What is your opinion about AT Kearney? And what are the "rising stars" in the consulting industry in general?

Question

Hello everyone,

I am currently working in Accenture in Italy, but I was wondering about some other firms that are not so frequently mentioned (I have seen many posts about BBC and Big 4). I am personally intrigued by AT Kearney (I know that is pretty big, but in Italy is still considered a boutique). What is your opinion about this firm and its vision? And do you suggest or know other companies that should look at?

Thank you in advance, and have a nice weekend!

Answer 1

Hi,

Sharing my perspective having started at Kearney, before moving to MBB.

Kearney in many respects is a good T2 firm, and there are pros of working at a smaller firm

In their core industries/functional areas, they can be very strong (e.g Operations, Telco)
Great people culture especially at the working level - some of my best friends today were made at Kearney
Smaller firms typically means more intimate, more flexibility and leeway to chart your own path or push through a unique request

However, it is still far behind MBB in many aspects

Prestige and branding wise, they still lose out to MBB and this was evident to me after I made the switch
Consulting is becoming more integrated - MBB is getting into implementation/digital, traditional implementation/digital players are moving into strategy. I see mid sized firms like Kearney slowly losing some competitive edge, because they lack the scale to invest like the bigger firms do

Happy to have a chat with anyone who is interested in this topic.

Answer 2

Hi,

As far as I know, this firm is not doing well and there are rumors about the potential acquisition for the last couple of years. Internally the churn rate is high while the promotions are hard to get. I would be careful with it.

Best,

Answer 3

Hi,

I would be more carefull with interpretentation of ATK performance, since it can differ significantly from office to office. Indeed Italy is a small office compared to the rest of Europe. But for the other countries in Europe (France, Germany, Uk, Switzerland, Spain, etc.), situation is quite good, and individual performance is well rewarded throught regular promotion. Having worked in Paris office, I can't say anything but good things about the office performance, the atmosphere at work, and carreer possibilities.

Best

Answer 4

Dear Eduardo,

I have many friends working at Kearney. It's a great company, I would say, especially in the Middle East and Northern America. I'm not sure about its positioning in Italy, but I also think that it's one of the rising stars nowadays, as it's growing very fast. Among other Tier-2 companies, which you may consider, I would strongly recommend you to put an eye on Roland Berger, Oliver Wyman and Strategy& as well.

If you need any networking or personal advice, feel free to reach out

Best,
André

Answer 5

Hi Edoardo,

You can't go wrong with AT Kearney. They're reputable and will boost your resume (on the same level as Strategy&, EY, etc.)

I find the following two resources are great for understanding the consulting landscape:

https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/2019/09/11/the-best-consulting-firms-to-work-for-according-to-employees/

https://www.vault.com/best-companies-to-work-for/consulting/vault-consulting-rankings-top-50

Answer 6

Hi,

I would agree with Vlad. Whilst the performance may vary by industries and geographies, the overall outlook on Kearney is hardly positive. I would suggest having a look on Accenture (digital) and OW (Banking, risk management).

Best,

Anton