The Oliver Wyman alumni team reconnected with Jared Hill to explore his career path as a product designer. From making headways at Booking.com to growing Canva, Jared’s foundation of UX skills harnessed at Oliver Wyman have propelled him to some of the largest tech companies. Discover more about Jared’s journey and his advice for current Oliver Wyman colleagues.

Tell us about what you’ve been doing since you left Oliver Wyman.

I worked at Oliver Wyman’s London office for about four years as a UX design lead, as part of the digital practice. After leaving Oliver Wyman, I moved to Booking.com, where I helped build out its ground transportation features. Switching from consulting to product-side was challenging, but I was happy to meet a large community of Oliver Wyman alumni at Booking.com, including the MD of my product area, which made the transition smoother. I then returned home to Australia and joined the tech company Canva as a product designer. In the Growth team, I design features to increase conversion, retention, advocacy, and annual recurring revenue (ARR). We rely heavily on data and experimentation to understand users and quickly iterate designs.

What skills did you acquire at Oliver Wyman that have helped you the most?

Starting my design career at Oliver Wyman was a great decision. One standout skill I gained is adaptability. The firm offered me a variety of opportunities, working on different problems across industries, and I was lucky enough to work on projects in Europe, Africa, and the US.

This ability to quickly adapt to new environments meant that I’ve been able to choose where to go in my career without being boxed in. It has allowed me to choose roles like developing new-to-market products at Booking.com and iterating on existing experiences at Canva using data to influence user behavior.

At Oliver Wyman, I was involved in a lot of data-driven decision-making, worked in fast-paced product development environments, and had to put a strong focus on business goals within my design work, and I’ve noticed I now use all these skills daily. My focus on data has been particularly impactful, enabling me to break down information to understand people and inform design decisions. Additionally, working with incredibly talented people has helped me hugely post-Oliver Wyman. I stumbled into consulting through an acquisition and found myself suddenly working with all these super smart, hard-working people. I quickly learned how to work within and lead highly effective teams. As a bonus, I’ve built a network of incredible friends and contacts, and I am sure there will be more opportunities to work together in the future.

Describe your time at Oliver Wyman in three words.

Exciting. Dynamic. Challenging (in a good way!)

What advice do you have for Oliver Wyman consultants?

A strong network was one of the most important things I gained from working at Oliver Wyman. For me, it was the people I worked with and the intensity with which we worked together that built such strong relationships. My advice would be to do your best to turn your networking opportunities into genuine friendships, as they will last the test of time. Also, throw yourself into challenges, especially if they seem overwhelming. Those types of projects are often the most rewarding, and enriching, and where I’ve learned the most.

This page was originally published on July 3, 2024.