Vault Consulting 50
Bain & Company
Arguably the most employee-focused of the Big 3 strategy players, Bain is a name that will open doors for the rest of your career. That’s if you’re interested in leaving, of course: the firm invests a lot of time and energy in training and development, with the goal of growing its future leaders from within. Couple that with a glittering client roster and top-of-the-market compensation, and it’s easy to make a case for staying at Bain for the long term.
SCORE 9.249
2021 Ranking
#1
McKinsey & Company
What can we say about McKinsey that hasn’t been said about the reigning titan of the industry? Widely considered the first and last word in consulting, this global juggernaut lives the mantra, “Different Worlds, One McKinsey,” through agile and impactful delivery of solutions across a mind-boggling diversity of practices and clients. All of which makes it a training ground for the highest of high-flying careers.
SCORE 9.248
2021 Ranking
#3
Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group is the second largest consulting firm by revenue and consistently ranks high in our top consulting firms. The firm’s diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise to organizations, helping them to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact. Purpose-driven, the firm strives to drive lasting impact for its employees, clients, and society. "You will be challenged... and rewarded," say insiders.
SCORE 9.217
2021 Ranking
#2
The Bridgespan Group
Formed as a social sector-focused offshoot of Bain, The Bridgespan Group has emerged as the leading provider of services in its field. And with good reason: top talent from both the consulting and nonprofit worlds beat a path to Bridgespan’s door every year, hoping to join its ranks. While it can’t take them all, it does ensure that the firm continues to go from strength to strength.
SCORE 8.140
2021 Ranking
#12
EY-Parthenon
EY Parthenon — the strategy consulting arm of professional services giant EY — is one of the largest global strategy consultancies, with more than 700 offices worldwide. By harnessing the infrastructure of its parent organization and its international network of talented professionals, EY Parthenon offers a near-unparalleled learning experience for jobseekers looking to deepen their expertise while expanding their skillsets.
SCORE 7.996
2021 Ranking
#5
Booz Allen Hamilton
One of the best-known firms in the government contracting realm, Booz Allen Hamilton has deep expertise on everything from digital transformation to bleeding-edge cybersecurity. With almost 30,000 employees, there is no shortage of opportunities at the company, but it can also be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Those with existing security clearances hold a significant advantage in the hiring process, while the firm is also a destination of choice for current and former members of the military.
SCORE 7.992
2021 Ranking
#4
Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman is a firm in a hurry at present, rapidly adding headcount through hiring and acquisition to cope with a deluge of work. Consistently recognized throughout the industry as a “Best Place to Work”, the firm promises an “environment where exceptional people can thrive.” A large consultancy whose reach spans five continents, Oliver Wyman strives to provide its people with an entrepreneurial, non-hierarchical culture where talent people work alongside one another on complex, high-visibility client engagements. Go-getters who enjoy early responsibility and a fast-paced, driven environment will do well here.
SCORE 7.942
2021 Ranking
#6
Kearney
Kearney is a global management consulting firm that has long specialized in sourcing, procurement, and operations. The firm works with more than three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500, as well as governmental and nonprofit organizations. A solidly midsize firm with a strong international reputation, Kearney is poised to offer consultants the best of both worlds: the flexibility and opportunities for exposure of a boutique supported by the infrastructure of a much larger firm. The result is a great balance of collaboration of independence—the benefits of scale with the ability to individualize.
SCORE 7.916
2021 Ranking
#15
L.E.K. Consulting
L.E.K. Consulting is a global management consultancy with clients ranging from small startups to major private equity firms. Headquartered in Boston, the firm’s reach spans four continents, touching almost every major market around the globe. That—coupled with deep industry expertise across a breadth of clients and capabilities—creates a wealth of “big firm”-like opportunities at a relatively midsize firm that can offer its employees a more personalized experience than some of its larger competitors.
SCORE 7.834
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
Putnam
A global boutique that became part of Ashfield Advisory—itself owned by UDH Healthcare—in 2019, Putnam Associates has maintained the brand and culture that made it a success, while gaining the ability to scale more rapidly across the healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries. Beyond the firm’s commitment and expertise to revolutionizing life sciences consulting is a determination to “bring out the best in each other.” Putnam’s commitment to development makes it a great choice for anybody looking to acquire practical knowledge of the industry by training alongside an enthusiastic team of likeminded professionals while delivering exceptional value to clients.
SCORE 7.729
2021 Ranking
#10
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Deloitte is a global provider of audit, tax, financial services, and consulting. The firm is one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Services include corporate strategy, marketing and sales strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and innovation; manufacturing operations including supply chain; sector-specific service operations; infrastructure operations including outsourcing advisory and shared services; and financial management.
SCORE 7.681
2021 Ranking
#8
The Cambridge Group
The Cambridge Group is a boutique strategy consulting firm that helps clients identify profitable new growth opportunities, optimize portfolios of products or services, unearth breakthrough innovation, reinvent categories, enhance brand equity, and optimize pricing. Services include mergers and acquisitions, corporate and business unit strategy, go-to-market activation, digital strategy, marketing strategy, innovation and design and pricing and promotion.
SCORE 7.677
2021 Ranking
#17
Alvarez & Marsal
A company that best known for turnaround and end-of-life services for failing companies, as well as a thriving A&M practice, A&M is perfectly positioned to prosper during uncertain times. Among consultants, its lucrative “eat what you kill” model makes it a top choice for mid-career switches, as this is a firm with a LOT of upside come bonus season.
SCORE 7.674
2021 Ranking
#11
Roland Berger
As the first consultancy native to Europe to expand internationally, Roland Berger’s identity is deeply entwined with the concept of global community. The firm operates on the idea that businesses must focus on the long play: sustainable economic, environmental, and social change on a global scale instead. Jobseekers who lead with heart and future-forward priorities should seek out a firm working actively to bring meaning to the consulting industry.
SCORE 7.636
2021 Ranking
#20
ghSMART
CEOs seek ghSMART’s advice for their most high-stake leadership challenges. And often, ghSMART’s clients see them as the most influential professional relationships they have. Those who aspire to be a trusted advisor to CEOs, Boards and Investors of the world and are equipped with experience at one of the big three strategy firms or a PhD in Psychology should take a closer look at ghSMART.
SCORE 7.606
2021 Ranking
#14
The Keystone Group
The Keystone Group provides services related to growth strategy, operational improvement, turnaround, and M&A, across a wide range of industries. Beyond its consulting work, the firm is also committed to giving back in its communities, while also hosting a firm-wide bi-annual service trip to build homes for families in need.
SCORE 7.560
2021 Ranking
#13
ClearView Healthcare Partners
ClearView is a boutique consulting firm in the life sciences field. The firm recently opened two new offices in Europe, formalizing its global footprint and underlining its experience across a variety of therapeutic areas and technologies. ClearView supports strategic decision-making and growth at the product, franchise, or corporate level across across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and diagnostics. ClearView's clients include a broad range of operating companies in the life sciences, from medical device and pharmaceutical companies to investors in the life sciences fields.
SCORE 7.489
2021 Ranking
#7
Cornerstone Research
Cornerstone Research occupies a rare niche in the consulting world as a firm that specializes in economic and financial analysis for law firm clients. As a Cornerstone Research consultant, you provide support for expert testimony in commercial litigation and regulatory proceedings. While much of the financial work mirrors what you’d find at traditional economic consultancies, it’s the intersection of the legal and consulting worlds that makes Cornerstone Research an exciting and enriching opportunity.
SCORE 7.455
2021 Ranking
#18
Arthur D. Little
It may boast the oldest name in consulting, but Arthur D Little is a firm that feels fresh and vital, with a growing footprint in every major global market. While its work product and client list rival the biggest consulting shops, ADL’s focus on retaining and developing employees for long-term careers sets it apart as an employer, and seems set to equip it for success in the years ahead.
SCORE 7.451
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
KPMG LLP (Advisory)
One of the most recognized names in global business, KPMG is a multinational professional services network and one of the Big Four accounting firms. Organized as a network of firms that each bring services to clients, KPMG spans strategy and operations, analytics, business integration, business intelligence, business process management, change management, growth enablement, integrated business planning, organizational design, outsourcing, shared services, talent management, technology enablement, and transformation. On the risk management side, they offer advisory services in financial risk management, forensic, internal audit, risk and compliance, and IT. Mainly, however, they are known for and specialize in auditing, internal audit, accounting, forensic accounting, compliance, corporate recovery, assurance, tax, risk management, and financial advisory services.
SCORE 7.406
2021 Ranking
#16
Analysis Group
As economic and litigation consulting specialists, Analysis Group is a rare creature in the consulting world: a firm that is all but immune to the vagaries of the business cycle. As long as there is a need to estimate economic losses and damages (among other things), there will be a demand for Analysis Group’s services. As a result, it maintains a very stable employee base, and recruits at all levels of educational attainment, from those fresh out of undergrad to PhD holders—provided, of course, that you have the economic chops to cut it!
SCORE 7.276
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
Charles River Associates
With a reputation as a blue-chip economic consulting firm, CRA offers top-tier client engagements and the opportunity to work on cases that regularly wind up in the headlines of the business press. The firm is the perfect choice for self-starters seeking a growth environment—personally and as a company—with exit opportunities galore.
SCORE 7.251
2021 Ranking
#38
OC&C Strategy Consultants
OC&C Strategy Consultants is an international consulting firm that advises management of major multinational corporations and leading national companies, as well as governmental and other public institutions. OC&C also supports world-renown private equity firms in areas including potential investment scoping, vendor and buyer due diligence, and post-acquisition strategy. The firm brings a deep knowledge of sectors and the churn of demand to their work with clients.
SCORE 7.189
2021 Ranking
#29
Back Bay Life Science Advisors
Back Bay offers an intriguing mix of life science consulting and investment banking—an intersection that appears to be proving particularly lucrative, judging by the firm’s recent growth rates. Supporting that growth is a company culture that is dedicated to long-term development both for client relationships and career development.
SCORE 7.108
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
Eagle Hill Consulting
Eagle Hill is a family-run, woman-owned firm. The firm prides itself on “unconventional consulting”: an outside-the-box, “living lab” approach to client engagement. Innovative ideas and creative solutions are tested out within the firm before being brought to market, which puts people at the heart of the process and measures the real impact of business strategies before they are proposed to clients. The result is a sandbox working environment that encourages boldness and experimentation.
SCORE 7.108
2021 Ranking
#26
Simon-Kucher & Partners
Simon-Kucher & Partners is a global pricing, sales & marketing consultancy that specializes in TopLine Power®: a method of achieving transformational growth in clients’ revenue and profits. Growth is at the center of everything Simon-Kucher & Partners does. As a consulting partner, the firm harnesses its people’s specialized, state-of-the-art monetization skills to sustainably grow clients’ profitability. As an employer, Simon-Kucher & Partners invests heavily in growing its people’s skills and providing myriad development opportunities.
SCORE 7.086
2021 Ranking
#28
Kaiser Associates
Kaiser Associates is a global boutique with deep expertise across a diversified portfolio of practices. The firm has grown substantially since its 1981 inception—to the point that, in 2019, it spun off its healthcare practice into subsidiary Kx Advisors. The firm’s global reach, combined with its boutique size, allows for lots of international mobility while forming and maintaining close-knit connections with colleagues from different offices and backgrounds.
SCORE 7.078
2021 Ranking
#21
Health Advances
You don’t have to be a medical professional to advance the healthcare industry. Those passionate about technology and business strategy will find Health Advances an enriching way to make a difference in people’s lives. By specializing exclusively in healthcare, Health Advances has developed a…well…advanced level of expertise and renown, giving values-oriented jobseekers a chance to dive deep and flex their analytic muscles to solve real-world problems for future generations.
SCORE 7.075
2021 Ranking
#22
Triangle Insights Group, LLC
Triangle Insights Group is a strategy consulting firm that provides strategic guidance on the most critical business issues to leaders in life sciences organizations. The company supports clients in the therapeutics, diagnostics and medical device industries and has partnered with clients to address needs across the pharmaceutical development and commercial lifecycle. Insiders say the “culture is fantastic, and leadership values both firm and personal needs.”
SCORE 7.051
2021 Ranking
#43
DeciBio Consulting
An agile life sciences consultancy that is far into its growth stage, DeciBio offers employees the excitement and challenge of a startup environment merged with the deep content knowledge and ample, hands-on learning opportunities of a much older and larger consulting firm. The scrappy, entrepreneurial spirit of the firm bodes well for candidates who are self-directed, self-motivated, and intellectually curious. DeciBio is truly a “chart-your-own-path” boutique.
SCORE 7.039
2021 Ranking
#30
NERA Economic Consulting
NERA provides economic advice, analysis, expert testimony, and regulatory insight for global clients in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The firm has been advising government authorities and the world’s leading law firms and corporations for over half a century. The firm brings academic analysis and rigor, objectivity, and real-world industry experience to bear on issues arising from competition, regulation, public policy, strategy, finance, and litigation.
SCORE 6.992
2021 Ranking
#41
ScottMadden Management Consultants
ScottMadden is a generalist boutique with deep expertise in the Energy and Corporate & Shared Services sector. The result is a combination of strategic focus and a diversified approach to consulting across a range of capabilities and services—perfect for jobseekers searching for the unique benefits of working at a smaller firm while still leveraging a wide array of skillsets and experiences. If the prospect of working ‘on the ground’ with your clients excites you, then ScottMadden might be a fit for you.
SCORE 6.951
2021 Ranking
#25
Ignyte Group
Tech-savvy jobseekers who live on the cutting edge of digital transformation will spark to Ignyte Group: a fast-paced, DC-based boutique that specializes in the automation and modernization of business processes. At fewer than 100 employees, Ignyte maintains a close-knit and entrepreneurial culture akin to what you’d find in Silicon Valley. The firm lives and breathes its core values of innovation, cross-functional collaboration, ownership, and creativity, all in service of its niche focus on merging traditional management consulting with professional branding.
SCORE 6.923
2021 Ranking
#44
Bates White Economic Consulting
With a strong reputation in economic and litigation consulting, Bates White is almost immune from the vagaries of the business cycle—a fact that has stood it in good stead over the past few years. Among consultants, the word most often used to describe the firm is “academic”—something that connotes both the type of work it does, and the fact that many of its senior employees are recruited directly out of PhD programs at top colleges. Known for training and development, this is a firm that will appeal to anyone seeking a top-tier economic consulting career.
SCORE 6.902
2021 Ranking
#32
The Chartis Group
The Chartis Group provides advisory and analytics services to the healthcare industry. Chartis combines human experience and judgment with cutting-edge data, analytics and technology to bring a depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics, and technology and health analytics to achieve transformative results. Clients include leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children's hospitals, and healthcare service organizations.
SCORE 6.901
2021 Ranking
#40
Mercer LLC
Mercer is the world's largest human resources consulting firm. A regular in the #1 spot in our rankings of top HR Consulting firms, Mercer is arguably the top global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement, and investments. The firm is a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan, a global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy, and people.
SCORE 6.861
2021 Ranking
#33
The Brattle Group
The Brattle Group answers complex economic, regulatory, and financial questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. The firm serves numerous focus areas and industries, including energy, financial institutions, IT, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, sports, telecom, and media. In addition, they offer expert testimony and are known for the credibility of their experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists.
SCORE 6.859
2021 Ranking
#23
Kx Advisors
Kx Advisors is a boutique healthcare strategy consultancy. Growing out of Kaiser Associates’ healthcare practice, the firm was spun off in 2019—although it can still call on its former parent for “core corporate support functions.” The firm brings data-driven analysis at all stages of the product lifecycle to inform the decision making of sales, marketing, and strategy executives. Clients included leaders in pharma, biotech, medical device, and health IT.
SCORE 6.831
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
Trinity Life Sciences
More than a cool name, Trinity is a life sciences consultancy that approaches consulting from a “foundation of three:” advisory, insights & analytics, and technology. The result is comprehensive, end-to-end support for clients ranging from emerging biotech firms to massive pharmaceutical companies. A firm that places passion and character at the center of its talent search, Trinity is looking for those who bring a deeply felt desire to change lives and the life sciences industry to everything they do.
SCORE 6.786
2021 Ranking
#35
Kenway Consulting
Kenway Consulting specializes in technology solution delivery, enterprise program leadership, and information insight. In keeping with their vision "to transform business by doing what is right," their stated focus is helping businesses achieve their objectives through the enablement/ enhancement of process and technology... by providing clients the right skills at the right time in the right volume for the right duration, resulting in the best possible solution for the lowest cost. The "doing what is right" vision permeates the company culture; the firm is often included at the top of the ranks of best companies for work-life balance.
SCORE 6.759
2021 Ranking
#39
Censeo Consulting Group
A boutique in the government contracting space, Censeo is known as a work-life friendly company, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking for flexibility in their schedule while not compromising on the quality of assignments they get to work on. The firm offers strong on-the-job training as well as a close-knit, collegial environment.
SCORE 6.755
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
Insight Sourcing Group
Insight Sourcing Group is a management consulting firm focused exclusively on cost optimization and procurement-related services. The firm advises companies across a multitude of industries, including manufacturing, retail, financial services, health care, commercial services, and telecommunications (clients include lululemon, Aaron’s Inc., Under Armor, among others). But they are considered a market leader in the private equity space, helping PE firms gain cross-portfolio leverage and visibility and driving major cost optimization projects within portfolio companies.
SCORE 6.712
2021 Ranking
#27
Publicis Sapient
Publicis Sapient is a digital consulting firm that specializes digital transformation for clients across a wide range of industries. Insiders love its reach, rapid career progress, and the ability to work on challenging projects for interesting clients.
SCORE 6.709
2021 Ranking
#Not Ranked
LeapPoint
Recently acquired by a Philadelphia-based private equity firm Renovus, LeapPoint is a strategic consulting shop to watch in the years ahead. Providong clients with transformational support to streamline, upgrade, and organize processes, LeapPoint's enterprise-level innovation and cross-functional expertise covers a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, retail, higher education, government, and more. This is a firm for those who are passionate about what they do—who are as excited about the here-and-now, the day-to-day challenges of solving clients’ most complex IT problems as they are about mapping out the trajectory of their growth and development.
SCORE 6.697
2021 Ranking
#42
Blue Matter Consulting
A growing life sciences firm, Blue Matter has literally gone from a single office to a global boutique in under a decade. This impressive growth has brought a number of consultants along for the ride, creating leadership opportunities for those with an entrepreneurial mindset. Post-pandemic, quality of life issues—particularly those related to travel—will be something to watch; this firm is clearly going places, which means consultants may be expected to as well!
SCORE 6.667
2021 Ranking
#19
Jabian Consulting
Jabian Consulting is a strategic management and technology consulting firm that exists to help companies become more competitive and profitable by creating and implementing strategies, enhancing business processes, developing human capital, and better aligning technology. The firm places a heavy emphasis on serving its local communities, both in a professional and volunteer/philanthropic capacity.
SCORE 6.616
2021 Ranking
#47
Clarkston Consulting
As a growing boutique, Clarkston has been doing a significant amount of hiring over the past year or so, making it a good time to check out opportunities with the firm. As with many growing firms, retaining the existing culture as the firm evolves is something that appears to have been on the minds of leadership of late, particularly in light of pandemic-enforced shifts to internal communications.
SCORE 6.565
2021 Ranking
#31
The Poirier Group
The Poirier Group (TPG) is a boutique management consulting firm based in Toronto that specializes in delivering sustainable process and performance improvements to medium-to-large businesses across North America and internationally. TPG hires consultants with backgrounds in industrial and mechanical engineering as well as commerce and general business. Insiders say they value the flexibility and supportive environment.
SCORE 6.475
2021 Ranking
#46
DayBlink Consulting
DayBlink provides strategic execution and operations consulting to Fortune 500 companies, fast-start advisory services to early-stage startups, and pro bono consulting to nonprofits. The firm's diverse team of consultants provide insights and resources to help business leaders overcome challenges, attain quick wins, and produce sustainable growth. The firm offers competitive salary and benefits, along with a commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance that insiders note it follows through on.
SCORE 6.469
2021 Ranking
#48
Syneos Health
Yes, the pharmaceutical industry gets a bad rap, but it’s firms like Syneos Health that strive to make a meaningful difference. A large consulting firm specializing in organizational transformation for the biopharmaceutical industry, Syneos offers jobseekers the opportunity to leave their mark on an industry that touches countless lives around the world. This is an ideal fit for anyone with a passion for healthcare and achieving quantifiable, sustainable results that change lives.
SCORE 6.390
2021 Ranking
#50
