Struggling to decide between Strategy& and Kearney (similar comp) - any guidance on reputation, exit ops, wlb, culture is appreciated!
S&:
- PE value creation = strong exits in PE ops or MBB
- Unsure of assoc. w PwC / too focused on ODD / long hours / moderate travel / high turnover
K:
- ATI practice = strong MBB or industry exits
- Slow historical growth / too supply chain & procurement focused / long hours / moderate travel
You can never be too supply chain and procurement focused..
I’m in PE ops and this is like 90% of what I focus on now lol
S& is still part of a big four. K is definitely the way to go.
Kearney every day of the week.
Not sure how strong the Strategy& PE practice is, but they did not have one until hiring an ex-Bain Partner 1.5 years ago.
Also the PwC Audit infrastructure creates barriers for strategy consulting in all dimensions of the operating model.
Yea what an off base statement. PE has been a strong practice for a long time
Rising Star
Also Kearney brand is on the up and up big time. I’d say 4 years ago it was kinda in the pits but the amount of interest from MBA hires is at a 5 year high from my perspective
Chief
Go K really not close…dealing with B4 independent is a nightmare as you move up
Kearney ATI has the best culture in the firm IMO - great set of partners and better WLB than other practices from my experience.
Having been with K for 30 years, I can tell you:
- amazing growth in past 5 years
- very diverse work
- great culture, no nonsense + friendly
That’s relative… amazing growth when compared to previous years + it’s insignificant when you compare it to the growth of competitors (over 5x only in the last year). K has remained the same size in the last 15 years.
K was a good place, but recently become very political. No sure about no nonsense / friendly part.
Chief
Kearney’s unique position as a truly independent strategy firm solidified my choice between the two
I used to be at Kearney so happy to provide some 3rd party perspective - feel free to DM as well!
Bottom line is both are great options. Would say that S& has a stronger brand but not a huge difference. Also larger alumni network is you count PWC (and legacy Booz as well). Culture at Kearney might be better, but that’s very subjective. There are also IMO very real benefits of being at a true consulting firm through and through as opposed to an audit giant that happens to also do consulting. This matters more if you’re gunning for partner down the road (mostly irrelevant otherwise).
As you note, both will be long hours. Obviously very project dependent. ATI is on the better end of hours though compared to other practices (but ATI DDs are brutal).
ATI is a great practice - great talent and definitely some cool projects. Project type also varies by specific ATI vertical - for example, in auto, I can tell you the work is almost solely procurement / supply chain. There are other ATI verticals with more strategy work though.
Agree on slower historical growth for Kearney, but will say that under Alex’s leadership, the firms been growing well. Not MBB pace but finally more consistent growth in like with the OWs and S&’s of the industry.
Also, would say you’ll be fine going for PE ops down the road from either, so wouldn’t sweat it. The ops experience is definitely helpful for that type of work!
Rising Star
Which team did you vibe with harder? Both are solid firms.
We send a lot of people to PE Ops as well
ATI at Kearney not my practice but great group of people.
Growth in the last few years has been strong
They’re both good places. Obviously from the comments above, people here really like it and each other. But if you vibe better at Strategy&, go there. It’s really most important you’re with you’re people. Job is fun in that case, otherwise it can be a drag.
Based on your comparative factors I think you answered your own question.
If your goal is to work at MBB why don’t you just apply there?
Agreed
Not in PEVC, but have a negative opinion of my group’s culture. Want to feel good about the work I do and the hours I put in, but partners and directors make me feel like trash on a daily basis. I did get a great rating and bonus to my surprise, but would sacrifice this for incrementally nicer people and stronger mentorship.
I’m guessing you’re in FS?
Avoid PE VC at Strategy&. I'm here and wouldn't recommend it.
I’m also in PEVC and I really like it here. Not to say your opinion is invalid, but it would be more helpful to note what you don’t like. All the pods work differently, so experienced on the team vary dramatically (though I suspect this would be true at any firm)
Work flexibility at s& is pretty great