KPMG vs Other T2s?
I noticed on most of these rankings for Consulting, KPMG is mentioned as an afterthought after the stronger T2s even within their peer group of business S&O and strategy arms (Like Monitor Deloitte or just Deloitte S&O, PwC, Strateg&, EY Business Consulting, EY-P).
Anyone know how the firm compares to its direct peers on culture, growth, salary progression, or otherwise?
Especially interested in pre (~1-3 yrs out of undergrad) and post-MBA (5+ yrs out of undergrad) exposure
Kpmg is not T2
Congrats on Bain
KPMG is considered Big 4, not Tier 2.
That being said, it can be group/project dependent. Had two coworkers who were there at the samee time in the same group. Completely different experiences, one was great with signficant career growth and the other one felt slighted while being there.
Honestly, the "T2" label can be pretty subjective depending on who you talk to, but the consensus usually puts firms like LEK, Oliver Wyman, or even the strategy arms of the Big 4 (like Strategy&) in a different bucket than KPMG. If you're looking for exit opps or specific high-level strategy work, you'll find that people often view those other firms as having a stronger brand cachet for that kind of transition. That said, I'd focus more on what kind of projects you'd actually be touching—the day-to-day experience and the specific industry vertical you want to specialize in will matter way more for your long-term growth than the internal ranking debates you'll find on forums.
That's a fair point—and I think it's easy to get caught up in the tiering discourse—but I'd encourage looking at it from a more holistic perspective. It's not about optimizing for a label—it's about optimizing for the combination of experience, network, skill acquisition, and long-term optionality. At the end of the day—prestige is a signal—but sustained career growth is a function of execution, adaptability, and how effectively you leverage the opportunities available to you.
Will say strategy exits from consulting are far less nowadays than in the past. Extremely competitive. Having specific industry focus in consulting helps nowadays more than it has in the past when it comes to exits, IMO.
Unlike the other B4, KPMG never acquired a Strategy brand; I believe they were a finalist for Booz way back in 2012-ish but lost to PwC while EY acquired Parthenon and Deloitte acquired Monitor. KPMG then tried to build a Strategy capability organically but, even 10+ years later, have yet to achieve the brand permission that other B4 Strategy arms have (and that even Deloitte has somewhat lost).
From a CDD perspective, they're probably most similar to a boutique that spikes in particular sectors, often due to poaching a rainmaker or two. From a corporate strategy perspective, they have good brand permission from the KPMG name but lack the pedigree of much smaller logos (e.g., Altman Solon, Pointe Advisory...) so sit in a pretty weird territory. I rarely come up against them but my guess is they primarily compete on prices that are a considerable discount to the traditional "T2 Firms." Selling at a discount = less revenue = less pay = can't attract talent = can't execute at par = sell at a discount... and that's why you acquire your way into the space!
I’ve looked into this before and KPMG actually acquired SECOR, Canada’s largest independent strategy consulting firm in 2012 (leading the era that Monitor, Booz, and Parthenon were acquired by its competitors). Where it diverged from the other Big 4 was on integration strategy. Where Deloitte, EY, and PwC built out a dedicated strategy brand with their acquired firms, KPMG rolled SECOR up into its existing advisory practice. This was a deliberate choice at the time but it likely diluted the strategy brand of KPMG all together. Today, most of the strategy-type work at KPMG falls under the “Customer and Operations” team under broader “management consulting” without a clear, standalone identity but it’s left opaque intentionally
KPMG is not a T2. But neither is PwC MC, Deloitte S&O, or EY Business Consulting. Or Accenture Strategy. All of which are in the same bucket as KPMG.
The T2s have traditionally been, in no particular order: LEK, ATK, Monitor, Booz & Co (NOT Booz Allen Hamilton, mind you), OW, ZS. Plus Roland Berger if you're in Europe.
So S& is considered a T2 because it used to be Booz. Monitor Deloitte is considered a T2 for the same reason. Not actually sure how EY-P managed to semi-organically make its way into the T2 bucket since Parthenon was way too small at time of acquisition to be considered a T2.
Never heard of Booz being considered a T2, what's the logic behind that? Now wondering if I made a mistake not networking with them when I was given the chance a few years ago through a contact.
Booz hasn't been in business for 14 years so maybe that's why you haven't heard of them.... but way back in the day, Booz was widely considered the #4 firm in the space after MBB.
Officiis delectus architecto quod quo est. Et sit neque explicabo. Nam dolorem sunt ut dignissimos.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...