The | | (gap) between MBB and the rest?

So how much of a drop-off exists between MBB and every other consulting firm in the same MC space. This isn't about econ consulting or IT consulting // and to my knowledge none of them dabble in those spaces.

What do you think? Is there a gap, how much of a gap, and will there still be a gap?

Consulting industry leaders: mckinsey bain boston

There are many reasons the gap between MBB and other business consultancies. Namely branding, advertising, and recruitment.

MBB is the first pick for recruitment from consultants. MBB Alumni also have a much easier time applying to top business schools. This level of selectivity is a form of indirect advertising. It spreads brand awareness as its credibility is bolstered through its academically elite junior staff.

Another method of consistent indirect advertising is MBB’s frequent research publications

Bain and

 

Disagree with philliesphan

MBB is a class apart, parthenon and monitor are definitely not in the same league.

There are very specific reasons why MBB are a class apart

  1. They charge significantly more than all other consulting firms. Their ability to charge premium prices is a direct result of offering a premium product.

  2. The level of work at MBB is completely different. While Monitor, L.E.K etc may work with C level executives in smaller companies and may have significant pieces of strategic work; C level projects with large companies are almost exclusively serviced by MBB

  3. When recruiters/headhunters are looking for talent, MBB is always 1st preference with no exceptions

  4. While other firms may place well into B schools, they definitely do not place as well as MBB

The consulting firms mentioned are all class acts - not denying that, however MBB is really a class apart and the gap is quite big.

Cheers

Mmonkey

 

There's a substantial gap in prestige and exit opps between MBB and the rest of the consulting firms. It's different from banking where there are many more quality firms (~10 BB's and several elite boutiques). Think of MBB as bulge bracket and the rest as MM - there is no such thing as an "elite boutique" in consulting.

 

Youd be surprised - they are great for PE. For example Berkshire's analysts only worked at 4 places: bain, mckinsey, goldman, and parthenon; i think they are much well known but they are terrific for PE; I'd put parthenon and LEK above the lower BBs for PE recruiting

 
Best Response
philliesphan:
Youd be surprised - they are great for PE. For example Berkshire's analysts only worked at 4 places: bain, mckinsey, goldman, and parthenon; i think they are much well known but they are terrific for PE; I'd put parthenon and LEK above the lower BBs for PE recruiting

Again, I disagree (And I'm not the least surprised) , I won't repeat myself but you're not saying anything factual (except for isolated examples, which exist anywhere) and are clearly biased.

At the PE shops I work at and know (all megafunds) , LEK and parthenon are not even considered for interviews, bankers from lower BBs are.

If you work at Parthenon or LEK, congratulations, both are great firms. Neither are in the same league as MBB though - for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

 

From consulting, PE options are much more limited - only a handful of firms are consultant-heavy (Bain Cap, Golden Gate, for example). Some megafunds reserve a handful of slots for consultants, but almost all of these go to MBB. If you want PE, it's better to do banking in a strong M&A, LevFin, or Sponsors group.

If you want to go to b-school, consulting is the best path - even non-MBB firms routinely send a chuck of their class to top b-schools.

 
Pierce_and_Pierce:
From consulting, PE options are much more limited - only a handful of firms are consultant-heavy (Bain Cap, Golden Gate, for example). Some megafunds reserve a handful of slots for consultants, but almost all of these go to MBB. If you want PE, it's better to do banking in a strong M&A, LevFin, or Sponsors group.

If you want to go to b-school, consulting is the best path - even non-MBB firms routinely send a chuck of their class to top b-schools.

Doesn't really answer the question, but you're pretty much right. Most PE firms are very open to consultants these days though, because "the days of financial engineering are gone" (view link @ 0:41)

 
mmonkey:
PorcineAviation:
MBB are the best broadly across sectors, but other firms are just as strong or stronger in single sectors. OW FS for example is on par with M and better than BB.

If you're talking about corp finance groups..

  1. you are correct

  2. that has a lot to do with the fact that BB DO NOT have corp finance groups

Cheers

MMonkey

I was talking about the Financial Services sector broadly.

Comparing to the criterion you laid out earlier, OW charges the most in the sector, and services around 3/4 of the 100 largest FS firms globally. The B-School exit opps are less comparable because OW don't run a B-School model.

 

I said "billing rates" and never said "project cost", I don't really understand what your argument is. OW does not have a higher "billing rate" than MBB in FS (Not M or BB). Reason being that MBB do not have different billing rates for different sectors and don't compete on price BB (And it was clear from the start that we were talking about billing rates)

Stop weaseling and just admit you inserted a little porky pie in there to buff your argument.

Nothing worse than someone who doesn't know when he's been served

 
mmonkey:
I said "billing rates" and never said "project cost", I don't really understand what your argument is. OW does not have a higher "billing rate" than MBB in FS (Not M or BB). Reason being that MBB do not have different billing rates for different sectors and don't compete on price BB (And it was clear from the start that we were talking about billing rates)

Stop weaseling and just admit you inserted a little porky pie in there to buff your argument.

Nothing worse than someone who doesn't know when he's been served

OW charges the most in FS. Full stop.

 
mmonkey:
Ok man, if you need to lie to feel better go ahead,

I love how your statements evolved....

  1. Charge more than BB and around the same as M

  2. OW charges the most in FS. Full stop.

All wrong, you need to grow up, you make your firm look really bad by lying about it

Lol, you obviously have absolutely no fucking clue about the FS sector, just a little obsession with MBB billing rates. You evidently have no knowledge of whether what I'm saying is true or not, so why don't you stick to "prestige", "exit-opps" and the other intangibles you've obviously been able to pick up from surfing the internet.

 
PorcineAviation:
mmonkey:
Ok man, if you need to lie to feel better go ahead,

I love how your statements evolved....

  1. Charge more than BB and around the same as M

  2. OW charges the most in FS. Full stop.

All wrong, you need to grow up, you make your firm look really bad by lying about it

Lol, you obviously have absolutely no fucking clue about the FS sector, just a little obsession with MBB billing rates. You evidently have no knowledge of whether what I'm saying is true or not, so why don't you stick to "prestige", "exit-opps" and the other intangibles you've obviously been able to pick up from surfing the internet.

How mature, I actually do know what I'm talking about. I spent 2 years at an MBB, I work at a PE firm now and see bids from all the consulting firms, you're just frustrated that you couldn't massage your ego. By the way your swearing really shows how desperate/frustrated you are

 
PorcineAviation:
peggy_ice:
Fact: there is no reason to pay more for OW because, the fact of the matter is, the talent at OW can't compare to MBB.

Yet as I mentioned earlier, around 3/4 of the largest 100 FS firms globally do pay for OW. But I'm sure your expertise rivals that of all those CEOs...

Wow, you are so hung up with the fact that MBB didn't admit you, its so obvious, it is a little hilarious, especially considering the only firm you're cheer-leading is OW, which really isn't even close.

 

this was somewhat entertaining, tho a little longer than necessary. it's always nice to see people pulling a "vietnam victory" and disengage.

"... then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."
 
dagro:
it's always nice to see people pulling a "vietnam victory" and disengage.

Heh. To stay in the lingo, are you advocating a Desert Storm following the above Desert Shield?

 

everybody knows a storm would be ineffective against a shield... duh! and in the desert? come on... nothing but friggin' sand. why the hell would someone drag a shield to the desert? and in the middle of winter, too.

but seriously, i lost you.

"... then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."
 

I tried to find a campaign-related analogy to continuing something that had just stopped (you had used a campaign-related analogy to let's say an unvoluntary ending with a touch of 'but we'd have won had we committed enough resources').

I could only think of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, which were the names for the consecutive pursuits in Iraq in the early 90s. Probably a bad analogy though as I believe Storm was just an extension to Shield, rather than a resumption. Anyway, case closed.

 

Wow. Did the OP actually feel like he/she got anything out of this thread besides MMonkey and Por... something arguing back and forth between OW and MBB.

Point of fact I know 2 friends that each went to OW and M from undergrad. The one that went to OW came from undergrad Wharton. The one that went to M came from undergrad Harvard, but in some random major like bio or something. Both are girls and pretty driven.

I'm sure both will do very well with themselves.

----------------------------------------------------------------- Hug It Out
 

well aren't we persistent... i thought we'd just killed off this thread :P

but here's a thought: gaining contacts isn't about where you are (given you're dealing with business people) but who you're talking to and how you come across. work at an unknown firm for all one cares - do a good enough job in such a way that you get noticed, learn how to network with the people you come into contact with, and you're set for life. mbb is good because it gives a shortcut - just mentioning the name will turn heads, like a gorgeous BMW, that doesn't need to advertise its strengths - just the logo. sure, yamaha might be able to make better bikes, but when you buy a bmw, regardless of the product, you know you get quality. to keep up with my analogy, you being the yamaha (assuming you're not gonna be in mbb), one would just have to try out the yamaha bike to realize how good it is (avoiding the word "ride" on purpose) even compared with the bmw. but you'll have to know how to show it run.

"... then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."
 

Adipisci odit sequi asperiores exercitationem blanditiis. Cum atque laborum perferendis.

Minima vel corrupti exercitationem itaque odit. Sed et id distinctio ea nihil blanditiis veritatis. Vitae rerum beatae eum.

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