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The Boston Consulting Group Leaps to Number Two Among FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For

2011-01-21T01:12:00.000-08:00

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has jumped six spots to number two on FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list this year, making it one of only two firms to be ranked in the top dozen for six straight years.

An emphasis on employee development, a collaborative culture, extensive training, high-impact client work, progressive benefits, and a commitment to social-responsibility initiatives contributed to the strong performance -- the best among consulting firms by far for the sixth straight year.

"The consulting giant not only avoided layoffs in the downturn, but hired its largest class of recruits ever in 2010," noted FORTUNE. "They're drawn by the firm's generous pay and a commitment to social work: its Social Impact Practice Network (SIPN) offers a chance to work with the U.N. World Food Program and Save the Children, while BCG pulled its consultants off client projects to provide on-the-ground support in Haiti following the earthquake." (A profile of one of those employees, Emily Serazin, appears on fortune.com.)

BCG also achieved the top ranking as best "small" company (defined as companies with less than 2,500 employees in the United States) and was cited as one of the most diverse overall, with 45 percent women and 27 percent minorities. It was one of 14 companies on the list to offer the best health care benefits (full coverage of premiums), one of 21 to offer fully paid sabbaticals, and one of several hailed for having "gay-friendly benefits" and a "gay-friendly policy."

"We are thrilled to be ranked so high on FORTUNE's Best Companies list," said Rich Lesser, BCG's chairman of North and South America. "The fact that we've stayed in the top dozen for six years in a row is a testament to our continued focus on making BCG a great place to work -- especially when you consider FORTUNE's rigorous criteria for evaluating people, processes, and culture."

Added Lesser: "Attracting top talent and maintaining an environment in which they rapidly develop have been key to our success and our ability to deliver enormous value to clients. Honors like this are a nice acknowledgment that our efforts are highly unusual and, based on our growth and client retention, effective."

For the past five years, BCG's position on the Best Companies list has fluctuated between number 3 and number 11. The firm has been ranked the top small company three times before and has been in the top 10 overall three times before. The only other company to be ranked in the top 12 for six consecutive years is Wegmans Food Markets. No other consulting firm has appeared above 44th place since 2006.

This year's 100 Best Companies list and related stories appear in the February 7 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands on Monday, January 24, and now at fortune.com/bestcompanies.

About FORTUNE's Best Companies Methodology

To pick the 100 Best Companies, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the Institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about job satisfaction, management's credibility, and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company's responses to the Institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication, and diversity.

About The Boston Consulting Group

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 71 offices in 41 countries. For more information, please visit www.bcg.com.

Capgemini acquires German IT services firm CS Consulting GmbH

2010-12-15T01:56:00.000-08:00

Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, has announced the acquisition of German information technology services provider CS Consulting GmbH from its previous owner LRPC, a fund managed by Süd Beteiligungen, a private equity arm of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, founder Berndt Blumenthal and Dr. Kurt Rommel. The agreement was signed yesterday under conditional approval by the relevant anti-trust authorities. The acquisition will more than double Capgemini's market share in IT services for banking clients in Germany.

CS Consulting is an IT consulting firm that specializes in the banking and insurance industry. Founded in 1984, the firm has consistently chalked profitable growth above the market average. In 2009, it generated EUR 47.4m in revenue.

CS Consulting employs more than 400 experienced consultants and specializes in migration of core banking systems and business intelligence systems implementation. It is a leader in IT consulting and system integration in Germany, known for its innovative solutions and ability to develop complex applications for its clients in the banking sector.

Olivier Sevillia, Member of Capgemini Group Executive Committee, said, "The service portfolio and company culture of CS Consulting, which focuses on reliability of services, independence in terms of consulting and strong collaborative client approach, fit perfectly with Capgemini. With this step, we are giving a clear signal for the further growth of our business in Germany."

Berndt Blumenthal, CEO of CS Consulting, said, "Joining Capgemini will enable us to benefit from the experience of a truly international Group with a solid delivery network, and to offer promising perspectives to our employees. We will combine our strengths to serve German banks expansion and transformation."

Ernst & Young named top consulting firm for financial services by Operational Risk & Regulation

2010-12-01T04:56:00.000-08:00

Ernst & Young, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and consulting services, is the top ranked consulting firm in the Operational Risk & Regulation's annual rankings. This is the second successive year that they named Ernst & Young top consulting firm. The company was ranked top in six out of 12 categories that were included in the rankings.

Here are the categories in which Ernst & Young placed first:

• Basel II/III
• Corporate governance
• Fraud/Financial crime prevention
• Operational risk
• Operational risk software selection and implementation
• Treating customers fairly

Hank Prybylski, Global Financial Services Risk Management Practice Leader and Americas Financial Services Advisory Leader, said, "Demand for consultancy services has increased in this era of regulatory change, and in turn, we have seen a continued up-tick in demand worldwide for advisory services across asset management, banking and capital markets, and insurance sectors. Being recognized by Operational Risk & Regulation as a top financial services consulting organization demonstrates Ernst & Young’s commitment to stay ahead of the changes the industry faces and address the evolving needs of our clients."

He added, "As our clients come out of the financial crisis and look at how they will improve business processes — and, ultimately, gain a competitive advantage — we will work with them on defining and implementing business strategies that are consistent with the emerging regulatory landscape."

To view the full Operational Risk & Regulations consultancy rankings, please visit www.ey.com/us/financialservices.

To browse and apply for the latest finance consulting jobs, visit Consultancy Role Finder.

Deloitte and Roland Berger in merger talks

2010-11-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

Global consulting and accounting giant Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants are discussing a possible merger. In a conference call yesterday, Deloitte Germany Chief Executive Martin Plendl told the press that the two companies would make a decision by mid-December, which is when both companies’ shareholders meet to decide on the deal.

Deloitte’s takeover is expected to create a global strategy consulting arm that would earn about $2.8 billion in revenue each year, explained Plendl. The merger will combine Deloitte’s operations, strategy and company restructuring consulting divisions with Roland Berger, and the merged company will be called Roland Berger Deloitte Strategy Consulting.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is based in New York and has about 170,000 employees globally. Its services include tax, audit, consulting and financial advisory. In 2010, Deloitte's global revenue totalled $26.6 billion.

Roland Berger was founded in 1967 as a consulting firm specializing in marketing consulting. Today, it is a versatile consultancy well known for its business and management research and studies. Last year, the company employed about 2,000 people in 27 countries and made 616 million euros in sales.

“A merger opens up a unique opportunity for growth for both firms,” said Plendl. Roland Berger confirmed that discussions were underway in a statement saying, “Discussions with Deloitte are taking place to open new and fascinating growth prospects for our company.”

Best Firms to Work For in 2010 - Consulting Magazine releases rankings

2010-10-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

Consulting Magazine has released its annual rankings based on a survey of close to 8,000 consultants employed at 200 consulting firms across the globe. Bain & Company, The Boston Consulting Group, and North Highland were the top ranked large firms this year.

The consultants who took part in the survey ranked their firms in six categories: The Job, Culture, Leadership, Career Development, Work/Life Balance, and Compensation/Benefits Satisfaction. The top rated consulting firms (listed below) were divided into two groups: large ones (employing at least 500 consultants) and small ones (employing 20 - 499 consultants.)

Bain & Company took the top spot in several categories: The Job, Career Development, and Work/Life Balance, and it came in second in the Culture, Leadership, and Compensation/Benefits Satisfaction categories. It was also the top rated firm for Strategy in the The Best Firms By Service Line 2010 ranking. For the complete list of firms across the categories, go to ConsultingMag.com.

Here are the Best Firms to Work For:

1. Bain & Company
2. The Boston Consulting Group
3. North Highland
4. Point B
5. McKinsey & Company
6. Deloitte Consulting
7. Booz Allen Hamilton
8. PricewaterhouseCoopers
9. Accenture
10. Slalom Consulting
11. Milliman
12. Booz & Company
13. A.T. Kearney
14. Capco
15. PRTM

And the Best Small Firms to Work For in 2010:

1. Stroud Consulting
2. Impact Advisors
3. SkillStorm
4. Infinitive
5. Agility Solutions
6. Cumberland Consulting
7. The Marshall-Teichert Group
8. Centric Consulting
9. Alpha Financial Markets Consulting
10. Plus Consulting
11. IBB Consulting
12. Jabian Consulting
13. West Monroe Partners
14. Acquis Consulting Group
15. Fitzgerald Analytics

Find the latest consulting jobs on ConsultancyRoleFinder.com.

Visa Consulting and Analytics gets MCA membership

2010-09-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Visa Consulting and Analytics (VC&A), Visa Europe's advisory practice, has been awarded membership of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), the representative body for management consultancy firms in the UK.

VC&A joins a prestigious roll call of 55 MCA members which includes Accenture, Deloitte, PWC, and KPMG.

Established in 2006, VC&A has rapidly established itself as a payments consulting business, helping clients across Europe to improve their commercial results by getting the most out of their cards and payment systems. With pan-European and global experience drawn from across the payment card industry, VC&A consultants deliver proven capability, strategic planning and hands-on implementation of innovative and value creating payment solutions.

Approval ratings for VC&A have consistently exceeded 85 percent and 100 percent of clients who have used VC&A said that they would work with the Visa Consulting and Analytics again

Peter Ayliffe, President of Visa Europe, said "We are proud that Visa Consulting and Analytics has fulfilled the MCA's stringent entry criteria in order to become a member. In less than five years, Visa Consulting and Analytics has established itself as a leading provider of consultancy services, helping our customers to get the most out of their payments businesses. VC&A is committed to helping their clients drive business growth by effectively transferring our knowledge so that they have a clear understanding of how to improve the performance of their business. Membership of the MCA is a clear recognition of the quality and value our customers place on our excellent service".

"We are delighted to welcome Visa Consulting and Analytics to membership of the MCA," said Alan Leaman, CEO of the MCA. "MCA members benefit from the badge of quality that membership and our rigorous Code of Practice provides enabling buyers of consultancy to purchase their services with confidence. We also look forward to working with Visa Consulting and Analytics in our role as the representative voice for the industry."

Vault 2011 prestige rankings: Top consulting firms

2010-09-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

Employment and careers portal Vault.com released the 2011 prestige rankings for consulting firms - The Vault Consulting 50 - in late August in an attempt to determine the best consulting companies to work for.

The rankings were determined by a formula that factored in the results of Vault's Management and Strategy Consulting Survey, conducted annually between March and July. More than 4,500 consultants were asked to rate the prestige of their peer consulting firms on a scale of 1 to 10 as well as their own firm's quality of life.

"We went out and asked consultants what mattered most to them in choosing an employer and prestige, while important, was not the biggest determining factor," said Brian Dalton, managing editor at Vault.com. "According to consultants, company culture was the most important factor, followed by practice strength, prestige and compensation, along with several other factors."

The Top 10 Firms from the Vault Consulting 50 Rankings for 2011 are:

1. Bain & Company
2. The Boston Consulting Group
3. McKinsey & Company
4. Analysis Group
5. The Cambridge Group
6. Deloitte Consulting
7. Oliver Wyman
8. A.T. Kearney
9. Triage Consulting Group
10. Censeo Consulting Group

Respondents note that Bain "set the bar (with McKinsey) in terms of prestige” and noted that the firm was “great for management consulting."

In terms of quality of life, one strategy consultant at Bain & Company said of the firm: "There is no other company I’ve seen in my 10 years of professional experience with a stronger, healthier culture." A Toronto staffer added, "It is a demanding career, but yes, I have been able to live a very rewarding personal life over my last 10-plus years at Bain."

Boston Consulting Group also received high praise. Said one health care consultant: "BCG is a fantastic place to work. They go the extra mile to invest in their consultants. The work is interesting, the people are brilliant, and the compensation and benefits are second to none."

Other smaller, more niche firms that were recognized for their quality of life, include Analysis Group (No. 4), The Cambridge Group (No. 5), Triage Consulting Group (No. 9), Censeo Consulting Group (No. 10), and West Monroe Partners (No. 11).

As an example of why these smaller niche firms are succeeding, one senior consultant at The Cambridge Group said, "I feel very lucky to have found TCG. I am constantly challenged and enjoy the work and the people. As a testament to the great experience I have had, I'm the only one of my friends from business school who has not switched companies since leaving school."

According to Mr. Dalton, more jobseekers are discovering the benefits of joining these niche consulting companies. "These firms often get overlooked in the prestige rankings in favor of the more well-known firms," he said, "but they shine in the quality of life areas that many consultants care most about, leading to some deserved recognition in our Vault Consulting 50 Rankings."

"Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group for that matter, historically dominates many of our quality of life categories, in addition to carrying a lofty reputation in the industry," added Dalton. "McKinsey, which is perennially the most prestigious firm, slips due to lower firm culture and work/life balance scores areas - where smaller firms tend to have the advantage."

View the entire Vault Consulting 50 Rankings for 2011.

Booz & Co. and A.T. Kearney end merger discussions

2010-07-07T02:30:00.000-07:00

Management consulting giants Booz & Co. and A.T. Kearney have called off discussions about a possible merger, the companies announced today. In a joint statement, they said, "Booz & Co. and A.T. Kearney confirm that they have ended discussions about a possible merger of their two partnerships. While the two firms greatly respect each other's legacy and capabilities, they have determined that their future aspirations will be best realized as separate partnerships."

The two consulting firms have considered a merger several times over the last few years, writes The Wall Street Journal, but never completed a deal. Booz CEO Shumeet Banerji reportedly met with partners in several countries recently to discuss a possible merger, but the partners did not see the two companies as a good fit. Previous merger talks between Booz and A.T. Kearney fell apart for similar reasons, according to insiders.

Booz & Co. was created when Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. split its government business from its corporate consulting arm two years ago. The government consulting unit kept the original name after it was sold to Carlyle Group for $2.54 billion. Booz was originally founded in 1914 by Edwin Booz as Booz Allen & Hamilton, a management consulting firm.

A.T. Kearney was bought back by its partners from Electronic Data Systems in 2006. The company was founded in 1926 as a branch of McKinsey & Company. In 2009, Consulting Mag ranked A.T. Kearney number 11 "best place to work for." The company is now a private partnership.

Deloitte ranked second largest energy consulting organisation

2010-06-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory recently released the results of its report, "Energy Consulting Marketplace 2009-2012," in which tax and consulting firm Deloitte is ranked second largest energy consulting organisation by aggregate global revenue and leader in several related categories.

The report states:

Deloitte ranks as the second largest organization for energy consulting by measure of aggregate global revenue.
Deloitte is a leader for energy consulting by a measure of aggregate global revenue.
Deloitte is a leader in energy consulting capabilities and has the greatest breadth of capability of any organization.
Deloitte has one of the largest and strongest upstream practices.
Deloitte is one of only two organizations with at least 5 percent aggregate market share.

Aiming to facilitate solution development and client service, the consulting giant and its member firms have established Centers of Excellence for oil and gas in a number of cities across the globe: London, Madrid, Rotterdam, Moscow, Oslo, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Singapore, Dubai, Calgary, Houston, Washington, and others.

In the report, Kennedy Consulting points out a number of Deloitte's strengths and capabilities in the oil and gas consulting industry, including strong IT consulting, risk managemenent, support, and industry-specific capabilities in the energy sector.

Dick Cooper, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) Global Energy Consulting Leader commented on the report, saying, "To help Deloitte member firms’ oil & gas clients address issues critical to the industry, including carbon management, ongoing cost management regulatory complexity, ongoing mergers and acquisitions, and health and safety, Deloitte has executed a number of acquisitions of smaller consulting firms around the world, which has greatly strengthened Deloitte’s client service offerings and capabilities. Over the past several years, Deloitte member firms have also been developing services in the area of climate change and carbon markets, resulting in a geographically diverse group of advisors who have successfully built significant practices in this area."

Find the latest energy consultant jobs on ConsultancyRoleFinder.co.uk.

Capgemini signs €6 million SAP deal with Dutch water company

2010-06-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

Capgemini's Dutch subsidiary Capgemini Netherlands B.V. has signed a €6 million contract with Futuro B.V., a company consisting of five Dutch water companies. This deal will solidify the technology consulting firm's position in the Dutch utilities market.

The contract between Capgemini and Futuro covers two areas of expertise -- “building and implementing” and “hosting and technical maintenance” -- for a Customer Care and Billing system based on SAPISU.

Capgemini will build, implement and host the Capgemini Water Template, a system based on SAP-ISU (SAP’s Industry Solution for the Utilities Market), for three of the five Futuro companies. The consulting firm will implement, support, maintain and host the new Customer Care and Billing (CCB) system for the Dutch firms.

The first phase of the project is expected to go live in January 2011.

Peter Stemerdink, Account Executive, Capgemini Netherlands B.V. commented, "Our knowledge of SAP and deep expertise in the drinking water market helped us to close the deal. It has allowed us to consolidate our position in the Dutch water market in a significant way," adding that, "This is a flexible, future proof and easy to operate billing and CRM system."

Piet Jonker, CEO of Dunea and Director ad interim of Futuro B.V. said, "In Customer Care and Billing there are economies of scale. For that reason, the five water utilities have joined their efforts with Futuro. In Capgemini we have found a partner which can help us to reach our goal of delivering high quality service at low costs to our 1.6 million customers."

Grant Thornton LLP purchases assets of Dallas-based firm Avalion Consulting LLC

2010-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Grant Thornton LLP, the US member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the six global audit, tax and advisory organizations, has purchased assets of Dallas-based IT consulting and software solutions firm Avalion Consulting LLC. The transaction, which falls under Grant Thornton’s Business Advisory Services (BAS) group, comprises two partners; Avalion’s IT consulting staff; and its IT and governance, risk and compliance (GRC) intellectual property, including Avalion’s patented GRC software solution – ComplianceSet.

“Avalion is a great fit for Grant Thornton in many ways,” said Paul Kanneman, national managing principal of Grant Thornton’s BAS group. “They share the same passion we have for exceptional client service and have a similar corporate culture. I also believe this transaction not only demonstrates Grant Thornton’s commitment to our GRC and IT consulting practices, but also shows that we are investing in these important business units to meet the renewed demand in the marketplace.”

ComplianceSet is a patented, comprehensive Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that serves as the technical foundation for a process-based approach to GRC requirements, including Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) compliance, internal audit and enterprise risk management. It provides client management with a real-time portal view into a company’s system of internal controls for financial reporting. The ComplianceSet application uniquely incorporates proven SOX compliance thought leadership, best practices and process-based tools (e.g., work approaches, methodologies, accelerators, and training materials) that help companies manage and measure the ongoing compliance process.

Noted John Gutierrez, former vice president of Avalion, now a Grant Thornton BAS principal, “Grant Thornton clients around the country will be able to take advantage of the ComplianceSet® software. This will enable them to manage their internal audit, SOX and other compliance processes more efficiently and effectively.”

M Squared Consulting names new CEO

2010-05-11T14:29:00.001-07:00

M Squared Consulting, a workforce professional services firm, named John Kunzweiler as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Kunzweiler replaces Marion McGovern, M Squared’s legendary founder and industry pioneer.

Kunzweiler’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in the consulting industry as more and more client companies reconsider the traditional full-time employee structure while, conversely, the workforce itself is undergoing revolutionary change. “The flexible workforce will comprise an ever-greater share of the working population going forward,” said Kunzweiler. “And the organizations that intelligently harness this strategic asset will emerge as the leaders.”

Corporate downsizing, coupled with the desire by many professionals to pursue new career paths has fueled an entirely new workforce that is more experienced, more capable and more driven to achieve quantifiable results than ever before. Smart businesses today understand that a high-end flexible workforce provides the strategic solutions they need to succeed and thrive. M Squared Consulting helps companies by providing skilled professionals and targeted expertise to solve critical business problems.

Kunzweiler is an experienced consulting executive, having served 26 years at Accenture in key leadership positions such as Global Managing Partner of Alliances, Joint Ventures and Venture Capital. Since leaving Accenture, Kunzweiler has served as a board member for several business, civic, and non-profit organizations.

With a proven history of developing strategic alliances and third-party relationships on a global scale, Kunzweiler is well-suited in his new leadership role as CEO at M Squared Consulting as the company continues to expand its offerings and services. The company has dedicated practices in Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Technology and provides consulting solutions in many other industries as well. With its innovative cloud consulting business model, M Squared offers an unprecedented level of flexibility and scalability for both clients and consultants.

The Boston Consulting Group: Innovation regains top-priority status

2010-04-22T02:40:00.000-07:00

After a pause in 2009, reflecting growing concerns over the economy, innovation is once again a top strategic priority for a large majority of companies in 2010, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report, titled Innovation 2010: A Return to Prominence—and the Emergence of a New World Order, is being released today.

The report, which was based on a global survey of nearly 1,600 senior executives that BCG conducted in partnership with BusinessWeek, also reveals that companies are increasing their innovation spending and that their satisfaction with the return on innovation spending has climbed. But companies remain somewhat cautious, keeping a close eye on the cost of their innovation activities and raising their emphasis on conservative bets.

“Companies took a defensive stance last year but have recommitted to innovation in 2010, realizing its importance to their long-term competitiveness,” said BCG Senior Partner James P. Andrew, lead author of the report and the coauthor of Payback: Reaping the Rewards of Innovation. “But they are focused on making sure they earn a return on every dollar invested, which is understandable, given the environment.”

The report discusses this and a range of other innovation-related topics, including what the authors believe could be the beginnings of a long-term trend in innovation, one in which rapidly developing economies, led by China, India, and Brazil, gradually take the leadership reins from mature economies, including the perennial torchbearer, the United States. “For managers, the implications of this potential changing of the guard are sizable,” said Andrew. “Executives, especially those from developed markets, will be wrestling with this for years to come and will have to view the innovation world through an entirely different lens going forward.”

Recyclers at the ready

2010-04-08T02:38:00.000-07:00

UK office workers throw their green ideals out of the window when they enter the work place, according to a government research poll. A new initiative is aiming to change green behaviour in offices throughout the country.

YouGov research has revealed that despite office workers efforts to be green at work they are being held back by a lack of recycling facilities, no environmental policy and cynical colleagues.

Green Office Week, which takes place from 26 – 30 April, is an initiative to educate office workers to make work places greener. The week aims to inspire employees to make changes and empower office workers with tips, advice, blogs and events.

92% of office workers believe that it is important for businesses to be environmentally responsible but only 51% of companies have a green policy in place. Employees are sick of their employers laissez faire attitude to the environment and only 54% think their company does enough towards helping the environment.

Simon Walsh, co-founder of one of Europe’s largest electronics recyclers www.shplimited.co.uk, said: “This research seems to qualify what a lot of the recycling industry always knew – employees are too busy and too lazy to recycle

office waste. 70% of office waste is recyclable but only 8% is actually recycled .
“We spend a third of our lives at work, and businesses are responsible for 40% of the UK’s carbon emission - so it’s vital that offices start to take action.”

Here are five tips to make your workplace a greener space:

1. Place plants around your office. Not only will they enhance your work space but they can reduce air pollution in enclosed spaces.
2. Buy recyclable products, paper and wood products that are FSC-certified.
3. Recycle all old IT and electrical products rather than storing them.
4. Set up a green ideas scheme to encourage and reward colleagues who come up with novel energy saving ideas.
5. Switch off computers, photocopiers and lights at the end of the day.

Accenture No. 22 on DiversityInc Top 50 Companies List

2010-03-16T12:09:00.001-07:00

Accenture has been named to the DiversityInc list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity for the fourth consecutive year, appearing at No. 22, up from No. 23 last year. DiversityInc also awarded Accenture the No. 3 position, up from No. 10 last year, on the DiversityInc Top Ten Global Diversity Companies list.

DiversityInc, the leading publication on diversity and business, annually recognizes companies that exemplify meaningful diversity management through their corporate practice. To qualify for the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, participating companies must have more than 1,000 employees and must fill out a detailed questionnaire. Instrumental factors include companies’ policies, diversity programs and initiatives and workforce demographics. The list, now in its 10th year, is metrics-driven and companies doing business with DiversityInc receive no advantage.

"Accenture is a very smart company run by astute people who clearly recognize how critical their diversity efforts are to their global and domestic success. When CEO and Chairman Bill Green spoke at our event last November, his real passion for the subject was inspirational for everyone,” said Luke Visconti, Chief Executive Officer of DiversityInc.

According to DiversityInc, Accenture has demonstrated strength in the four areas measured: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications and Supplier Diversity.

“We are honored to be recognized once again by DiversityInc,” said LaMae Allen deJongh, managing director of US Human Capital & Diversity at Accenture. “We are focused on fully integrating inclusion and diversity across Accenture’s approach to talent management. It is among our top priorities, no matter what the economic environment, and is essential to our people, the communities where we live and work and, ultimately, to maximizing our ability to deliver high performance to our clients.”

Accenture’s training programs around the globe illustrate the company’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and diversity. In addition to offering a variety of live and online diversity training sessions, the company provides customized training and education programs that include “Developing High Performing Women” and “Minority Leadership Development.” Additionally, more than 2,500 executives have participated in its “Leading a Diverse Workforce” program since its inception in 2005, and the company recently launched a new training program, “Developing Client Centric Women,” to women in multiple locations in South America, Asia Pacific and North America.

Ms. deJongh spoke today on “Inclusion & Diversity Learning” at DiversityInc’s event, “EEO to Effective Diversity Management: A Primer for Federal Agencies and Those Who do Business with Them.”

Londoners say men and women are equal, but women must work harder and longer to get to top

2010-03-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

29% of Londoners think men and women in senior jobs are equal, but 30% believe women have to work longer and harder than their male counterparts to get to the top jobs.

The results of a nationwide survey of almost 2000 people, released by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, also shows that 14% of Londoners said women in top jobs in business had a reputation for being aggressive and controlling. This is 2% higher than the national average in the survey, and the highest percentage across the UK.

16% of Londoners said women were an inspiration, with the right skills and attributes for the job, and were great leaders. While this was higher than the national average, but lower than the top ranking from Scottish respondents, where 19% looked to women as an inspiration.

The national survey asked respondents about their views on women in the most senior jobs in business, overall:

*

33% said they were nothing unusual – men and women were equal (29% London)
*

29% said women had to work harder than men to get to the top, and for a longer period of time too (30% London)
*

15% said they were an inspiration to others, and good leaders too (16% London)
*

12% said they had a reputation for being aggressive and controlling (14% London)
*

3% said they were there to make up the numbers, and not as well qualified as men (2% London)

Sarah Churchman, director of diversity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP commented:

“The City has worked hard to shake off its alpha – male image and environment, but the underlying impression is still that women have to battle harder to get to the top. It’s in our nature to feel we have to prove to ourselves, and others we can do the job. But in the process, employers need to ensure it’s not burning out the best of our City women, because it’s the economy as a whole that suffers when we reduce the pipeline of future leaders.”

Respondents from the south west and Northern Ireland felt the strongest that women had to work harder and longer than men, with respondents in Scotland, East Anglia and Northern Ireland praising women the most for being an inspiration.

Nationally, the percentage of female respondents who felt they had to work harder than men to get to top jobs, was almost twice that of male respondents(39% vs 19%). 44% of male respondents felt women were equal, in comparison with only 23% of female respondents. Only 11% of men thought women were good leaders and an inspiration, nearly half of what women believed to be the case.

Sarah Churchman, director of diversity, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP commented:

“It’s no surprise that men think that equality has progressed more than women. Some men don’t notice the culture of the corporate working environment that remains inherently male. The fight to the top seems to be getting tougher as companies put pressure on learning, promotions, and pay rises. Job insecurity could reverse the progress we’ve made in equality because it breeds self-protection, presenteeism, and a tougher fight to the top for all – but the fight is always harder for the outsider.”

Research by PwC on the impact of the recession on the City found that 74% of women believed the recession will be an opportunity to exit corporate life – using redundancy as a new start, potentially fracturing the pipeline of women’s development for leadership positions in UK business.

Transport industry group agrees to carbon emissions reporting guidelines

2010-02-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

The World Economic Forum’s Logistics & Transport Industry Group, supported by Accenture, has agreed to standard guidelines for calculating consignment-level carbon emissions from logistics and shipping operations. The Consignment-Level Carbon Reporting Guidelines, developed with Accenture, will help the industry inform consumers and businesses about the carbon impact of product transport.

The guidelines come at a time when consumer interest in the carbon footprints of the products they buy is growing. For example, a recent Accenture survey found that 90 percent of consumers would be willing to switch to a new product if it was certified as minimizing its impact on climate change, while another Accenture survey found that 98 percent of Chinese consumers would pay a premium for consumer electronics products that are marketed as environmentally friendly.

”Logistics and transportation providers face growing demand from their retail and manufacturing customers to report the carbon emissions generated by the shipping and handling of their products,” said Jonathan Wright, senior executive in Accenture’s Supply Chain Management practice. “These guidelines will help them work toward providing consumers with carbon footprint information for individual products.”

The guidelines were endorsed by the Governors of the World Economic Forum’s Logistics & Transport Industry Group at the organization’s recent annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland and include principles for defining the scope of emissions to report and how these emissions should be allocated in cases such as shared transport or backhaul. They complement broader upcoming and existing product-level carbon reporting standards including the GHG Protocol Life Cycle and Scope 3 Standards, which are expected to be released at the end of 2010.

“By providing accuracy and consistency in carbon reporting, these guidelines help companies to compete meaningfully on environmental efficiency,” said Sean Doherty, head of Logistics & Transport Industry at the World Economic Forum.

Coyote Creek Consulting to Offer Cloud-Based IT Monitoring and Management Services to Businesses Nationwide

2010-01-15T10:28:00.001-08:00

Leading Silicon Valley IT consulting firm Coyote Creek Consulting announces the launch of its new Remote Monitoring and Management practice area. Complementing their well-established onsite managed services and monitoring offerings, the firm's new cloud-based monitoring services will support companies with up to 500 servers and 78,000 users.

Coyote Creek's network monitoring and management service proactively detects and resolves issues before they impact the system's end users. Everything from security and server health to capacity, performance, patch management, backup status and more is monitored and managed 24/7 offsite, alleviating the need for extensive in-house IT staff. Unlike most monitoring service providers, Coyote Creek also provides local ongoing maintenance and support from both the East and West coasts.

Coyote Creek's monitoring service clients save time and money while enjoying increased system performance and easy access to invaluable system data. The service supports servers and devices, both physical and virtual. It provides visibility into software, operating systems, licenses, and more, and can incorporate problem resolution based on customer preference. On-demand dashboards let IT managers easily review the overall system activity and network health at any time.

"The Remote Monitoring and Maintenance service provided by Coyote Creek is exactly what we needed, as we have very limited IT staff," states Joe Coyne, Vice President of Solution Delivery and IT at PolyRemedy, Inc. "I can rely on Coyote Creek to monitor our network and let me know early if anything is headed in the wrong direction, freeing us up to spend time on other business-critical projects."

The decision to offer this cloud-based service was based in part on feedback from Coyote Creek clients who are anxious to take advantage of this new technology.

"Coyote Creek has extensive technical experience in monitoring, managing and optimizing network performance," explains Mike Faster, President. "In addition to helping our customers maintain high availability of their systems, we can also help with capacity planning, defining the optimal server load for network clients (i.e. laptops, desktops, phones, PDAs, etc.), and much more. And with our new cloud-based service we can do this for organizations located anywhere in the country."

Makarios Consulting expands management team with entrepreneurial operating system expert

2010-01-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

Makarios Consulting, LLC, a full-service business consulting firm, announced that Kelly Vange has joined the Makarios Consulting team as a senior associate. As a certified Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) implementer, Vange specializes in helping companies gain traction, apply their energy and resources effectively, and develop as a cohesive team in order to dramatically improve cash flow.

Vange is an experienced leader of companies, business units, projects, and consulting engagements in the U.S. and abroad, having worked for or with such companies as 1&1 Internet, Synygy, Lucent, Roche, Novo Nordisk, PerkinElmer, Amersham Biosciences (now part of GE Healthcare), SAP, EDS, IBM, General Motors, and Axon. He has exceptional international exposure, having lived in seven countries, worked in 16, and visited nearly 60.

Over the course of his career, Vange has generated P&L success in multiple sectors, recruited CIOs and technology leaders for Global 2000 companies, and advised start-up companies and non-profits on business plan strategies, first-stage venture capital funding, and enterprise staffing.

"Joining Makarios Consulting is a tremendous opportunity," Vange asserts. "First, because of the exceptional combination of skills and experiences of the principals, Tim Thomas and Rip Tilden. They truly transform businesses. And second, because of the EOS process. This comprehensive, proven system brings all the moving parts of a business together for real solutions that result in real growth. I am looking forward to combining the EOS process with my own experience and expertise to help companies advance in every area, including establishing or strengthening their international footprint."

Tilden, partner at Makarios Consulting, affirms, "We're absolutely thrilled to have Kelly join the Makarios team. He is an experienced and savvy international executive with a track record of achievement in companies around the world. We know his perspective and experience will be very valuable to Makarios clients."

CSC announces innovative wireless business solutions for transportation and energy industries

2009-12-28T23:11:00.001-08:00

CSC has announced a global strategic alliance with Proximetry, a leading provider of network and performance management solutions for wireless networks. The combination of CSC's deep industry expertise and industry leading network services capabilities, coupled with Proximetry's innovative AirSync software, creates a new intelligent wireless services platform enabling a series of new business solutions and services for the transportation and energy industries.

As aircraft, trains and buses become mobile end-points on transportation networks and modern energy distribution requires bi-directional communication across service footprints, CSC's new AirSync -enabled intelligent wireless network solutions provide the bridge between mobile end-points and the enterprise. "Traditionally, human intervention has been required for data collection, asset interrogation and content loading," said Mary Jo Morris, president of CSC's Technology and Consumer Group. "With this new service, data and content can be distributed and collected in real time - streamlining existing processes, eliminating manual tasks, and enabling the creation of new revenue generating services for transportation and energy businesses."

The collaboration between CSC and Proximetry results in a unique combination of service and software not yet seen in the market. Unlike existing enterprise wireless network solutions, CSC's intelligent wireless network service, enabled by AirSync, extends the enterprise wireless capability beyond its physical real estate, providing secure and intelligent provisioning of real-time mission critical data, anytime, anywhere and across multiple wireless protocols and networks as needed.

CSC and Proximetry have collaborated to offer the transportation industry a subscription-based model so customers will benefit from a cost-efficient solution, reducing capital costs while extending the reach of mission-critical data. CSC's exclusive adaptation of Proximetry's software truly enables the full potential of next generation e-enabled transportation systems.

In addition to transportation solutions, CSC and Proximetry anticipate integrated solutions enabling breakthrough applications for public utilities moving to Smart Grid models for their energy networks and requiring efficient, reliable and secure movement of information.

"CSC serves many of the world's leading transportation and energy companies, and we look forward to enabling a new era of managed wireless services and solutions through this alliance." said Tracy Trent, CEO of Proximetry.

Follow Consultancy Role Finder on Twitter

2009-12-22T12:37:00.001-08:00

You can now follow CRF on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ukconsultingjob

Organisations worldwide focus on contingency planning as H1N1 virus continues to spread, Mercer survey finds

2009-12-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

The recent emergence of Influenza A (H1N1) has posed a challenge to employers worldwide, as the threat has not been isolated to a few locations. Concerned that this virus is going to become more serious and widespread, employers are taking actions to minimise their risk.

According to a new Mercer survey, employers worldwide are primarily concerned about hygiene and prevention, health information and advice, education and communication, and absence management with regard to H1N1. While more than half (52 percent) have a local contingency plan that applies to either some or all functions, only-one quarter (25 percent) of companies have integrated contingency plans that apply to all functions and all locations.

“Organisations around the world are facing the same concerns and issues with regard to H1N1,” said Russell Robbins, MD, a principal and senior clinical consultant for Mercer’s health and benefits consulting business. “Contingency plans are crucial and should define how to maximise health, safety and productivity in the workplace in the event of a pandemic. Additionally, HR policies and benefits need to be assessed as sources of information and communication with employees.”

Mercer’s survey, which includes responses from nearly 1,000 organisations worldwide, assesses what companies are doing to plan, communicate and minimise their risk as H1N1 continues to spread. The survey, which was conducted inOctober, includes responses from employers located in the United States, Latin America, Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe.

“Companies that do not have contingency plans in place should develop them now as it will be too late when an epidemic or disaster strikes later,” said Dr. Robbins. “The primary objective should be to minimise the risk for their workforce by avoiding unnecessary threats and preparing for recovery should they be impacted.”

As companies worldwide look for ways to limit workforce risk as a result of H1N1, the majority are implementing such workplace services as distributing hand sanitizers (94 percent), implementing more frequent or intensive office cleaning (64 percent) and providing educational sessions (54 percent).

Organisations are also communicating what is expected of their employees in case the company is affected by the H1N1 virus. Overall, two-thirds (67 percent) of organisations globally have done so. Slightly more organisations in Latin America (77 percent) and Asia (74 percent) have done so, most likely due to more cases being detected earlier on in these regions. In addition, the majority of companies worldwide who have communicated with their employees regarding the H1N1 virus have provided information on personal hygiene, such as washing hands and covering coughs (98 percent), as well as flu and health care protocols (88 percent) that should be enforced. Moreover, more than half (58 percent) of companies have addressed how to access information about possible restrictions or quarantine provisions.

According to Mercer’s survey, the majority of employers (95 percent) have up-to-date contact information for their employees in the event of illness, as well as up-to-date client information in order to notify them in case of business interruption. However, only one-third of organisations worldwide have issued guidance to their employees about the message that should be given to clients and suppliers should the business be affected by the spread of the virus.

Finally, more than one-third of organisations worldwide (37 percent) indicated that they have met with medical and absence management vendors to review absence duration and return to work guidelines for their employees. Employers are less likely to have had discussions with their vendors about customer service and medical management protocols, or coordination between health and absent management vendors.

“Communications with vendors is just as important as with your employees,” said Dr. Robbins. “Employers can still be impacted even if all of their employees are healthy but their supplier is unable to provide goods or services due to H1N1 or a school closure requires healthy employees to stay home to provide care to a family member.”

Tata Consultancy Services positioned in the Leaders Quadrant for Oracle Outsourcing

2009-12-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global IT services, business solutions and outsourcing firm, has been positioned by industry analyst firm Gartner, Inc. in the leaders quadrant in its November “Magic Quadrant for Oracle Outsourcing, North America” report.

Developed by Gartner analysts as an evaluation of the Oracle application outsourcing services in the North American market, the Magic Quadrant evaluates vendors on their completeness of vision and ability to execute.

Gartner analyzed 15 providers across North America, and according to the report, "Leaders provide offerings that meet demand, as well as demonstrate the vision necessary to sustain their position as requirements evolve in the Oracle outsourcing market. The hallmark of leaders is that they focus on and invest in their offerings to the point that they lead the market and can affect its overall direction. As a result, leaders can become the vendors to watch as you try to understand how new offerings might evolve. Leaders typically possess a satisfied customer base and enjoy high visibility within the market. Their size and financial strength enable them to remain viable in a challenging economy. Leaders typically respond to a wide market audience by supporting broad market requirements, including delivering across all aspects of Oracle outsourcing. However, they may fail to meet the specific needs of more-specialized segments."

"We are pleased to be recognized as a leader for Oracle solutions by Gartner," said Sridhar Bakshi, Global Head, Oracle Center of Excellence, Tata Consultancy Services. "In an evolving business landscape, we help customers leverage Oracle solutions not just to adapt, but predict change and respond proactively. In my opinion, our position in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Oracle Outsourcing in North America underscores our ability to enable our customers to 'Experience Certainty' and to help them succeed in a challenging economic environment."

For over two decades, TCS has enabled enterprise businesses to adopt best in class solutions with Oracle Applications and Technologies, for efficient enterprise wide resource planning, agile customer relationship management, collaborative content management, effective performance and financial management, optimized application integration, intelligent business analytics and consolidated master data management.

Leveraging a blend of technology leadership and innovation excellence in Oracle Enterprise Solution offerings, TCS drives business efficiency, productivity, and quality to help customers achieve effective alignment of people, processes, data and technology. TCS offers its customers an end-to-end full service play from strategy formulation to development and deployment of Oracle applications (E-Business Suite, Siebel, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, Hyperion, Oracle Industry Applications) and Oracle technology solutions (Business Intelligence, Middleware and Database).

Deloitte brings business challenges directly to post graduate students

2009-11-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

Deloitte, the business advisory firm, is pioneering a new initiative with Warwick Business School to bring a real life systems integration consulting project to business school students. MSc students on Warwick Business School’s Information Systems and Management course begin their academic year with a module designed jointly by consultants at Deloitte and Warwick academics.

The module, now in its second year, is designed to give students insight into how their academic understanding will be applied in the business world by putting them through the full life cycle of a typical systems integration consulting project – from pitching for the project to full scale implementation.

72 Masters students took the module over the last five weeks with awards for the leading projects presented by Nigel Thrift, Vice-Chancellor of Warwick University.

David Finnegan, assistant professor of information systems at Warwick Business School who is responsible for delivering the module, said: “Companies having an involvement with business school modules is nothing new, yet our collaboration with Deloitte is unique as Deloitte is intimately involved in every aspect of the module. Our students find it highly valuable as it really gives meaning to what they are studying. It synchronises theory with practice.”

Paul Leigh, a consultant at Deloitte who leads the initiative, said: “Deloitte is able to provide insights, drawn from our own experience of providing systems integration strategy and implementation to clients, that really brings the theory to life and helps students understand how it applies to businesses. This also includes developing some of the softer skills that you need in business such as an understanding of how to develop business cases, presentation skills and how to interact with clients. We feel that there are considerable mutual benefits in our collaboration and look forward to developing the module further in the years to come.”

Consulting Times – October 2009

2009-10-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

The topics in the October issue of Consulting Times include:

Management consultant salary benchmarking report from Top-Consultant.com
PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young post global revenues
Accenture’s forecast for 2010 lower than expected
Dell to acquire IT services provider Perot Systems
Consulting recruiters ask: “What recovery?”
Weeding out consultancy chancers and charlatans
New consultancy aims to change procurement departments
Shortlist for MCA Consultant of the Year Awards 2009
HR consultants adapting their approach to take advantage of market opportunities in the economic downturn

To read about these and more, please visit Consulting Times.

Accenture wins contract from U.K.’s Department of Energy and Climate Change

2009-10-13T03:44:00.000-07:00

Management consulting firm Accenture has won a contract to provide strategic support on smart grid roll out to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The UK Government has set high goals for the reduction of carbon emissions and deployment of smart grids will play a pivotal role in achieving these targets. Accenture was selected because it brings a lot of experience to the table. The consultancy has deployed smart grids and smart meters in cities in Europe, North America and Asia.

Smart grids help energy and utility organizations manage distributed sources of renewable energy (wind farms, biomass plants) in the most efficient way. By distributing power optimally, the grids also reduce wasted power generation and network losses.

Omar Abbosh, managing director of Accenture’s Resources operating group in the U.K. and Ireland, said, "The U.K. Government has some of the most ambitious emissions targets in the world and smart grids will be play a central in achieving them, by helping to reduce electricity consumption and by better managing intermittent renewable sources. Smart grids are a national priority but will be built locally. As such, city authorities will play a major part in making smart grids the basis for low carbon living, working and transport."

Accenture also provides support to the cities and utilities that use smart grids through its Intelligent City Network initiative, which helps organizations committed to building smart grids exchange experience and knowledge.

Find the latest Accenture jobs on our consulting job board.

New growth trends on the global consulting market

2009-09-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

Global demand for consulting services will not return to 2008 levels before 2012, according to the annual study from Kennedy Consulting Research, titled "Global Consulting Marketplace: Key Trends, Profiles and Forecasts." Kennedy analysts say that the consulting market has irreversibly changed, predicting that it will most likely not witness the same double-digit growth in demand that it had in the past 30 years.

The remaining driving factors of market demand, according to Kennedy's report, will now sustain rather than grow the consulting market, and consultants' ability to pinpoint the right areas to which they will devote their resources will play a crucial role in how many clients they sign. Toward the end of the forecast period (2009-2012), these areas will increasingly be sustainability and business intelligence. Meanwhile, businesses looking to explore new opportunities or change production processes will need consulting services in China, Brazil, and other emerging markets.

Kelly Matthews, Associate Director of Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory and lead analyst for Global Consulting Marketplace, said, "Given the market contraction in 2009 which is only expected to flatline in 2010, well-positioned consultancies are smart to vie for clients with stimulus and/or bailout money. However, circumstances dictate that such rewards may be realized only in the short-term and consultants will face severe fee pressures due to unprecedented competition."

Browse and apply for the latest consulting jobs on our job board.

Government spending on consultants on a sharp rise

2009-09-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

The Home Office spent £140 million on external consultants in 2008/09 despite having thousands of experts on staff. This is a 46 percent increase over the previous year.

The consulting firms that benefited the most were PA Consulting (£24.5 million), Deloitte (£21 million) and Ernst and Young (£13.8 million).

PA Consulting was contracted to work on the national identity scheme and the Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP). Deloitte and Ernst & Young also won contracts for the national identity scheme, a project that has since suffered a climb down.

The government has been criticized for spending so much money on external advisors. “Whenever anyone questions the large salaries paid out to Home Office staff we are told it is because they are the best people for the job,” said Mark Wallace, the campaign director of the TaxPayers' Alliance. “If that is the case why on earth are we paying an army of consultants to tell them how to do their job properly? Whitehall must drastically rein in spending on consultants if it is ever going to control its costs, especially at a time of recession.”

A Home Office representative responded: "The Home Office spend with consultancy firms is comparable with other large scale and complex service delivery organisations. All Home Office contracts are subject to a competitive process.”

Consulting Times – August 2009

2009-08-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

The August issue of Consulting Times has been posted. This month's topics include:

Consulting tips: How to sell the sizzle
Big businesses commit to cutting flights
European outsourcing market still sluggish
Management consultants as ethical agents of change in the financial sector
Capgemini half-year results in line with consulting firm's targets
The real importance of work/life balance for consulting firms
MCA warns: many financial services firms poorly equipped to respond to new regulation
Consulting tips: How to sell an initial study
Can consultants look beyond growth?

To read about these and other popular topics in the consulting industry, please visit http://www.consulting-times.com.

Find the latest business consulting jobs on our job board.

Consulting Times – July 2009 issue

2009-07-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Consulting Times has been posted. The July topics include:

The consulting candidate reality check – what does it take to secure a consulting job in today's market?
Nominations for MCA Consultant of the Year 2009
The Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt merger
Consulting market report: contraction slows down
New ways to engage decision-makers
MCA: Risk management in the downturn
Consulting industry bodies lead discussion on best practice
Tips for consultants: How to get your own way by giving in
Cost-cutting opportunities that don't involve redundancies
KPMG's latest National Business Confidence Survey

You can read about these and more at Consulting-Times.com.

PA Consulting survey: businesses considering multi-sourcing

2009-07-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

A new survey conducted by PA Consulting indicates that most businesses are looking at multi-sourcing as one of the possible ways out of the current crisis.

Industry analysts estimate that businesses will increasingly restructure their outsourcing fuctions over the next three to five years and consider multi-sourcing for its diversified risk and cost-efficiency. However, experts also warn that multi-sourcing can hurt a business if the professionals in charge overlook its challenges.

As PA Consulting's latest survey shows, almost 75 percent of businesses are considering multi-sourcing in the current economic crisis. "We advise caution," says Graham Beck, a senior sourcing advisor at the company. "Businesses and professionals do not realise that multi-sourcing requires special capabilities."

Jonathan Cooper-Bagnall, a member of PA’s management group, warns: "If organisations fail to manage single sourcing efficiently, there are serious questions to be asked about their evolution to complex outsourcing model."

Compliance with the legislation and security issues are some of the things that companies must take into account. While outsourcing is a good way to cut expenses and it allows businesses to hire expert services, they must fully understand the legal issues, risks and service level agreements involved in order to manage outsourcing properly.

"There are far greater security and compliance requirements today," warns Lesica. "Outsourcing and offshoring now require security assessment, audits and implementation of stringent and comprehensive security measures."

Find the latest consulting jobs at ConsultancyRoleFinder.co.uk.

Strategy consulting leader Marakon acquired by CRA International

2009-06-11T03:33:00.000-07:00

Global management and financial services company CRA International, Inc. announced that it has bought substantially all the assets of strategy consulting firm Marakon Associates, including intellectual property, accounts receivables and all current client projects. Other than enhancing CRA's consulting services, the acquisition will also create a new Value Management Practice for CRA. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Marakon Associates, well known for pioneering value-based management, will be led by Mason Kissell, who most recently served as the firm's CEO, and be based in CRA's New York City office. CRA will retain about 50 Marakon consultants, nine of who will become CRA vice presidents. The staff will work at CRA's offices in London, New York and Chicago.

Mason Kissell commented on the acquisition, "CRA is a well-established, leading consulting organization that shares our commitment to delivering high value to clients through analytically rigorous work, teamwork and collaboration. Through this transaction, we gain additional functional depth and breadth, access to leading industry expertise, and strong analytical capabilities to help us grow the business. We are excited to join CRA."

James C. Burrows, CRA's President and CEO, reciprocated the sentiment, "We are very pleased to welcome the Marakon team to CRA. Marakon is an outstanding fit with CRA for a number of reasons—the firm is well-known for its quantitative, economics–driven approach to consulting; it maintains the highest quality standards; it brings complementary client relationships in markets where we are well-established; it strengthens our client offerings in key markets like financial services, banking and retail; and it enhances our presence in Europe. The combination of our teams provides greater depth in offering the highest quality business consulting services to our clients."

Deloitte reaches new milestone in diverse leadership, gets saluted as Best Company for Multicultural Women

2009-06-11T03:17:00.000-07:00

Deloitte has reached a high point in its commitment to diversity in leadership. The consulting firm has chalked a new milestone, topping 1,000 women partners, principals and directors in the U.S.

The company's historical milestone reflects its commitment to supporting women and minority leaders through its Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women (WIN). Deloitte was the first Big Four firm to officially launch such a program.

Deloitte chief executive Barry Salzberg said: “We take great pride in reaching this major achievement. We work in a highly competitive, knowledge-based profession where having the best resources and the most intellectual capital is a critical determinant of our success. At Deloitte, we are focused on improving leadership opportunities for all of our people, regardless of gender or background, and this landmark highlights the fostering of a culture in which everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential.”

“It is extremely rewarding to see the tremendous progress we have made since launching our Women's Initiative in 1993,” said Barbara Adachi, national managing principal of Deloitte LLP's WIN. “Over the past 16 years, we have seen how having a strong group of female leaders inspires new thinking and brings about new approaches to business challenges, which in return enables us to provide the best possible solutions to our clients' problems. This fresh thinking has led to a number of innovations, including mass career customization, a new workplace model that enables professionals -- women and men -- to build sustainable careers.”

In related news, Deloitte was named a 2009 Best Company for Multicultural Women by Working Mother magazine for the fourth consecutive year. The accolade salutes the best 20 U.S. companies each year for their efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Cathy Benko, Deloitte's chief talent officer and vice chairman, said: “Maintaining a culture where all of our people, regardless of their gender and backgrounds, can have a rich and rewarding career is paramount to our culture. At Deloitte, we celebrate and harness strength from the diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of our people to the benefit of our organization and our clients. As such, fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation is, and has always been, a top priority for our organization.”

Global wealth management leader launches Graystone Consulting

2009-06-11T02:59:00.000-07:00

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a leading global wealth management firm, has formed Graystone Consulting, a business unit that will provide high-level investment consulting services to institutional and High Net Worth investors.

“Graystone is a distinct business that enables accomplished investment consulting teams to draw upon Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s asset allocation and investment manager research and analytics,” says Patrick Schussman, CFA, CIMA, Director of the newly founded Graystone Consulting.

Morgan Stanley's new consulting arm is comprised of 30 teams across North America, each led by one or more Institutional Consulting Directors.

Graystone Consulting grew out of Citi Institutional Consulting, a consulting business launched in 2006 that is ranked fourth on the list of the top 25 largest investment consulting firms in the U.S.

James Tracy, Director of the Consulting Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, said: “Based on the expertise within our teams and our unsurpassed research capabilities, we are confident Graystone Consulting will continue the legacy of Citi Institutional Consulting and grow into an even more powerful presence in the investment consulting community. We are especially well-prepared to deliver the advice clients need as the markets continue to recover.”

Consulting Magazine names Top 25 Consultants

2009-06-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

Consulting Magazine has released its annual listing of Top 25 Consultants in North America. The list includes consulting professionals across a wide range of industry sectors and areas of expertise, from healthcare and technology to the public sector.

The consultants named on this year’s Consulting Magazine’s Achievement Awards Top 25 list will be presented with the awards at a gala dinner event at the Union League Club in New York City on June 17.

Here are the Top 25 Consultants, as named by Consulting Magazine:

Client Service

• Ming Tsai, Managing Director & Chief Client Officer, Infosys
• Amy Shah, Senior Vice President, Sapient
• John Kovalchick, Project Director, Proudfoot Consulting
• Ed Stark, Global Supply Chain Practice Leader, Capgemini
Leadership
• Bryan Marsal, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Alvarez & Marsal
• Maryanne Faschan, Director of EDS US Consulting Services (an HP company)
• Jim Bramante, Managing Partner, North America, IBM

Excellence in Healthcare

• Stephen Wood, Senior Vice President, Government Programs Optimization Practice, Ingenix Consulting
• Rich Lesser, Senior Partner, BCG
• Jim Roth, Vice President, Huron

Excellence in Energy

• Robert Wilhite, Senior Vice President, KEMA
• Laurie Oppel, Managing Director, Energy - Power Systems, Markets & Pricing, Navigant
• Vance Scott, Partner, A.T. Kearney, Head of Energy North America

Excellence in Public Sector

• Robin Lineberger, Executive Vice President, Global Public Services, BearingPoint
• Tim Wiest, Principal, Deloitte Consulting
• Bruce Barge, Ph.D., Los Angeles Market Leader, and Principal, Human Capital Management, Buck Consultants

Excellence in Technology

• Jacqueline Olynyk, Partner and National Leader of SAP Advisory Services, PwC
• John Kaltenmark, Director, Accenture Technology Consulting
• David Rodman, Group Managing Vice President Strategic Alliances, Hitachi Consulting
Excellence in Retail
• Leslie Moeller, Senior Partner, Practice Leader, North American Consumer, Media & Retail practice, Booz & Company
• Claudia D’Arpizio, Partner, Bain & Company (London)
• Brooks Kitchel, Partner, KSA

Excellence in Financial Services

• Cory Gunderson, Managing Director and Global Leader of Financial Risk and Strategy Management (FRSM) Practice, Protiviti
• Ken Mungan, Principal and Financial Risk Management Practice Leader, Milliman
• Mike Conover, Partner, Financial Risk Management, KPMG
Finally, Deloitte Consulting’s Bob Koudelka was named as honorary Top 25 Consultant posthumously.

Consulting Magazine’s editor-in-chief Joseph Kornik said: “I'm thrilled with not only the number, but the overall quality of the nominations. Every year, it seems the applications get better and better, but this year, perhaps more than ever, we've really seen the consultants that are making the difference for their clients. In this economy, the very best of the profession stand above the rest. Nominated by their clients and colleagues, The Top 25 truly represents the breadth of the management consulting world.”

Accenture's board approves moving incorporation to Ireland

2009-05-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Accenture's board unanimously approved changing the company's place of incorporation from Bermuda to Ireland, the consultancy said in a statement. Accenture's shareholders will vote on the move in the following three to four months.

The company will stay registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

The leaders of the management and technology consulting firm do not expect the move to result in any material change in Accenture's operations, financial results or tax treatment.

Accenture CEO William D. Green said: "We believe that incorporating in Ireland will provide Accenture with economic benefits and help ensure our continued global competitiveness."

"A member of the European Union, Ireland offers a sophisticated, well-developed corporate, legal and regulatory environment," he added. "In addition, Ireland offers a stable political and economic environment and has the financial and legal infrastructure to meet Accenture's needs, both today and in the future."

Find the latest Accenture jobs on ConsultancyRoleFinder.co.uk.

The Art of Selling Consulting Services - book your place now and save money!

2009-05-26T04:46:00.001-07:00

Top-Consultant.com’s popular seminar “The Art of Selling Consulting Services” will take place in London (Mayfair) on Friday, July 10.

“The Art of Selling Consulting Services” seminar is aimed at consultants and industry professionals who are looking to advance their consulting careers or simply to win more business for their companies during the recession.

The seminar has already attracted over 800 consultants from such high profile firms as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Capgemini, Deloitte, A.T. Kearney, Atos Consulting, Fujitsu, SAP Consulting, and others.

For more information about the event and the presenters, and to book your place now and save money, please visit Top-Consultant.com.

Welcome to ConsultancyRoleFinder.co.uk's blog

2009-05-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

ConsultancyRoleFinder.co.uk, a leading career portal for management consultants in the UK, is launching a news blog and an updated Career Centre on the main website.

The consulting job board was redesigned and launched last year by the same team that was behind Top-Consultant.com and TopITconsultant.co.uk, as well as two new job portals for industry professionals in the UK, EngineeringRoleFinder.co.uk and ConstructionRoleFinder.co.uk.

The new career advice section features advice on writing a quality management consultant's resume, preparing for a consulting job interview and case study interview, salary negotiation tips, etc.

The job board, updated daily, sends hundreds of job applicants to our advertisers and partner sites. Companies that would like our job search engine to index and display their vacancies are welcome to contact our sales team at enquiries@consultancyrolefinder.co.uk.

To browse and apply for the latest management consulting jobs or to have them delivered to your inbox, please visit our job board and the job alerts page.