Currently have offers from the 3 firms L.E.K. Consulting, Roland Berger and Strategy& cloud and digital services. Need insights on which firm would be better to join as a consultant post MBA. I have a decade of experience in the automotive sector which I think will help at Roland Berger and I have heard great things about the culture, brand recognition and future career prospects at LEK. Any thoughts and perspectives would be helpful.
LEK will give you the broadest exit opps that youve listed within the US (including PE) and pays far better than the other two once you get to the manager level.
Internationally I agree with what other fish have posted about RB - have heard great things in europe. S& cloud/digital does not seem like the move to make for what you want to do
LEK manager would be a director anywhere else. No longer doing much case slide work. Mostly sell and only help out when shit hits the fan
Please feel free to DM me. I had offers from both RB and LEK out of Booth.
What you are seeing in the comments here is the general fact that LEK is much bigger in the US than RB, but situation is more nuanced. LEK’s primary focus is on DD work. Just do a search for automotive partners on LEK’s website and you’ll find that they have maybe 4 people, and the auto work they do is a few specific topics outside of DD. Look at RB’s auto practice and you’ll find 100+ people on the website and a ton of content and studies on cutting edge topics in the industry. Yes, marketing isn’t always reflective of the situation, but the difference in practice size and emphasis is apparent. So if you’re focused on the auto industry this should be a no-brainer.
If you want to do tech consulting, then the Strategy& sounds great.
Rising Star
I would do S& then LEK then RB
Lek for sure
For US Consulting, I’d go S&, then LEK. For Europe/Asia, RB. For PE, LEK.
In the US then S&, anywhere else RB, PE then LEK. Want a global career=rb. At my place, RB’s size=S&+Monitor+LEK+OW, so you have many international opportunities. (I am in Asia, LEK is a boutique and S& is very small)
I’d go with LEK if I were you, no brainer
Thank you everyone. The offers are for Chicago offices in the US. Based on the comments so far LEK appears to be a better firm based on reputation and future career prospects. Curious to hear from consultants at RB on their growth trajectory in the US and how they rate their compensation scaling compared to the industry.
If you want to stay in the automotive space, given your experience and the firms growth in the USA, you are in the drivers seat for career growth.
RB is more known in Europe. If the offer from their US offices, that may be a minus. Strategy& is part of the PWC and that may be a negative as well. I would say go with LEK especially given that you consider PE route seriously.
If US or Middle East then S&. Europe then RB.
LEK is also great, and world be a good choice in the US if you want to focus on DD.
I agree with this. The Middle East is our strongest group.
I would generally say LEK and S& is a toss up, but your offer is for the cloud line at S& I’d ask whether that is a passion of yours, or if you’d like to do more growth strat and DD which would be better at LEK. FWIW pay at LEK will be significantly higher if you make M
If interested in auto and industrials in Chicago then I think RB is a clear first choice. Interesting mix across OEM , suppliers and aftermarket. Leading the change in the overall industry pertaining to electrification and new business models. And we’re growing tremendously which creates great upside.
Keeping my options open. Option1 would be to continue in consulting, option 2 explore PE opportunities, option 3 Switch into PM/Corp. Strat roles at tech firms.
I think LEK gives you the most leeway here. No bad options but all things equal LEK is probably more synonymous with PE.
Think all 3 are the same for op 1 and 3 but Lek wins option 2. Curious on other thoughts, not too familiar with RB
Ops? RB.
PE? LEK
Don’t know? Strategy&
RB owns auto practice globally
Unable to DM anyone since I'm new to Fishbowl. RB2 could you send a DM ? Eager to hear your thought
Fishbowl is telling me ‘this user is not available to chat’. Not sure if it’s an issue on my end, your end, or fishbowl’s.
Rising Star
What is your long term professional aspirations?
Directly recruit into the RB digital service?
We have an automotive practice (although don’t know much about it), so if that’s something you’re interested in you can always mention it to staffing or reach out to the partner.