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The Best Consulting Firms in Asia-Pacific, 2019

Published: Sep 12, 2018

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Today, I am thrilled to announce the release of the 2019 Vault Top Consulting Asia-Pacific ranking.

As with our North American rankings, the Asia-Pacific list is based on our annual survey of leading employers within the consulting industry, and take into account everything from a firm's reputation (its prestige score) to individual quality of life factors.

The Top 10 Asia-Pacific Consulting Firms based on Vault’s annual survey for 2019 are:

  1. The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. Asia
  2. McKinsey & Company, Asia-Pacific
  3. Bain & Company, Asia
  4. Deloitte (Asia Consulting Practice)
  5. Roland Berger Asia
  6. A.T. Kearney Asia Pacific
  7. Oliver Wyman Asia Pacific
  8. OC&C Strategy Asia  
  9. Alvarez & Marsal Asia
  10. Simon-Kucher Partners Asia Pacific

Survey respondents call The Boston Consulting Group “more than an employer: a culture, a family,” echoing a general satisfaction with the firm’s emphasis on culture and the care it takes to ensure that its people feel valued and set up for success. Insiders describe the entrepreneurial platform the firm provides as “an unparalleled opportunity to grow and make a real difference.”

“The Boston Consulting Group has proven itself to be a firm of exceptional prestige and capability, one that continues to deliver client results of the utmost quality and recruit some of the best talent in the business,” said Stephan Maldonado, Vault’s Consulting Editor. “This year, the focus is on culture and mentorship, with insiders overwhelmingly praising BCG’s remarkable ability to maintain a family feel despite being such an elite firm.”

The Vault Top Consulting Asia-Pacific is based on scores from more than 1,800 APAC consulting firm employees surveyed earlier this year. These employees were asked to rate firms on a scale of 1 to 10 based on a variety of factors, including prestige, firm culture, compensation, work/life balances, the outlook for the firm, and overall satisfaction. The Vault Top Consulting Asia-Pacific ranking is based on the following weighted formula:

  • 30 percent prestige
  • 15 percent satisfaction
  • 15 percent compensation
  • 10 percent firm culture
  • 10 percent work-life balance
  • 10 percent overall business outlook
  • 5 percent promotion policies
  • 5 percent ability to challenge

McKinsey Remains the Most Prestigious Consulting Firm in APAC

Vault also asked consultants to rate the prestige of consulting firms in the APAC region and to select the strongest firms in their specific practice areas. For prestige and practice area rankings, survey respondents were NOT allowed to rate their own firms and were only permitted to rate those with which they were familiar.

This year, McKinsey again ranked No.1 in the Prestige rankings. There was little surprise here, as McKinsey has occupied this position since 2008. Meanwhile, The Boston Consulting Group held steady at No. 2. McKinsey’s continued dominance in the Prestige rankings speaks to the enduring, seemingly undying, power of its brand and reputation.

The rest of the Top 5 for the prestige rankings remain unchanged this year, but there was some movement between 5 and 10. Ernst & Young cracked the Top 10 this year, jumping to No. 9 from No. 11 last year. And KPMG rose two spots to No. 10 from No. 12 last year.

McKinsey Dominates Practice Area Rankings

This year, McKinsey dominated the Practice Area Rankings. Of 14 different practice areas, McKinsey ranked  No. 1 in eight: Economic, Financial, Energy, Health Care, Management, Pricing, Sales & Marketing, Retail, and Strategy consulting. Meanwhile, Accenture took the top spot in three practice areas: Operations, IT Strategy, and IT Operations.

Leading APAC Firms for Quality of Life & Key Employment Factors

Regarding our rankings in 22 various quality of life categories, OC&C Strategy Asia and The Boston Consulting tied for most No. 1 rankings. OC&C ranked No. 1 in Benefits, Compensation, Hours in the Office, International Opportunities, Relationships with Supervisors, Travel Requirements, and Work/Life Balance. Meanwhile,

The Boston Consulting Group ranked No. 1 in Ability to Challenge, Diversity, Exit Opportunities, Innovation, Interaction with Clients, and Business Outlook

Bain & Company and Deloitte ranked No. 1 in four areas each. Bain took the top spot in Firm Leadership, Formal Training, Internal Mobility, and Most Selective Firm. And Deloitte took the top spot in Firm Culture, Informal Training & Mentorship, Promotion Policies, and Satisfaction.

View the entire Vault Top Consulting Asia-Pacific and other APAC consulting rankings for 2019, including Most Prestigious Firms, Best Boutique Firms, Best Firms by Practice Area, and Best Firms to Work For in 22 different workplace categories, including Benefits, Compensation, Diversity, and Formal and Informal Training.

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