Working at MU has been a defining part of my professional journey because it allows me to contribute in a way that feels both meaningful and authentic. From the beginning, I felt this was an environment where I did not have to fit into a rigid mold. Instead, I was encouraged to build on my own background, instincts and strengths, and to turn them into something valuable for clients and colleagues alike.
That has mattered a great deal to me. Coming from industry, I bring a very operational lens to leadership advisory work, and MU has always recognised that as a strength rather than something to smooth out. It is a place where difference is not only accepted, but genuinely valued, and where people are trusted to develop their own way of creating impact.
Another important reason is the quality of the contribution we are able to make. At MU, the work goes beyond filling roles or delivering assignments. We help organisations make better leadership decisions, and that has real consequences for business performance, team dynamics and long-term success. I find that both stimulating and deeply worthwhile.
Ultimately, I choose MU because it combines professional freedom with high standards, and individual expression with a shared sense of purpose. It is a place where I can continue to grow, contribute meaningfully and work alongside people who are serious about making organisations stronger.
What makes MU a great place to work, in my view, is the combination of strong values and real professional substance. It is a firm with a clear philosophy about people and leadership, but also with the discipline, methods and scientific foundation to turn that philosophy into high-quality work.
One of the things I value most is the rigor of the environment. MU does not rely on intuition alone. Our work is supported by robust processes, structured evaluation methods and tools that have been developed and refined over decades. The science-based foundation behind our assessments, including ISO-certified methods and the contribution of the MU Research Institute, creates a level of credibility and consistency that is both reassuring and motivating. It pushes us to be thoughtful, precise and ethically disciplined in how we work.
That rigor also creates a strong learning environment. You are surrounded by people with different expertise, sound judgement and high standards, and that naturally raises the level of your own practice. There is a genuine culture of learning in the way colleagues challenge one another, share knowledge and continuously improve the quality of delivery.
What makes MU stand out, however, is that this rigor exists alongside a genuinely respectful and collaborative culture. People are ambitious, but also generous, respectful, open-minded, and fair. That balance, between process and entrepreneurship, and between scientific depth and human quality, is what makes MU such a distinctive and rewarding place to build a career, while having fun in business with colleagues.
My path to MU was anything but a straight line.
I came from the industrial world, with more than 15 years of international experience as a Strategic Buyer across demanding SME and large corporate environments, including Michelin, Alstom Power and Philips Lighting. I learned how to source suppliers, assess performance, identify value drivers and negotiate under pressure, working day to day alongside engineers and technical experts. Those years gave me sharp reflexes shaped by highly process-driven organisations, as well as a genuine openness to the world through cross-cultural exposure to very different business models.
When I joined MU, I realised that these skills were not only transferable, but they were also deeply valuable in leadership search, assessment and development consulting. MU saw that potential before I had fully named it myself. From there, I began to build a career that felt deeply aligned with who I am. That industrial DNA became my differentiator. I speak the language of my clients because I have lived it, on the shop floor, in the boardroom and across borders.
Over the past decade, I have grown into a Core Member of MU’s Mobility & Automotive practice, developed large-scale network and projects across industry mobility, and played an active role in building the MU Lyon office, through its successes, its more difficult moments, and the kind of culture that holds firm when things get tough. Along the way, I became an ICF-trained coach, started teaching and coaching in Lyon University such as IAE and CPE Lyon, and even found myself championing female leadership and atypical talent, causes that are both professional and deeply personal to me. That is one of the real strengths of this firm: the trust is genuine and the autonomy is real. It is entrepreneurship within employment, in the best sense of the term.
Today, I consider myself a well-rounded consultant. But what still drives me forward is every new client, every new sector to understand, and every opportunity to work alongside colleagues who share the same grounded, hands-on mindset and will to develop, transform.
That is my real career highlight, not a single moment, but the whole adventure.
If I had to sum one of MU’s cornerstones, “Opportunity Without Limits”, in one word, it would be: permission. Permission to think beyond your job title. Permission to work on a sector you care about, even if it is not your original area. Permission to say, “I want to grow in this direction,” and to be genuinely supported in making it happen. That kind of freedom is rarer than it sounds.
What makes it real at MU is the way the firm is built. We work across borders as a matter of course, not as an exception. A conversation with a colleague in Stockholm can change how you approach a client in Lyon. That international reach is not just a selling point, it is something you feel in your day-to-day work. The environment around that matters just as much. MU recognises people based on what they actually deliver, not politics, not tenure. Hard work is seen. Good work is rewarded. That consistency builds trust, and trust is what allows teams to perform at their best over time.
I also value the long-term mindset. MU invests in people through coaching, leadership programmes and real career development conversations. People stay here not because they have run out of options, but because they keep finding new ones. That says a great deal about the firm.
For me, this cornerstone comes down to something simple: at MU, your growth is taken seriously. You are not left to figure it out alone. And the further you go, the more you are able to bring others with you. That is what opportunity without limits looks like, lived from the inside.
Are you curious about a global career at MU? Read more at our a career at MU page and reach out to Robin Karlestedt, EVP Global Talent Acquisition and Partner.