Archive for October, 2011

The Consulting TREK went to Chicago this year. The share-out is a chance for us to share with the rest of the Thunderbird Community the lessons we learned while in Chicago.
We visited the following firms:
* Capgemini
* Gallup
* A.T. Kearney
* KPMG
* L.E.K
* Galt & Co.

Capgemini by Chris Zefferies, Alka Uroda & Sarah Ardis

Capgemini is a leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing. The firm is based in Paris, France and has locations across the globe. Its US headquarters is in New York. Capgemini differentiates itself through its approach to problem solving, and the corporate culture certainly emphasizes creativity and “out-of-the-box” thinking.  In its Strategic Insights Labs consultants collaborate to tackle complex problems and offer fresh perspectives to develop strategic recommendations for clients. Thunderbird students were invited to visit the lab, an informal, creative environment to learn about and discuss Cagemini’s market strategy.

Galt & Company by Karissa Seltz

Galt & Company is a small, privately held management consulting firm based out of Chicago and New York  that assesses and delivers recommendations to senior management of Fortune 200 companies and relies solely upon word-of-mouth referrals. Galt consultants work across functional areas and within a wide-range of industries – from consumer products to aerospace and defense – with the purpose of maximizing shareholder value for their clients.  With a unique business sense that goes against the status quo strategies, Galt & Company is able to offer a differentiated solution to some common business problems.  After hearing from much bigger, more established consulting firms, Thunderbird students were able to sit down with one of the Galt Founders, where it was most interesting to learn about the process in which they began their own firm.  Clearly, the long-standing professional relationships upon which the firm was established, the network and industry experience each founder brought to the partnership, and the differentiated view towards organization and competitive reinvestment all succeed in making Galt & Company a competitor to some of the biggest, name-brand firms in the management consulting industry today.

L.E.K. Consulting by Vivek Pappu & Boris Pilipenko

L.E.K. Consulting is a global strategy-consulting firm headquartered in London with offices across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Founded in 1983 by three former Bain & Co. partners, L.E.K. counsels its clients on key strategic issues leveraging deep industry expertise and using analytical rigor to help them make informed decisions more quickly and solve their toughest and most critical business problems. Thunderbird students were hosted at their Chicago office by Stuart Jackson, VP and Head of Chicago office. Mr. Jackson, with almost three decades of experience in the field with L.E.K., shared with us his wisdom of discovering profitability for businesses through identifying hidden value. We had a discussion on recognizing true sources of value, including how to recognize and increase the overall Strategic Market Position (SMP) of the business, and were given a copy of his book Where Value Hides: A New Way to Uncover Profitable Growth for Your Business to further explore his thoughts on the subject.

Gallup by John Bevell & Ryan Conway

The Gallup Organization has been recognized for its Gallup Poll surveys since Dr. George Gallup founded the company in 1935. Since its beginning, the firm has diversified its business operations to include a variety of advisory services. The company offers corporate services such as management consulting, customer loyalty surveys, brand and advertising research, and performance improvement programs. Thunderbird students met with Gallup CEO, Jim Clifton, and gained great insight into the views expressed in his new book The Coming Jobs War, where he argues that the struggle for good jobs will profoundly affect both business sector and governmental leadership decisions as countries wage war to produce the best jobs.  Students also met with current employees to learn more about the Gallup organization and its unique approach to management consulting that employs behavioral metrics gleaned from the insight gained from their vast polling services aimed at  producing “true organic growth.”

KPMG by Vinod Jayavelu

KPMG provides audit, tax, and advisory services from about 90 offices throughout the US. Target industries served include financial services, media and entertainment, consumer products, and health care. The KPMG Advisory practice consists of three main Service Groups, which align with their clients’ needs in the marketplace: Performance & Technology (P&T), Risk & Compliance (R&C), and Transactions & Restructuring (T&R). Thunderbird students were provided an information session on the company’s recent developments, challenges, and positioning in the Management Consulting space, and were provided a real business case from a panel of varying service line practitioners to not only come up with insights and possible recommendations but to show us how the collaborative approach to tackling real business problems works at KPMG. The interactive nature of the session certainly led to and an engaging discussion and was certainly beneficial to the participants.

AT Kearney by Yannick Destouches- Gilroy

A.T. Kearney was founded in 1926 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. A.T. Kearney provides management consulting services including corporate and business strategy, market research, pricing optimization, supply chain and customer relationship management, and business outsourcing consulting services. It caters to aerospace and defense, automotive, communications and media, retail, electronics, health care,travel industries and financial and government institutions. The division with which our group met, A.T. Kearney Procurement & Analytic Solutions, provides comprehensive strategic services and solutions to clients seeking to improve procurement and supply chain performance and by providing in-depth, analytical solutions and understanding of how emerging collaboration and Web 2.0 solutions can improve business performance. We met with alumni Raj Arumugam ‘11 and Patrick Hoffmann ’05 for interactive session where we discussed the various service lines mentioned above, what a day in the life of an A.T. Kearney consultant looks like, and insights into the recruiting and hiring process.

By Onyeka Azike, Communication Shawdow Chair – TMCA

Although there are a few boutique consulting companies that focus solely on marketing consulting, there are not many. This is because most marketing consulting firms also tend to be strategy consulting firms because the focus of marketing (product, place, price, promotion, and people) overlaps with the focus of strategy. Some firms well-respected for their marketing consulting expertise are: Monitor Group, Copernicus Marketing Consulting, Simon-Kucher & Partners and Prophet.

In addition to other activities, Monitor Group and Simon-Kucher & Partners helps their clients create capabilities for future growth by helping them develop marketing and pricing strategies. In contrast, Prophet is more focused on branding and has worked with clients such as Johnson & Johnson, NBC and UBS. However, Prophet also helps their clients with general marketing strategy and improving the customer service experience.

So if you are looking to enter into the marketing consulting industry, your best bet might be to pursue small boutique companies focused on marketing consulting or larger consulting companies that have marketing consulting as one of their main focus areas

Julie Vasquez, T-bird ‘09 , speaks to Karan Singh,T-bird’12  about her experiences at Thunderbird and marketing consulting as a career.

Karan : What skills and qualities have helped you succeed as a marketing consultant?

Julie : Three of the most important skills for marketing consultants are creative problem solving, critical thinking, and listening – to the client, the data, and your own instincts.  Good consultants enjoy learning and tend to be well read, because it provides a bigger well to draw from.

Karan : How did your experience at Thunderbird prepare you to be a marketing consultant?

Julie : The opportunity to do real-life projects for companies was particularly valuable.  In Global Brand Management, we developed a strategy to position a company for growth in a high-prospect market segment.  In Consulting, we learned how to manage a client engagement, address the needs of multiple stakeholders, and address strategic business issues.  During the Winterim in Jordan (similar to the TEM Lab, today), we learned the dynamics of working on-site with a client, manage cross-cultural business relationships, and add value to a company in compressed time period.

The Presentation course provided opportunities to build skills and practice communicating with an audience – something consultants do all the time.  I often refer back to notes and case studies from the other courses I took at Thunderbird and all of them have been very helpful.

Karan : Looking back on your Thunderbird experience, are there things you wish you had done differently? For example: courses you wish you had taken, clubs you wished you had joined

Julie : One thing I would have done differently is reach out to the alumni network sooner.  It is amazing how helpful T-Birds are, especially as you are thinking about what career path to take.  There are so many options out there after you graduate.

Another thing is that I would have participated in more case competitions.  They provide excellent opportunities to build a portfolio to discuss during interviews.  They are also great ways to practice thinking on your feet and generating creative options to solve problems.

Karan : How would you recommend getting into the marketing consulting industry? What role can TMCA play to help its members?

Julie : TMCA plays a vital role by educating members on different types of consulting and agencies out there.  This is critical, because there are many options that people may not know about.Case competitions organized by TMCA and others are terrific ways to prepare for interviews.  Not only do they train you in how to answer case questions.  They also provide examples for behaviour interview questions regarding your problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Karan : How is working as a marketing consultant different from working at an Ad-agency?

Julie : Ad agencies tend to focus more on the communication aspects of marketing.  Marketing consultants get involved with everything from business strategy to messaging.  As consultants, we have the opportunity to influence the way a company does business, as well as the way they communicate their value to their target markets.

Karan : What do you wish you had known when you were trying to enter the marketing consulting industry?

Julie : Like many T-Birds, I was very interested in strategy.  Marketing has been a great way to apply strategic thinking to business issues and help companies position for long-term growth.On a different note, I underestimated the value of practical experience in helping with the job search and interview process.  Internships, case competitions, and projects can all provide rich materials to build your resume and demonstrate your interest in the field you choose.  Employers are looking for skilled employees, but also for those candidates that are passionate about the same things they are.

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Karan Singh is a second-year MBA student, focusing on Global Marketing and set to graduate in April 2012. He has been associated with TMCA for the past one year and heads the Communication Chair.

By Benny Axt

What’s the size of the diaper market in the United States?  How long does it take Starbucks to serve enough coffee to fill the gas tank of a Hummer?  If you participated in the Consulting Functional Day on Friday, September 30^th, 2011, you are now better equipped to handle some of the challenging questions that commonly confront candidates in consulting case interviews.

During the Consulting Functional Day, Thunderbird students were privileged to interact with a diverse, interesting panel of speakers.  Representatives from KPMG, Vanguard Marketing International, Carla Carter & Associates, and A.T. Kearney were present to provide industry information and answer student’s questions.  In the morning, the TMCA executive leadership team, the CMC, and a few TMCA club members hosted a breakfast for the speakers.  The roundtable breakfast provided a forum for an enlightening discussion about KPMG’s plan to acquire Optimum Solutions, an Oracle Platinum Partner.

After breakfast, the speakers were escorted to Lecture Hall 54 where they were impressed to find a packed house.  With over 120 RSVPs to the event, the Consulting Functional Day drew one of the most remarkable turnouts in recent history.

Our first speaker, Travis Beeman, provided an overview of his role at KPMG and his responsibilities as a senior manager.  His colleagues, Paul Torres and Melissa Levy (’03), also discussed their experiences in advisory and tax consulting.  The KPMG presentations were entertaining because the speakers talked candidly about their best and worst days on the job.  Carla Carter, the CEO of a local boutique consulting firm, spoke about organizational improvement and human resource development.  She also introduced the Baldridge Criteria as an effective tool for assessing corporate management systems.  Vanguard Marketing International sent Thunderbird alumna Julie Vasquez (’09) to provide a nuanced perspective on marketing consulting.  Each speaker offered wonderful advice and shared interesting experiences from his or her niche in the management consulting industry.  Following the presentations, Thunderbird students also benefitted from an open forum with the panel.

The Consulting Functional Day concluded with a presentation by A.T. Kearney Senior Manager, Patrick Hoffmann (’05).  Patrick gave an overview of the analytical strategy necessary to crack management consulting case interviews.  In addition to demystifying the process, he also provided useful resume writing tips.

Feedback from everyone who participated in the Consulting Functional Day was positive.  Speakers described students as engaged, enthusiastic, and intelligent.  And students were impressed by the expertise and experiences of the presenting consultants.  Thank you for your interest in the field of management consulting and your support for the TMCA.  Your participation contributed to the success of this year’s Consulting Functional Day.  We look forward to seeing you at future events!

Dear TMCA Members,

Welcome back to our returning students and congratulations on surviving your first month at Thunderbird for our new students!  The Thunderbird Management and Consulting Association leadership team is excited to bring you a trimester of fun and professional development.

Community

TMCA is wanting to build a sense of Community this trimester.  We are going to provide opportunities to get to know one another, get to know our faculty advisors, and learn about the Consulting field.  We hope that you join us in strengthening TMCA within the Thunderbird Community.

Consulting TREK

We are looking forward to visiting Chicago next week and meeting with industry-leading consulting firms including A.T. Kearney, Gallup, LEK Consulting, and Gault & Co.  We will be debriefing the association with a TREK Share-out to share our key findings and industry trends.

Clash of the Consultants – November 4

We are excited to produce TMCA’s 3rd Clash of the Consultants on November 4!  Dr. Finney has selected an exciting case dealing with emerging markets and we cannot wait to see your recommendations!  Based on the success and quality of the CoC this trimester, we are going to pursue producing a case competition with Arizona State University and the University of Arizona as well as attract guest judges for the Spring trimester.   We are looking forward to professional, innovative, and creative presentations.  Help us show the Thunderbird community what TMCA is all about!

TAP – Thunderbird Association Partnership

The Thunderbird Association Partnership (formerly known as ANC) has now met three times.  We are working during the first module to create a structure and a plan that TMA, TMCA, TFA, and Net Impact can function by and the second module will be laying the plans for implementation.  We are very happy with the progress and we know that with Administration, CMC, and TSG support, we are going to make lasting changes to the professionalism and the impact of the associations on campus.

Newsletters

You will find that each newsletter has a different theme.  This month’s theme will focus on the very expansive area of Management Consulting.  We encourage you to check out the links we provided and share with us any that you might find noteworthy.  Our next newsletter will focus on Marketing Consulting .  We would love to get students involved by writing up their own experiences in that particular field; so, if you would like to be published on the Thunderbird Student Blog, please send an interest e-mail to TMCA.Association@global.t-bird.edu and Karan will follow up with you.

The TMCA Leadership Team has been so impressed by the turn-out and the energy that our membership has been bringing to both our General Meeting and our Lunch & Learn with Professor Finney.  Standing room only is always an exciting result when holding an event and we are excited to see this energy continue into the trimester!

As always, we are here for questions, comments, or suggestions.  Feel free to reach out any time and let’s make it a great trimester!

Kind regards,
Michelle Toto

TMCA President

By Kinjal Gandhi

The Lunch ‘n’ Learn organized on September 27, 2011 was one of the most well attended events this trimester. Prof. Finney was extremely candid in conversation and spoke about topics ranging from transferable skills to critical thinking. He began by describing the horizontal relationship with a client and explained the effect of political dynamics in an organization.

From an individual perspective, Prof. Finney provided insights on some of the small things a consultant must always do right – carry himself or herself confidently, have extremely good communication and presentation skills and never make technical mistakes. He also encouraged people to introspect and learn from their mistakes as it indicated a positive learning curve. Prof. Finney concluded the session by suggesting that all aspiring consultants at Thunderbird must take classes which facilitated client interactions during their time here.

Rula Andriessen, a third trimester MBA student, attended the session and stated that she was struck by several things when she attended the TMCA Lunch and Learn – “Professor Finney mentioned that as he was creating the TEM Lab program, now one of Thunderbird’s most coveted and valuable experiences, his only charge from President Cabrera was to “create a life transforming experience for students”.  As I sat in the packed room and watched student after student stand along the wall and sit on the floor, posing endless questions about TEM Lab, I couldn’t help but wonder what our curriculum would look like if every teacher on campus considered this their mandate:  to be a provider of life transforming experiences.  The things that make TEM Lab popular are some of the same things that attract students to consulting:  the chance to be creative, to practice professionalism, to work closely with intelligent people and inspire sustainable change in clients.  I learned a lot, and the TMCA made every minute of the lecture worth my time!”