The Consultant's Secret Roadmap

Summary

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MarTech Podcast™: The Consultant's Secret Roadmap

Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Kathryn Rathje (Partner, McKinsey)
Date: December 16, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features Kathryn Rathje, a partner at McKinsey, as she shares her journey and insights as a career consultant in marketing, and addresses the evolving intersection of technology, analytics, and customer-centricity. Host Benjamin Shapiro guides the conversation through Kathryn's personal and professional background, the transformation of marketing, and even some light-hearted consultant travel tips.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Career Consultant Journey

[01:27–03:10]

• Kathryn’s Background:
  • Comes from a family rooted in both technology and marketing ("my mom was a computer scientist, my dad actually was a director of marketing").
  • Studied mathematics, expecting a career in risk management or financial engineering.
  • Joined McKinsey intending only a short stay, like many new consultants ("thought that I would be here only for two years, like everyone thinks when they first get here").
• Discovery of Analytical Marketing:
  • First assignment introduced her to "analytical marketing," challenging her preconceptions about marketing as merely creative ("I also had the mindset of marketing as mad men and its billboards and its slogans").
  • Found herself drawn to the growing field of data-driven marketing ("this is basically us just trying to figure out of all the bits and bobs and information we can get on our consumer, how do we deliver more value to them in the way that they need it").
  • Describes the discipline as having shifted to being even more reliant on data since 2009.
• Bridging Quantitative and Creative:
  • Kathryn relished the unique combination her role offers, blending analytical and creative skill sets ("I can take the quantitative side of myself and my mom and I can take the creative side of my dad and I can apply these things together and be in this really unique place").
  • Her passion is advocating for marketing to be central within organizations and correcting its undervalued perception ("making marketing a champion... get the credit that... they deserve").

2. The Role of the Modern Marketer

[02:01–03:10]

• The Importance of Customer Focus:
  • A recurring theme in Kathryn’s insights is putting the customer at the center of marketing activities.
  • Champions the idea that organizations should give marketers a more influential role due to their direct impact on creating value for customers.

3. Consultant Life and Light-Hearted Moments

[03:10–03:53]

• Packing and Suitcase Choices:
  • Benjamin jokes about the notorious travel demands of consulting: "I think the biggest question is, what suitcase should we all buy? Because I’ve heard career consultants are always on the road."
  • Kathryn admits she uses an Away suitcase, mostly out of inertia:

    "I bought it before the whole, like, you can't have lithium batteries on planes, because I was like, oh, this charging thing is great. And I haven't switched since... But I think that's more of a function of laziness as opposed to saying that it is the best suitcase that is available in the market today."
    — Kathryn Rathje [03:32]

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Combining Skills:

  "I can take the quantitative side of myself and my mom and I can take the creative side of my dad and I can apply these things together and be in this really unique place."
  — Kathryn Rathje [02:29]

• On Data-Driven Marketing:

  "There is like data-driven marketing. And this is basically us just trying to figure out, of all the bits and bobs and information we can get on our consumer, how do we deliver more value to them in the way that they need it."
  — Kathryn Rathje [02:14]

• On Consultant Suitcase Choices:

  "I haven't switched since I bought it... But I think that's more of a function of laziness as opposed to saying that it is the best suitcase..."
  — Kathryn Rathje [03:42]

5. Resources and Where to Find More

• Connect with Kathryn Rathje:
  • LinkedIn profile linked in the episode show notes
  • Learn more at McKinsey.com, including a featured research report co-authored with the Association of National Advertisers ([03:53]).

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Important Timestamps

• 00:25: Benjamin sets up the importance of data-driven, well-timed marketing.
• 01:15: Benjamin transitions to the “lightning round” segment.
• 01:27–03:10: Kathryn narrates her career journey and evolution in the marketing field.
• 03:10–03:53: Consultant life, suitcase debate, and closing remarks.
• 03:53: Resources and episode wrap-up.

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Episode Tone

• Conversational and insightful, blending actionable career advice with personal anecdotes and light-hearted humor regarding consultant travel habits.
• Focused on demystifying the analytical side of marketing and encouraging marketers to integrate both quantitative and creative thinking.

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For listeners seeking inspiration or guidance on weaving technical and creative skills into a marketing career—or just wondering which suitcase to buy—Kathryn Rathje delivers a roadmap as practical as it is personal.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Benjamin Shapiro]

From advertising to software as a service to data, across all of our programs and clients, we've seen a 55 to 65% open rate. Getting brands authentically integrated into content performs better than TV advertising. Typical lifespan of an article is about 24 to 36 hours. If we're reaching out to the right person with the right message and a clear call to action, then it's just a matter of timing.

[Podcast Announcer]

Welcome to the Martech Podcast, a member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network. In this podcast, you'll hear the stories of world class marketers that you use technology to drive business results and achieve career success. Here's the host of the Martech podcast, Benjamin Shapiro.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

All right, Catherine, I want to move on to our lightning round where I'm going to ask you Martech questions related to your career and also the marketing leadership gap that exists. Are you ready?

[Kathryn Rathje]

Yes. Let's do it.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

All right, let's start off with one about you. I'm going to give you 1 minute, 60 seconds to explain the life journey of a career consultant.

[Kathryn Rathje]

All right, well, my life journey really started with my parents, which was my mom was a computer scientist, my dad actually was a director of marketing and I studied math and I got to McKinsey and thought that I would be here only for two years, like everyone thinks when they first get here. And B, I thought that I was going to end up in doing kind of risk management or financial engineering type stuff because my background was quantitative. And my first study out of the gate was in this world of like analytical marketing that I didn't even know existed because I also had the mindset of marketing as mad men and its billboards and its slogans. And this was back in 2009, right? And I was like, wow, there is like data driven marketing. And this is basically us just trying to figure out of all the bits and bobs and information we can get on our consumer, how do we deliver more value to them in the way that they need it. Right. And that discipline is drastically, even more data driven than it was, you know, when I first started here. And I just honestly got hooked because I was like, this is a world where I can take the quantitative side of myself and my mom and I can take the creative side of my dad and I can apply these things together and be in this really unique place. And I honestly, really love bringing the customer back into focus at organizations and, you know, making marketing a champion. Right? Like, how do they, how do they actually get, get the credit that, that I think that they deserve?

[Benjamin Shapiro]

It makes a lot of sense that you're able to use, you know, you framed it as the skills from your parents, but I think of it as both sides of your brain to, you know, make marketing a priority for all these companies. But really, I think the biggest question is, what suitcase should we all buy? Because I've heard career consultants are always on the road. Are we talking away or what's, what's the suitcase brand here?

[Kathryn Rathje]

You know, I, I, I have an away. I bought it before the whole, like, you can't have lithium batteries on planes, because I was like, oh, this charging thing is great. And I haven't switched since I bought it at that moment in time. But I think that's more of a function of laziness as opposed to saying that it is the best suitcase that is available in the market today.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

All right. Little did you know, on the Martech podcast, you were going to talk about packing strategies. Okay. And that wraps up this episode of the Martech Podcast. Thanks again to Kathryn rathje, partner at McKenzie, for joining us. If you'd like to contact Katherine, you could find a link to her LinkedIn profile in our show notes or on martechpod.com you can always visit her company's website, which is McKinsey.com and on McKinsey.com you can find their recent resources research report, which they have partnered with the association of National Advertisers as well. And if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of marketing and technology knowledge in your podcast feed, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app or subscribe to us on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed next week. All right, that's it for today. But until next time, my advice is to just focus on keeping your customers happy.

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