Arthur D. Little

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Arthur D. Little, Inc. is the name of the world's first management consulting firm. Founded in 1886 by Arthur Dehon Little, an MIT chemist who discovered acetate, and co-worker Roger Griffin, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Arthur D. Little pioneered the concept of contracted technology research. The company played key roles in the development of operations research, the word processor, the first synthetic penicillin, and NASDAQ.

ADL, as it is sometimes called, grew quickly from its roots in contracted research into the lucrative management consulting services arena and defined itself as a pioneer and industry leader from the 1960s right through to the 1990s. It produced the European Commission's first white paper on telecommunications deregulation and helped privatize British Rail, generally regarded as one of the most complex privatization exercises in the world. By 2001, ADL had 2000 employees around the world, but over-expansion of its management consulting business, coupled to management's failure to spin-off C-quential, a niche high technology consulting practice, resulted in financial losses causing ADL to file chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In 2002, ADL was sold in bankruptcy court with Paris based Altran Technologies buying the Arthur D. Little brand name and financing a management buyout of the non-US offices. ICF Consulting purchased the Global Environmental Risk and the Public Sector Program Management lines of business. TIAX LLC purchased the Technology and Innovation practice. Charles River Associates purchased the Oil & Gas and Chemicals practices, and Navigant Consulting purchased Advanced Energy Systems Practice.

In 2005, ADL has about 1000 employees across 30 offices around the world, and typically manages around 2000 assignments in 60 countries every year. ADL today is well regarded for its strong expertise in the telecommunications industry with additional centers of excellence in energy & utilities, automotives, chemicals, healthcare and public sector consulting. It has significantly re-built its business in these areas with several high profile clients and assignments around the world. Some of its contracted research business in the USA has since re-emerged as TIAX Llc., but a significant portion of this business is now represented by a sister company, Cambridge Consultants, and supported by thriving niche practices within ADL that specialize in Technology & Innovation Management and Environment & Risk consulting.