Eric Braverman helps governments operate better

A professor once told him that one has to decide whether to focus on making “big change” or “little change.” Eric Braverman rejects that premise.

“Ultimately, change depends on a person somewhere making a decision to act,” he said. “And that act, whether it’s changing the way Haiti coordinates international aid, thus impacting the lives of millions of Haitians, or producing a play that helps 30 people at a time to think about their lives a little bit differently, is both meaningful and possible.”

The 35-year-old partner at McKinsey & Co. and leader in the consulting firm’s public sector practice in the Americas is doing both of those things. Braverman, who is also the founder of a nonprofit theater company called Blue Line Arts, worked with the Haitian government and the William J. Clinton Foundation to establish the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, the official body coordinating all development activities in the Caribbean country.

“As an advisor and counselor to government leaders, my most rewarding professional successes are my clients’ successes,” he said. “In the public sector, these successes happen when government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector work together to help people improve their lives.”

Braverman also counsels senior government officials in the U.S. on setting and implementing organizational strategies. As an adviser on performance management for the Obama-Biden U.S. presidential transition team, he conducted a first-of-its-kind survey on management performance across the U.S. government. His research now serves as an example for governments worldwide.

Read the announcement of Devex’s 40-under-40 honorees.