Alix Partners Interview Prep

Hi,

I have coached already multiple candidates applying for Alix Partners in EU. The cases tend to be more focusing on M&A and operational optimization. They expect you to get a sense of the general accounting principles, but no expert knowledge is required.

Feel free to reach out for further information.

Mattijs

I would expect more cases on:

• Profitability
• Cost improvement
• Efficiency / process / operations improvement (can include - but not necessarily - procurement and supply chain)
• M&A

Having an understanding of differences between economic and financial improvement may be relevant. I.e., you not only want to improve profitability, you also want to improve cash position (so consider understanding cash flow optimization topics. Briefly, it means understanding that you can you levers such as reducing inventory, managing client and supplier payments, renegotiating debt, performing capital reallocation or freeing up assets so that you can have more cash). In a turnaround it is not only about improving profitability, but also doing it in a way that quickly improves the company's cash position.

Hey there 😊

Yes, you’re spot on — AlixPartners cases tend to have a more operational / turnaround-focused flavor compared to typical MBB-style strategy cases. Here’s how you can prep effectively:

👉 Mini Case: Expect a profitability, cost-cutting, restructuring or operational efficiency type scenario. They’ll want to see if you can think practically and prioritize under pressure. Practice cases where cash flow or crisis response is the key theme.

👉 Behavioral: Really prep your stories around resilience, ownership, and working under time pressure — those are core traits they look for, especially in turnaround contexts.

👉 Accounting & Finance: It’s very likely you’ll be tested on basic P&L understanding, EBITDA, working capital, and levers to improve cash flow. So yes, brush up on core finance terms (but no need to go too deep into theory).

If you'd like to run a mock or get feedback on case structure/finance concepts, happy to support!

Best,
Alessa 😊

Hey there,

Focus on learning how to case, not on specific types of cases!

• The key reason why candidates fail their case interviews and don't improve with practice is because they never learn the right approach and techniques to begin with. They might go through 30-40 cases, just repeating the same mistakes over and over again. There is often no strong baseline.

• Make sure you understand and learn the basics for each part of the case (structuring, charts, math), which is

  • A replicable step-by-step for each part of the case interview

  • The right thinking techniques around the individual parts (e.g., what's a framework, what is evaluated, how can I ensure I think about it the correct way, what are some shortcuts to get to the answer quickly, etc.)

  • Simple communication templates to help you communicate your insights as well as ask for data in the right way to drive the case forward

• There are several approaches you can take, such as hiring a skilled coach, reading the right materials, or enrolling in relevant courses. For example, my book provides direct guidance tailored to modern case interviews (also for Alix Partners). It covers all the essential points mentioned here, and more, while also offering a detailed preparation plan. You can find it on Amazon

• Avoid generic advice and framework memorization approaches for specific case types like you mention market entry. This will only hurt your performance and waste a ton of time (why -> check out the first post here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-goodrelevant-is-the-case-in-point-book-for-case-prep-1984)

• Once you have that baseline it's time to practice and internalize the skills to create the right profile, polishing your strengths and lifting your weaknesses to a robust-enough level

• Practice drills alone (structure, chart, math) and practice full cases with other excellent candidates that know the right habits and approach. It is crucial that you are practicing with really good peers, otherwise, it's a waste of time. Practicing drills on your own is a huge effectivity and efficiency booster since you can go over many more questions in a shorter amount of time compared to practicing with peers. Do both in parallel! You want to spend your time where it is most useful, e.g., if you struggle with math focus on math drills, etc.

• Focus on quality over quantity. Doing 50+ cases does not mean much if you are not applying the right habits to score high and do a detailed debrief after every case to improve. You want to move from bad to good for your weaknesses and good to great for your strengths --> use the feedback from your previous experience and tailor your prep accordingly

• Consider booking at least an initial coaching session to get a detailed and objective evaluation of your performance + learn the right habits for every case regardless of context and framework + get a tailored preparation plan out of the session that will set you up for an effective and efficient prep.

• Don't forget the fit interview part. Prepare answers for all the typical fit questions and stories (3-5 hours) and rehearse them a couple of times (5 hours)

All the best,

Florian