Greenwich Strategy Consultant Reviews

Pros

Greenwich Strategy has been around for over 25 years under the same leadership. Clients have almost all been working with the firm for years, and they stick with the company due to the quality of results that they see. I was on many readouts with clients where they would say that we consistently delivered the highest quality work that they saw from any of their advisors. All the work at this point is private equity due diligence. This can be a pro and a con, but in short, it means that projects are generally quicker (2-5wks, depending) and you'll end up getting a ton of exposure to different questions. Industries I looked at in my time ranged from electrical infrastructure to foodservice distribution and everything in between. The best part about working this way is that you're always learning. The work involves a lot of quantitative analysis (good to come in with a bit of a background, but also definitely learnable), but equally important is the qualitative side. This involves a lot of speaking with experts in the industries you are researching and can be some of the most rewarding parts of the job. You'd be surprised how much of the 'answer' can come from one good conversation with someone who really knows. All in all, this is a great place to learn. Everyone here is developing in some way or another, and Chris and Beth are very good about making sure that you have the opportunity to develop. Since leaving, I have been working at a top-tier consulting firm (with a generous referral from Chris!), and colleagues routinely commented at first at how well-prepared I was compared to many in my cohort who had either come from other consulting firms or business school. If you are looking for a place to build a potent skillset in a short amount of time, you could do far worse.

Cons

Hours can be very long--not unusual for consulting or PE work, but it can definitely feel like a grind on some projects. With that said, there is a good and very close-knit culture within the office, so you're always surrounded with good people at night (and for all intents and purposes, you're never working on the weekend). The work can also be very demanding at times. There is a good understanding that people come in with different skills, and a lot of time is invested in making sure that you have the resources to grow, but make no mistakes that expectations are high. There can and will be some very stressful situations, and mistakes end up costing the entire team. I never saw us deliver an answer we didn't have confidence in, but at times that could come with some pretty tense nights. At least everyone is in it together! Also I've seen other people mention this, but doesn't hurt to add--you're going to be in Providence. We list the jobs as Boston area, but if you don't live in Providence, you're not going to get any sleep. Providence isn't a con in and of itself (it's a great city, and I wish I were still there), but you should come in knowing that.

Pros

The work itself: Intellectually stimulating and challenging. Private equity projects are typically ~3 weeks long—in that short amount of time we are tasked with developing opinions on key strategic issues about the company and its industry (for example, market size, growth, competitive landscape, potential risks/threats, etc.). Projects for operating companies also focus on strategy – customers, competitors, pricing, etc. For me, the work is a terrific combination of quantitative and qualitative learning. The culture/environment: I would describe the culture as relaxed and familial (particularly if you compare it with a typical corporate environment)—it’s decidedly “un-corporate”. It is a culture of honesty and respect. Expectations are high—both our client's as well as our own of ourselves. When employees are transitioning out for whatever reason (usually it’s to go to business school), I’ve seen tremendous support, including letters of introduction/recommendation and/or “outplacement time”, where people are paid for full time work but given 1-2 days a week for extended periods to find their next opportunity. Furthermore the firm president, Chris Fay, draws generously from his extended network to advocate for the candidacy of Greenwich Strategy employees who want to move to a new position or industry.

Cons

Providence: I personally love Rhode Island, but Providence isn’t Boston or New York, so it can be a stumbling block. Long hours: When it’s busy, the hours are long, and it can be stressful. Our client’s deadlines are often tight and work quality expectations are high.

Pros

Smart people - This is true of most consulting companies, but I found a particularly intelligent, insightful, and curious group of minds at Greenwich Strategy Great projects - I had the chance to work on a diverse number of industries - transportation, telecommunications, and financial services. Each project had it's own "spin" but the goal was the same - provide valuable, unique advice to help the client grow. Casual work environment - Fairly laid back atmosphere but not unprofessional. Work product counted more than face time. New Skills - I had come from a "Big Six" consulting background and didn't realize how much I had to learn about consulting until I came to Greenwich Strategy. It was a great chance to learn new methodologies and ways of thinking about problems that I had not had exposure to before

Cons

Data collection (for lack of a better term). Part of every consulting gig is to grind through data collection and analysis to figure out the problem and ultimately the answer. Greenwich Strategy is no different. Because it's a small firm, without a vast pool of analysts to do this work, everyone has to pitch in. I've been both the analyst and the senior and by pitching in on the data collection and analysis, I think you learn more about the problem and are able to craft a better solution when you participate in this work. Small Office - In a smaller company, you can't avoid people you don't like. That means that you really have to know going in if these are people you can work with.

Pros

Greenwich Strategy occupies a niche; we perform high-quality analysis for a very select number of leading Private Equity, Hedge Fund, and Corporate clients. The value we provide is an actionable, cogent, and insightful—our philosophy is that if the client does not like the work they do not pay (and over 17 years, this has yet to happen). At Greenwich, we are focused on the work and not any pretense of what consulting should look like. Which is to say that many of the attributes which make Greenwich a great place to work are uncommon in the realm of consulting: we work out of loft space in Providence, we do not travel, we do not have a dress code, and occasionally there are as many dogs in the office as there are employees—all of this is enabled because our only priority is the work product. The work is extremely interesting and varied, we don’t engage in multi-year projects that grow stale. Our studies last from 4-6 weeks, we labor to understand the moving pieces, deliver our insights to the client, and move on to the next engagement. The work is dynamic and it is thought provoking (dinner-party conversations often start with a perspective I developed during a client assignment). I have not imagined a post-Greenwich Strategy future yet, but my work experience has prepared me for a number of avenues and the strength of my resume (bolstered by my time with Greenwich) ensure all of those avenues are open to me.

Cons

The work is challenging and at times that means high stress and long hours, but any impactful job will demand the same. Partner-level involvement and significant collaboration severely limit time on espn.go.com.

Pros

Full disclosure, I worked at Greenwich Strategy from 1999 to 2002 (Glassdoor won't let you put earlier years in). You can see my experience on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jcgallagherstrategy I had a great experience working for Chris. It's a small, entrepreneurial firm with a professional approach to work but relaxed working environment. It was a nice contrast to my Big Six Consulting experience which was a travel grind. The work quality was very high. The consulting approach is rooted in Bain methodology and I learned a lot about that approach to cases. I had exposure working with transportation, industrial manufacturing and financial services clients.

Cons

With a firm of this size, you need to be careful about cultural and personality fit. The small -firm environment is not for everyone. Even as a senior consultant, I did a lot of the number crunching and data work that would have been assigned to junior staff at a large firm.