McKinsey & Company Associate Candidate  ·  Montreal | Toronto
Andrew Sedrak

Andrew
Sedrak

I have spent a decade building things that did not exist before. From businesses I started at eighteen to a multi-province healthcare practice I launched mid-PhD, the drive to find a problem, structure a solution, and own the outcome has been the constant. I want to bring that to work that matters.

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Value Proposition

Why I am a compelling McKinsey candidate

My background combines doctoral analytical rigor, entrepreneurial initiative across three ventures, and a consistent record of leading complex, multi-stakeholder work. Four pillars define the case.

01
Analytical Rigor and Data-Driven Decision Making
My doctoral training has been built around applying quantitative methods to multi-variable clinical and pre-clinical datasets in R, Python, SPSS, and MATLAB. I work under strict methodological standards where the quality of an assumption directly determines the validity of a recommendation. That discipline carries into every deliverable I produce.
Evidence: Nine concurrent research programs; co-investigator on a $200K competitive grant; first-author submissions to peer-reviewed journals.
02
Entrepreneurial Drive and Ownership Under Ambiguity
I have built three ventures independently, starting at eighteen with a window cleaning and car detailing business during my undergraduate years and culminating in The Lighthouse Institute, a multi-province healthcare practice I launched mid-PhD. Each one required identifying the problem, designing the model, acquiring clients, and owning the outcome with no safety net.
Evidence: The Lighthouse Institute (est. 2025, multi-province); two undergraduate-era businesses with crew management, insurance, marketing, and P&L ownership.
03
Structured Communication to Diverse Stakeholders
I consistently translate complex findings into clear, tailored outputs for psychiatrists, hospital executives, institutional committees, and international conference audiences. I adjust the depth and framing of my communication based on who is in the room and what decision they need to make. That is a skill I use every week across multiple contexts.
Evidence: Presentations at SIRS, CAN, and ECNP congresses; executive reporting to CAMH leadership; graduate instruction at the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University.
04
Leadership Across Complex, Matrixed Environments
I simultaneously manage a research laboratory across financial, regulatory, safety, and personnel dimensions; co-supervise six students at three degree levels; coordinate across 30-plus investigators in a multi-site cohort study; and serve on two institutional advisory committees. This is what operational ownership looks like before a formal consulting career has even started.
Evidence: CAMH Laboratory Manager; TAY Cohort Study; CAMH Research Training Leadership Advisory Board; UofT Housing Services Advisory Committee.
Career

Experience that transfers directly

Every role follows the same pattern I bring to any environment I work in: own the workstream, structure the problem, synthesize the findings, and communicate clearly to whoever is in the room.

2023 – Present
CAMH /
Univ. of Toronto
Doctoral Researcher & Laboratory Manager
I lead analytical strategy and full laboratory operations across nine concurrent research programs at Canada's leading academic psychiatric hospital, managing people, process, compliance, and output quality in a complex, resource-constrained environment.
  • I define workstream structure, analytical frameworks, and deliverable standards across nine parallel programs, scoping, sequencing, and quality-checking concurrent priorities without supervision.
  • I manage all laboratory operations: financial budgeting and expenditure oversight, regulatory and ethics compliance, safety protocols, and equipment procurement and maintenance.
  • I co-supervise six students across three degree levels, including four Honours undergraduates graduating in 2026, one completed Master's student, and one diploma graduate who finished in winter 2026.
  • I mentor five additional undergraduate students in the UofT Pharmacology Departmental Mentorship Program, supporting their academic planning and early research development.
  • I translate complex findings into structured outputs for clinical, scientific, and hospital leadership, adapting the narrative framing and depth to each decision-making audience.
  • I serve as co-investigator on a competitive $200,000 University of Toronto grant, contributing to problem structuring, study design, and evidence-generation strategy from inception through execution.
I also serve on the CAMH Research Training Leadership Advisory Board, contributing to research training policy and program design at the institutional level. I maintain working relationships across CAMH psychiatrists, senior scientists, and hospital administration, acting as a credible scientific resource across functional and institutional lines.
Workstream ManagementLab Finance & OpsRegulatory ComplianceStudent SupervisionStakeholder CommunicationGrant Co-Investigation
2025 – Present
The Lighthouse Institute
Founder & Director
My third entrepreneurial venture, launched mid-PhD with no external funding. I identified a structural gap in accessible, evidence-based mental health services and built a multi-province healthcare practice from zero, including the business model, go-to-market strategy, financial architecture, and client delivery infrastructure.
  • I designed the business strategy, financial model, and service architecture for a practice operating across multiple Canadian provinces.
  • I own all client relationships, operational delivery, and resource allocation, demonstrating what sustained performance looks like in a fully autonomous, results-driven environment.
  • I apply data-driven decision-making to market expansion and service prioritization, translating demand signals into concrete operational decisions.
The Lighthouse Institute is my third venture. During my undergraduate years at the University of Toronto, I built and ran a window cleaning business and a car detailing operation, managing crews, training staff, securing insurance, handling client relationships, and running all marketing independently. Both were profitable and fully owned. The pattern has been consistent for over a decade: find the gap, build the structure, deliver, and improve based on evidence.
Business Model DesignGo-to-Market StrategyClient DeliveryP&L Ownership
2022 – 2023
CAMH
Research Analyst, TAY Cohort Study
I managed analytical workstreams within a large, multi-site research program spanning 30-plus investigators and multiple institutional stakeholders, delivering structured outputs to clinical, research, and leadership audiences in a matrixed, high-complexity environment.
  • I structured and delivered executive-level reports, presentations, and summaries, reframing technical findings for clinical, research, and administrative decision-makers with different priorities.
  • I coordinated across functional teams and competing timelines, consistently meeting defined output standards across a large, distributed investigator network.
  • I led a first-author conference presentation at UofT Psychiatry Research Day, managing cross-investigator contributions across a 50-plus author study team.
Multi-Stakeholder CoordinationExecutive CommunicationAnalytical Delivery
2019 – 2020
Univ. of Toronto Mississauga
Special Projects Manager, Accessibility Services
I led cross-departmental strategic initiatives, developed data-driven analytical frameworks, and presented evidence-based recommendations directly to senior institutional leadership.
  • I managed scope, timelines, and stakeholder expectations across multiple concurrent projects, delivering outcomes aligned with institutional strategy.
  • I developed structured analytical frameworks to support evidence-based decision-making for senior leadership. This was an early version of the same problem-structuring approach I apply in every role today.
Strategic InitiativesExecutive PresentationsCross-Functional Coordination
2024 – Present
Alexandria Univ. / Univ. of Toronto
Adjunct Faculty Instructor & Teaching Assistant
I design and deliver graduate and undergraduate instruction in neurobiology and neuropsychopharmacology, translating highly technical, quantitative content into clear, audience-appropriate frameworks across two universities and three countries.
  • I instruct 80 undergraduate students at the University of Toronto, adapting complex pharmacological material for varied analytical backgrounds and learning contexts.
  • I design remote graduate-level curriculum for the Faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University, which requires both cross-cultural communication and the ability to deliver high-quality work autonomously.
Instructional DesignAudience AdaptationCross-Cultural Communication
Selected Highlights

Impact, by the numbers

9
Concurrent analytical workstreams managed at CAMH
$200K
Competitive grant, co-investigator (UofT, 2024–2027)
6+
Students co-supervised across Honours, Master's and diploma levels
5+
First or lead-author papers across active research programs
3
International congresses: SIRS, CAN, ECNP (2023–2026)
30+
Investigators coordinated in the TAY Cohort multi-site study
3
Ventures built independently, from undergraduate through doctoral studies
3
UofT Fellowships in Pharmacology (2023, 2024, 2025)
"The DISC1 Interactome: from Schizophrenia Pathophysiology to Novel Treatment Targets" — synthesizing a complex body of molecular and clinical evidence into a structured strategic framework, submitted to Biomolecules.
Publication Highlight This is a first-author manuscript that required synthesizing highly complex, multi-source evidence into a structured, audience-targeted narrative. The same skill drives every McKinsey client deliverable.
Capabilities

Skills organized for consulting

Technical fluency is only part of the picture. What makes the difference is how skills compound: quantitative depth paired with structured communication, domain expertise, and entrepreneurial execution creates the kind of versatile analytical value that matters across healthcare and life sciences engagements.

Problem Solving and Analysis
Hypothesis-driven analysisFramework developmentMulti-variable problem structuringEvidence synthesisStatistical modelingStudy and research design
Data and Quantitative Tools
RPythonMATLABSPSSExcel (advanced)PowerPointData visualization
Communication and Storytelling
Executive presentationsAudience adaptationScientific and strategic writingRecommendation framingGraduate instructionTrilingual: EN · FR · AR
Leadership and Collaboration
Workstream ownershipStudent supervision and mentorshipLab managementCross-functional coordinationStakeholder managementAdvisory committee participation
Research and Due Diligence
Literature and evidence synthesisClinical data analysisGrant writing and co-investigationRegulatory and ethics complianceHealthcare and life sciencesCNS and pharmacology
Entrepreneurial Execution
Business model designMarket identificationClient acquisition and managementOperational deliveryFinancial managementGrowth strategy
Academic Foundation

Education and credentials

Ph.D., Pharmacology — All But Dissertation
University of Toronto
2023 – Expected 2027 · Collaborative Program in Neuroscience · Supervisor: Dr. Albert Wong
All coursework and program requirements completed; dissertation in progress. My doctoral training has given me a rigorous foundation in quantitative research design, multi-variable analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. Three-time University of Toronto Fellow in Pharmacology (2023, 2024, 2025).
M.Sc., Neurosciences & Biotechnology
Université de Bordeaux
2021 – 2023 · Research Thesis · Supervisors: Dr. Albert Wong and Dr. Marc Landry
I completed this thesis under dual Franco-Canadian supervision, working on genetic linkage analysis and clinical quantification tools for psychiatric disorders. It taught me how to produce rigorous analytical work in a demanding international research environment.
M.A., Counselling Psychology
Yorkville University
2023 – 2025 · Completed · Registered Psychotherapist – Qualifying (CRPO)
I pursued this concurrently with my PhD and the Lighthouse Institute launch. I want to be strong at multiple things at once. This degree also gives me direct clinical depth relevant to healthcare strategy and life sciences consulting.
B.Sc. (Hons.), Biology for Health Sciences & Psychology
University of Toronto Mississauga
2017 – 2021 · Multiple institutional grants and peer leadership awards
A dual-discipline honours degree that gave me a combined quantitative and behavioural science foundation. I also started my first two businesses during this period, which tells you something about how I operate when I have spare capacity.
In Progress and Completed
Certificate in Drug Development and Product Management — UC San Diego (in progress) Certificate in Business Foundations — Wharton School, UPenn (in progress) GCP Certification — CITI Program Registered Psychotherapist – Qualifying (CRPO) Available for domestic and international travel
People Development

Leadership and community impact

I have been invested in developing people around me for over a decade, across mentorship, crisis support, institutional governance, and community work. This is not background filler. It reflects how I operate in any environment I am part of.

Student Supervisor, 6 Across Three Degree Levels
I co-supervise four Honours thesis students graduating in 2026, one completed Master's student, and one diploma graduate who finished in winter 2026, providing structured workplan guidance, analytical feedback, and publication oversight. I also mentor five additional undergraduates in the UofT Pharmacology Departmental Mentorship Program.
University of Toronto · 2022 – Present
Residence Don, 50 Student Residents
I was responsible for community development, educational programming, crisis intervention, and the overall wellbeing of 50 student residents. I dealt with complex personal and academic situations regularly, which required sound judgment, confidentiality, and the ability to act quickly under pressure.
University of Toronto · 2023 – 2025
Crisis Responder, Canadian Suicide Prevention Services
I volunteered as a crisis responder for four years, supporting distressed callers through active listening, de-escalation, and resource navigation. These are high-stakes, time-pressured situations with no room for error. The professional judgment I built here is something I carry into every role.
2020 – 2024
Institutional Committee Advisor
I sit on the CAMH Research Training Leadership Advisory Board, contributing to research training policy and program design for the hospital. I previously served on the UofT Housing Services Advisory Committee, shaping accommodation strategy across a large and diverse student population.
CAMH and University of Toronto · 2023 – Present
Long-Term Mentorship, Newcomers and Accessibility Students
I mentored newly resettled immigrants and students with accessibility needs across six years, developing tailored academic plans, facilitating workshops, and connecting people to community resources. I started this work at fifteen. It is a long-standing commitment, not a line on a CV.
University of Toronto · 2015 – 2021
PGSA CAMH Site Representative
I represented CAMH doctoral students on the University of Toronto Pharmacology Graduate Student Association, advocating for student interests, facilitating communication between the hospital and the university, and participating in institutional governance decisions that affected our research community.
University of Toronto · 2024 – 2025
The Case for McKinsey

Why this background translates to work that matters

Here is the case, plainly.

The McKinsey Associate role asks someone to own a workstream, uncover the true challenge behind a client's strategy, analyze complex information, and drive long-term change. That is a precise description of what I do across every professional context I operate in. The domain changes; the skill set does not.

Leading nine concurrent research programs at CAMH requires the same structured prioritization, analytical discipline, and output quality the role demands. Managing a laboratory's finances, regulatory submissions, safety protocols, and a team of six students simultaneously is operational ownership at a scale most candidates at this stage have not yet encountered.

What distinguishes my candidacy further is the entrepreneurial thread. I started businesses at eighteen without a playbook, without external backing, managing crews, insurance, and client relationships on my own. That experience built a resilience and ownership instinct that coursework alone cannot replicate. The Lighthouse Institute is the third iteration of that same pattern: find a gap, build the structure, deliver results, and iterate based on evidence.

The combination of doctoral analytical depth, multi-stakeholder leadership, three independent ventures, and deep expertise in healthcare and life sciences means I can add value from the first day of an engagement, particularly within McKinsey's Montreal pharmaceutical and healthcare practice.

Get in Touch

Let's grab a coffee

I would genuinely love to connect, whether that is a quick call, a coffee chat, or a more formal conversation about my candidacy. I am happy to work around your schedule and I promise I will come prepared.

"I am an open book. Ask me anything about my research, my ventures, or why I am drawn to McKinsey's work in healthcare and life sciences. I think the best conversations start without an agenda."
absedrak@gmail.com +1 (647) 830-0771 LinkedIn
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Andrew Sedrak  ·  Montreal | Toronto  ·  Canadian Citizen  ·  English · French · Arabic  ·  Available for domestic and international travel