BrazilStrategy consultancies Oliver Wyman and BCG name CEOs
Global strategy consulting giants Oliver Wyman and BCG have in the past days named their new CEOs.
Two of the world’s largest strategic and management consulting firms have announced new chief executives, with Nick Studer to take over at Oliver Wyman as of next month and Christoph Schweizer to assume the top role at Boston Consulting Group from October. The appointments follow the ousting of one-term McKinsey & Company boss Kevin Sneader in favour of Bob Sternfels earlier this year.
To be based out of London, Studer has been appointed as dual president and CEO of Oliver Wyman and its economic and brand consulting subsidiaries NERA and Lippincott, taking over from Scott McDonald after almost a decade in the role. During that time, the management consultancy has grown to a global headcount of 5,000 with revenues now at $2.1 billion. Studer will report to Dan Glaser, CEO of Oliver Wyman parent Marsh McLennan.
“Nick has led many of Oliver Wyman’s major practices in his 23 years with the business, and every one of them has been the better for his guidance,” said Glaser. “In addition to his work with clients, he has been a leading voice for change and a major driver of our Inclusion and Diversity agenda. His understanding of how to make businesses and people thrive will be indispensable as we build our enterprise’s shared future.”
Making partner in 2003, Studer has since then served in numerous global leadership roles with the firm prior to becoming managing partner at the beginning of the year, including as head of Oliver Wyman’s Global Corporate and Institutional Banking Practice, head of its European Finance and Risk Practice, and managing partner for both its Financial Services and Consumer Industrial and Services practices.
Meanwhile, BCG, even higher up the global strategy consultancy pecking order with worldwide revenues of $8.6 billion and a headcount of 22,000, has also announced a changing of the guard – with Rich Lesser to be replaced after nine years as CEO by German national Christoph Schweizer. Like Studer, Schweizer will have some seriously large boots to fill, with BCG having more than tripled its revenues during Lesser’s time at the helm.
“I've had the pleasure of working closely with Christoph as he has successfully built strong, diverse teams and robust, resilient businesses in a wide range of countries around the world, as well as cutting-edge capabilities in our practices. Christoph brings integrity, vision, and bold leadership,” said Lesser, who will continue his 32-year career with the firm as global chair as current chair Hans-Paul Bürkner transitions to a managing director role.
Schweizer, too, has a more than two-decade history at the firm, originally joining in Munich in 1997 and spending five years in BCG’s New York office. Currently the chair of the firm’s Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East businesses – covering almost 40 offices in over 20 countries – he has over the course of his time at BCG served as global leader of its Health Care practice and as chair of BCG’s global practices, serving clients on every continent.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our partners for the trust they’ve placed in me to lead this world-class organisation as we enter a new chapter of unprecedented change, challenge, and opportunity for our clients and for the world,” said Schweizer, who was elected by BCG’s almost 1,500 managing directors and partners. “It’s an honour to build on Rich’s incredible legacy of growth and expansion of capabilities, and in leading BCG with such integrity.”
Bosses
Other leaders of major global strategy consulting firms include: Manny Maceda (Bain & Company), Alex Liu (Kearney), Stefan Schaible (Roland Berger), Joachim Rotering (Strategy&), Stuart Jackson (L.E.K. Consulting), Jonathan Goodman (Monitor Deloitte), Mitch Berlin (EY-Parthenon), and Will Hayllar (OC&C Strategy Consultants).
