of our Beacon cohort’s recommendations for new market entry!
Fees
Program Options
Fellows can choose from programs with different lengths and price ranges. Whichever length you choose, you’ll get the same high quality Project Lead with experience at one of the MBB firms (McKinsey, Bain, or BCG).
Our 4-week programs offer a longer time with the Project Lead and Client, extending your opportunity window for learning the core consulting skills and engaging at an in-depth level with the project. These programs look great on a resume and show that you invested substantial time into a real consulting project, but still allow for fitting other opportunities into the rest of your summer!
Our 1 and 2-week programs offer a flexible and low-cost opportunity to immerse yourself in consulting for a short period of time while still learning the industry essentials from an experienced consultant and completing a real, fast-paced client project.
The fees listed below include the $900 deposit paid upfront to reserve a Fellow’s spot.
1-week summer program: $2,999
2-week summer program: $3,999
4-week summer program: $6,499
For ambitious fellows who participate in two summer sessions: pay just one deposit for both ($900 discount)! Contact us for more information!
What do fees cover?
Beacon is an investment, like other programs of its kind. The returns are both short and long-term: Fellows experience the immediate joy of being abroad and working on a challenging project. Additionally, they can leverage the experience for future internships, graduate school applications and jobs. Fees cover the following program elements:
Project Leads
Training from experienced McKinsey/Bain/BCG alumni consultants
Housing accommodations
Travel health insurance
Weekly excursions to local attractions, neighboring cities, etc.
On-site transport while abroad
Group breakfasts and some lunches and dinners
Possible Discounts
Pay in full discount:
When you pay the full program fee within 7 days of enrollment, you’ll receive a $150 discount off the total cost of your Fellowship.
Multiple program discount
When you enroll in multiple programs, you only have to pay one deposit – a $900 discount.
External funding sources:
Another way to reduce the Fellowship cost is to seek external funding via scholarships or other sources. See here for ideas on funding your Fellowship.
start your application
There is no deadline to apply, but there are many benefits to enrolling as early as possible.
Enroll early to secure a spot in the program of your choice and make plans for the rest of your summer (i.e. do another internship before/after Beacon).
Students who enroll earliest get first picks on clients and Project Leads once they are announced.
The best flight prices usually occur around 5 months out. Purchasing flights early can save you hundreds of dollars and there are usually more flight options to choose from.
The application process consists of 4 steps:
Start your online application via the button below.
Complete and submit your application.
If selected, conduct a 30-minute video interview with an Admissions Coordinator.
Receive notification of Beacon's decision.