Accenture Strategy (London) vs FLDP - Need urgent advice
Hey all, Would really appreciate some honest views here as I’m pretty split on this decision. I’m finishing up a Mfin from a semi target in London and have done internships across private credit, infrastructure private equity, a startup doing strategy/finance work, and big tech on the product side. So I’ve had a mix of investing, strategy, and operating environments already. I’m originally from London.
I’m deciding between Accenture Strategy in London and a FLDP at a large FMCG in Copenhagen (think Mars / Nestlé / Unilever type). Accenture is around £36k base with a £10k sign on, which feels quite low for London. The FMCG role is 570,000 DKK base plus 8% bonus, which is roughly £65k base and £70k all in. So it’s meaningfully higher and on top of that, I strongly prefer Copenhagen as a city. I’ve spent time there before and the lifestyle, culture, and general pace just suit me a lot more than London. If I take the FLDP, I could genuinely see myself staying in Copenhagen long term and building my life there.
Work-life balance also seems completely different. From what I’ve been told by people on the program, people are leaving around 4pm most days and even earlier on Fridays (2–3pm), which is obviously miles apart from what I’d expect at Accenture.
One thing that stood out to me during the process was how much the senior team bought in. The CFO of the Nordics really liked me during interviews and actually pushed for me to join his team for my first rotation, which feels like a pretty unique opportunity early on. They also mentioned the program can move you internationally to places like Tokyo and across Europe while keeping Copenhagen as your home base, which is a big plus for me.
On the work side, the FLDP seems very “in the business” and longer term, they were quite clear there’s a path into senior leadership (e.g. regional CFO level), and also opportunities to move into strategic finance / corporate development type roles, which is something I’d be interested in. If I go down this route, I’d likely stay in the country long term and work my way up internally.
With Accenture, It’s obviously a strong brand, but realistically still T2 (if that), If this was MBB wouldn’t even be thinking about it. I’m also slightly concerned about what projects I’d actually get staffed on whether it’s true strategy work or more generalist implementation / ops. I understand the argument that consulting keeps optionality open, but I’m trying to get a realistic view on what the actual exits from Accenture Strategy look like vs what people say in theory. If exits are materially better then I think it is worth sacrificing this offer for something like S&O at Google or PE Ops in the long run.
Long term I’m interested in roles like corporate development, strategy & ops / strategic finance / even PE ops type roles). At the same time, I wouldn’t be opposed to a senior leadership path like CFO of a region if the trajectory is there.
Am I over indexing on comp, lifestyle, and location too early? Or is the FLDP actually the smarter long term move given the exposure, responsibility, and trajectory? Would really appreciate any thoughts.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of your decision:
FLDP in Copenhagen (FMCG)
Compensation & Lifestyle:
Career Trajectory:
Exit Opportunities:
Accenture Strategy (London)
Compensation & Lifestyle:
Career Trajectory:
Exit Opportunities:
Key Considerations
Long-Term Goals:
Location & Lifestyle:
Compensation:
Recommendation
The FLDP in Copenhagen seems like the smarter long-term move. It aligns with your career goals, offers strong internal sponsorship, and provides a better lifestyle and compensation package. While Accenture Strategy offers optionality, the FLDP provides a more direct and supported path to senior leadership and strategic finance roles.
Sources: Q&A: Healthcare Industry FLDP, Which F500 Entry Level Job to Take?, Finished FLDP, now what?, Q&A: Alternative Path to F100 Corporate Strategy w/ Exit Details
Anyone?
I’m not exactly hearing much reason from you to take Accenture other than brand name. You see to quite clearly prefer the Danish option with reasonable logic behind it. What’s the question here?
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