Bernard T. Ferrari is the Chairman & Founder of the Ferrari Consultancy, but before he became a professional strategy consultant, he’d been around the block more than once. Before establishing his consulting firm, he served for almost 20 years as a Director at McKinsey & Company. And before THAT, he was a surgeon and chief operating officer at a clinic in New Orleans. He’s racked up a B.A., an M.D., a J.D., and an M.B.A. during the course of his education, which we think makes him “Bernard T. Ferrari, M.D., J.D., M.B.A.” Bernie is a trustee of the Juilliard School and the University of Rochester, he’s a philanthropist, and he’s also a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Not a bad man to ask for advice.
TILE: What exactly is a strategy consultant?
Bernie: A strategy consultant works closely with a company’s senior management to help address how, when, and where to compete. Strategy consultants are essentially professional problem-solvers brought into an organization to provide independent thinking and an outside perspective on business challenges.
TILE: How old were you when you got involved in philanthropy?
Bernie: I was in my 30s. At that time I was in medicine and most of my philanthropic work was associated with that profession. I donated mostly to research being conducted on major medical problems and diseases. Then later I started to broaden my philanthropic interests.
TILE: Do you have a personal mission or giving plan?
Bernie: My personal mission when it comes to philanthropy is to provide outstanding education to the most talented students in our country. I am interested in helping to build an extraordinary educational system that takes very talented individuals and makes them even more impactful members of our society.
TILE: What’s the best advice you would give your teenage self?
Bernie: Avoid cynicism. To lead a happy and productive life, you must stay optimistic and channel your personal passions to address society’s challenges through your career or your philanthropy or both.
TILE: What’s your advice to someone who knows nothing about business but who wants to learn the ropes?
Bernie: I have three pieces of advice. First, read as much about business as you possibly can, particularly in the news and the business press. Second, hang around business people and people who talk about business, as those individuals can sometimes be your best learning resources. And finally, go to business school, either as an undergraduate or as a post-grad, so you can learn the fundamentals and get plugged into the business community.
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