35UNDER THE RISING STARS OF THE
PROFESSION
AGE
25
TITLE:
Senior Associate Consultant
AWARD CATEGORY:
Leadership
LANE
BAIN & COMPANY
Like many
Millennials,
Bain &
Company’s Benjamin Lane
wants to leave the world in
better shape than he found it.
His passion for environmental
sustainability carried over into
his work as he became the prime
mover to the firm’s decision to put
environmentalist Robert Swan’s
Antarctic Expedition 2041 at the
heart of its global social impact
strategy and to support it in 2014
and beyond.
Lane joined Bain in 2011 and im-
mediately saw the opportunity to
boost the firm’s impact on global sus-
tainability. Having participated in a
previous 2041 expedition, Lane con-
vinced the firm to send a team on a
two-week trek to Antarctica. In 2013,
five Bain employees joined nearly 80
other emerging leaders on an expedi-
tion to the South Pole. It was during
these journeys that more than 70 en-
vironmental, corporate and commu-
nity social impact projects around the
world were established.
“This life-changing experience in
Antarctica—the last great wilderness
on earth—continues to fuel my desire
to have an impact in the world via
sustainability, and upon joining Bain
in 2011, I sought to connect the ef-
forts of 2041 with the firm’s passion
for sustainability,” Lane says.
Lane says the passion and sup-
port of his firm is what enables his
success.“There are few firms at which
a junior employee would have the same
degree of support to pursue his or her
interests and to find ways to rally the
full employee base behind the cause.”
Winning the Rising Stars award,
Lane says, will only fuel his passion.
“I feel honored to receive this
award. It is huge testament to Bain’s
culture, the leadership opportunities
it provides to its employees, and its
commitment to social impact.” ★
AGE
31
TITLE:
Director
AWARD CATEGORY:
Leadership
Michael
Lan has
accomplished
a lot by the age of 31. Actually, he
had accomplished quite a bit by
28—the year in which he formed
Jabian’s Business Strategy
Group. Under Lan’s leadership,
that group, which has grown
to 10 consultants, developed
and applied business strategy
frameworks to help mid-market
and Fortune 500 clients formulate
their growth strategies.
In addition, he serves as the committee lead for Innovate Georgia
2025, Georgia’s first science and
technology strategic plan. As part of
a pro-bono engagement for the group,
Lan donated more than 350 hours
over the last two years to lead an 18
person committee, comprised of leg-
islators, CEOs and non-profit execu-
tives, to develop a strategy to drive
science and technology in Georgia.
As a result, two start-up recommendations from the plan were signed
into Georgia state law in April 2013.
“I am proud of the pro bono work
I led that resulted in two recommen-
dations to increase focus on science
and technology that were signed
into law by the State of Georgia,” he
says. “Working for a company that
values community service has al-
lowed me to expand my professional
expertise while making a significant
difference in the community.”
But Lan is quick to point out that
nothing he’s accomplished could
have been attained without the sup-
port of his team at Jabian.
“When these brilliant people look
to me and give me their trust to
lead, it inspires me to work harder
and smarter for them,” he says. “It
is humbling to be singled out as a
Rising Star, but I know that many
people have contributed to my trajectory and I am thrilled to celebrate
this award with them.” ★
