Bringing MPM Lessons to Berlin

Seven years ago, Katharina Adams (MPM '17) walked through the streets of Berlin as a tourist and made herself a promise: She would be back – not as a visitor, but as a resident. 

This September, that promise became reality when Adams started as a program manager in the Berlin office of McKinsey & Company, a multinational management consulting firm.  

Adams, a native of Brazil, works within McKinsey’s initiatives team, pushing changes and new technologies with internal stakeholders who support consultants and the firm. The role leverages an array of lessons she learned in Northwestern Engineering’s Master of Science in Project Management (MPM) program about stakeholder management, cost analysis, and program oversight.  

“MPM provided me with a really good foundation to be able to shift from only knowing about engineering to understanding the business side of projects and applying that into other sectors and industries,” Adams said. “McKinsey is giving me an opportunity to apply that knowledge.”  

Just as she is living in Germany for the first time, her arrival in MPM marked the first time she lived in the US. Adams was initially drawn to the MPM program because of its reputation and unique positioning within the engineering school. The program is designed to provide a connection between technical expertise and business acumen, preparing engineers and other professionals to lead complex initiatives across industries.  

The program’s flexibility also caught her attention. Elective courses exposed her to technology, startups, and management concepts she never previously encountered. Classes in Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management broadened her business perspective even further. 

Specific lessons from MPM continue shaping Adams’ work. Concepts related to operations excellence help her identify bottlenecks and optimize processes. Financial and accounting knowledge enables better resource allocation decisions.  

Most importantly, Adams learned to combine her engineering expertise with business realities. 

“That was mind blowing for me because I didn't have a good understanding of how companies worked before MPM,” Adams said. "Now, I am able to understand the business side of businesses.” 

After graduation, Adams joined Flexport, a Miami-based supply chain management and logistics company, during its hypergrowth phase. During her time at Flexport, she moved through operations, client solutions, and program management roles.  

Later, she helped launch products at early-stage startup Shaker, where she developed go-to-market strategies and built teams from the ground up. 

The MPM program also taught Adams how to work with and learn from a diverse range of colleagues. She credits the international representation in her cohort with teaching her how different perspectives enhance creativity and problem-solving. 

As she continues in her early days at McKinsey, Adams is grateful for her time in MPM. She recognizes how transformative her time in the program was and is excited to continue applying the lessons she learned into her new role. 

“Project management is needed — to a certain extent — in anything you do," Adams said. "Project management gives a global view of what it is that you need to move an initiative forward. Having a good understanding of costs, resource allocation, timelines, priorities, prioritization – all these different aspects help you move a project forward.”