20 most prestigious strategy consulting firms in France
McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company are in the eyes of French students the most prestigious strategy consulting firms in France. When it comes to reputation, US-headquartered firms dominate, with Roland Berger the first European-origin firm in the top 10, and Advancy the highest ranked French strategy consultancy.
For the fourth consecutive year, French consulting platform Consultor.fr has joined forces with ESCP-ACE to conduct research into the reputation of consulting firms among graduates. The survey focuses exclusively on consultancies that centre their portfolio on strategy and high-end management consultancy services, excluding the likes of the Big Four, organisational/process improvement consultancies and IT advisory giants. In this year’s survey, nearly 300 students studying in France participated.
Similar to the previous editions, the top positions in the ranking are dominated by the large US consultants. McKinsey & Company – the globe’s largest strategy consultancy – finds itself in top spot, followed by its traditional rivals Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company, collectively known as the ‘Big Three’. The top five is completed by Oliver Wyman and Roland Berger, with A.T. Kearney ranked 6th. The assessment of the French students is closely in line with overall European perceptions – a similar study conducted last year among more than 2,800 consultants revealed the same top six, with Strategy& the only exception, ranking 12th in the eyes of the French.
Advancy can the coming year call itself the most prestigious French-origin strategy consulting firm, replacing Kea & Partners from pole position of French firms, which ranks 9th this year. Other consultancies in the top 10 are OC&C Strategy Consultants and L.E.K. Consulting. The globe’s oldest management consultancy, Arthur D. Little, secures an 11th spot, with Mars & Co, fastest grower Vertone (together with Advancy) and Estin & Co completing the top 15.
The largest drop in the ranking is booked by AlixPartners, falling eight places to 17th, according to the researchers the result of the firm’s low focus on recruiting graduates and being present on campus. The other positions between 16 to 20 are filled by international firms Corporate Value (17 offices globally), Advention (7 offices), Ares & Co (3 offices) and Chappuis, Halder & Cie (10 offices).
French strategy consulting market
With a market size of €4 billion the French management consulting market is after the UK and Germany Europe’s largest advisory landscape, and accounts for roughly 4% of the global consulting industry. The strategy consultancy segment is estimated to be worth €683 million, with a growth rate of approximately 2% forecasted for the coming twelve months.
