Visa Consulting and Analytics gets MCA membership

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."

Consulting Magazine names Top 25 Consultants

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.”