McKinsey & Company launches innovative London office
60 years after it first arrived in the UK, global strategy consulting giant McKinsey & Company has moved into a new London office. The shift to the innovative Post Building in London’s Knowledge Quarter comes as the firm bids to expand its client offering “into profession-leading capabilities in digital transformation, advanced analytics, capability building and design.”
McKinsey & Company is the world’s largest strategy consulting firm, with 23,000 employees globally. The firm has had a presence in the UK since 1959, when it launched its first office in the nation’s capital city. With the first generation of jet airliners having recently reduced transatlantic travel time, the firm decided the time was right to open its first presence outside the US, and the London office also served as a gateway into the broader European market. Within ten years of its opening, McKinsey had spread to eight countries on three continents.
While McKinsey’s global contest has continued apace in 60 years since its first London operations began, the firm has continued to treat the city as a key priority. The intervening era has seen McKinsey expand to three offices in the UK – all in London – overseen by UK & Ireland Managing Partner Vivian Hunt. The sites offer strategy consulting services to blue chip clients, from top corporations to the British Government. Now, After 25 years at 1 Jermyn Street, McKinsey has decided that the time is right to relocate one of its branches.
McKinsey has moved into new London offices at the Post Building, Museum Street. This site is located in London’s Knowledge Quarter – a cluster of over 100 academic, cultural, research, scientific and media organisations. This means McKinsey will be joined by advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence company QuantumBlack, which it acquired in 2015. Both have since been involved in backing the UK Government's £2.3 billion AI drive, investing in their own capacities in the UK and promising a major jobs boost ahead of Brexit.
The office was designed to foster greater collaboration with clients, doubling McKinsey’s client convening space and encouraging co-working and co-creation via hackathons, design workshops and sprints. It also uses the latest VC and file-sharing technology to allow seamless virtual collaboration, and prioritises staff well-being by offering healthy food options on each floor, with ample natural light, a gym, mothers’ room and relaxation rooms, and wrap-around terraces with panoramic views of the city. In addition, the arrival of Crossrail, along with 400 bike storage spaces, will encourage a reduction in the use of car travel.
The space, designed by architects MoreySmith, also boasts strong eco-friendly credentials. According to Vivian Hunt, the change of scenery will showcase McKinsey’s expansion of its client offering from beyond traditional strategy consulting into profession-leading capabilities in digital transformation, advanced analytics, capability building and design.
Hunt elaborated, “We are delighted to be in our new home. The move to the Post Building signifies our continued commitment to London and the UK, 60 years after we first established a presence here. This office provides us with the perfect environment to foster creativity and collaboration. Most importantly, our new office will help us continue to attract and retain the best talent and bring cutting-edge insights to our clients.”
McKinsey’s MBB rivals also keep strongholds in London. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is the second largest strategy consultancy after McKinsey, with 18,500 employees globally. BCG’s London office is led by UK & Ireland Managing Partner Stuart Quickendon. Meanwhile, the youngest member of strategy consulting’s top table, Bain & Company, boasts a global headcount of 7,000, as well as an alumni count of 13,000. Led by Michael Garstka, the firm’s UK office in London’s Strand area serves clients across the UK and globally, including international, FTSE 100, Fortune 500 and non-profit organisations.
