OC&C Strategy Consultants

OC&C Strategy Consultants

Type	Partnership
Industry	Management consulting
Founded	1987
Headquarters	Worldwide
Key people	Chehab Wahby, Worldwide Managing Partner
Products	Management consulting services
Revenue	£100m+
Number of employees	500+
Website	http://www.occstrategy.com/

OC&C Strategy Consultants is a management consulting firm that provides strategic advice to senior management in large corporations and organisations. It now employs over 500 consultants and has over 80 Partners. It is one of few European-founded strategy firms to have reached scale in an otherwise US-dominated industry.

History

OC&C was founded in 1987 in London by Chris Outram^[1] and Geoff Cullinan, who were both Partners at the time with Booz Allen & Hamilton. After several years at other consulting firms, they had tired of the fact that their employers devoted so much time to operational issues while neglecting strategic analysis. They then decided it would be “more fun and more challenging” to start their own firm.^[2] In the same year, the German consultancy “S. & K. und Partner” was founded in Duesseldorf by Dr. Gerd Schnetkamp and Dr. Hans-Dieter Kleinhueckelskoten, both previously with McKinsey, which subsequently rebranded and joined the OC&C firm. An office opened in Paris in 1989 and another opened in Rotterdam in 1992, founded respectively by Philippe Kaas and Pieter Witteveen,^[3] both previously Partners in the local McKinsey offices. Several further offices have been added since.

To gain greater access to the American market, OC&C merged with Boston-based Callidon Group in June 2007.^[4] Over recent years, the firm has successfully opened offices in India (New Delhi and Mumbai) and China (Shanghai and Hong Kong), taking OC&C into the fastest growing markets in the world.^[5] According to the Vault.com career guide, soon after establishing footprint in Asia, the majority of clients served by the OC&C Chinese offices are leading multinational companies and some of the region's top players. The Indian offices focus almost exclusively on board-level work with the top companies in the country, multinationals, major private equity houses and occasionally smaller companies.^[6]

Offices

The firm operates from offices in several global locations:^[7]

Sao Paulo

Recruitment & Comparison to Competitors

OC&C typically accepts applications from the world’s elite universities and institutions, putting less of an emphasis on discipline studied and more on a demonstrable aptitude for creative and lateral thinking and the applicant’s fit within the company’s culture. The interviewing and selection process generally ranges across four to six interviews over two to three rounds. Additionally, OC&C operates an annual international strategy workshop, which brings together 24 “outstanding international students from different academic backgrounds”, to work on a business strategy case. OC&C later employs those who perform well throughout the workshop.^[8]

OC&C was ranked 6th in the Vault Consulting 25 for 2011,^[9] combining Vault's "Best to Work For" ranking with overall prestige. OC&C's high rates of pay and positioning as an alternative to McKinsey, Accenture, Bain and BCG makes them an attractive proposition to potential recruits.

OC&C's commitment to gender equality is exemplified by Anita Balchandani, one of the firm's London partners, who is currently a member of the advisory panel of Women2Win - an organisation whose aim is to increase the number of women in parliament.^[10]

Publications & Events

OC&C regularly publishes analyses regarding its core business areas.^[11] In addition to these unique publications, the firm also publishes annual industry reviews, which include:

FMCG Global 50 (in association with The Grocer and various other publications in other geographies)

UK Retail Christmas Trading Index (in association with Retail Week)

UK Facilities Management Index (in association with FM World)

Media Index (in association with The Guardian)

European Credit Management and Debt Collection Index (In association with Credit Today)

Global Retail Proposition Index

Additionally, the firm published a book with John Wiley & Sons Press, titled "The Craft of Strategy Formation",^[12] which explains the "steps to take (and pitfalls to watch out for) when typically vague business concerns need to be translated into actionable strategy fast"^[13]

OC&C organises and co-sponsors several high profile industry events, such as the World Retail Congress, which is the largest international meeting place for retail leaders;^[14] the Media and Telco (Year) & Beyond annual conference, a summit which addresses trends, ideas and opportunities in the media industry;^[15] and various other events in other specialist sectors e.g. education.^[16]

Corporate Social Responsibility

The OC&C London office has worked with the Impetus Trust, pioneers in venture philanthropy, since 2004. During that time, OC&C teams have worked on a pro bono basis on numerous strategic projects for charities and social enterprises in the Impetus portfolio. These charities include B-Eat, Bulky Bob’s, Fairtrade, the Furniture Resource Centre, IntoUniversity, Keyfund, Leap Confronting Conflict, the Prison Radio Association, Riders for Health, St. Giles Trust and Street League. These projects are done with a full, professional team, the same way as commercial projects are done, but entirely unpaid for.^[17]

OC&C’s other offices also conduct pro bono work: for example, the Benelux office recently undertook a project for the leading Dutch Multiple Sclerosis charity to develop a new direction and funding strategy.^[18]

OC&C Strategy Consultants

History

Offices

Recruitment & Comparison to Competitors

Publications & Events

Corporate Social Responsibility

Notable current and former employees

References

External links