OC&C Strategy Consultants

The overview

OC&C (Outram Cullinan & Company) is a strategy consultancy, addressing clients in eleven primary fields: financial services, media, industry and infrastructure, retail and distribution, consumer goods, business services, telecommunications, technology, private equity, the public sector, and travel, transport and logistics.

Principally targeting company boards and senior management, OC&C offers services that address wider company strategy, generally to increase profits. Its work tends to serve businesses as a whole, rather than their smaller scale operations. For example, OC&C consultants have been brought into companies in the past to address ineffective marketing campaigns, guide clients through transactions and mergers, and advise on the sale of company assets. The clients are generally FTSE 250 companies, or international companies of a similar standing.

The consultancy has 11 offices in seven different countries (although this number increases to 14 offices in 9 countries if the member group MESA, a strategy consultancy based in the Middle East, is included). The London office is especially focused on retail, technology, media, consumer, and business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) services. As a whole, the consultancy is known to be strong in retail and consumer goods. It was ranked 22 in Vault’s Consulting 50 list for 2012.

Clients

• AAC Capital Partners
• Carrefour
• Vodafone
• Marks & Spencer
• Reuters

Salary and benefits

OC&C doesn’t publish much information on its salary structure, although it is keen to highlight that it offers ‘top pay ’. Anecdotal evidence suggests the starting salary actually exceeds that of the major players in the consultancy market. OC&C can use higher pay at entry level as a lure – although at senior levels competitors may pay more.

Benefits

• 22 days holiday (increasing in line with length of employment with the consultancy, and with the option of a further month’s unpaid holiday in some cases)
• MBA sponsorship
• Childcare vouchers
• Cycle to work scheme
• Medical cover options
• Pension options
• Training weeks conducted abroad at more senior levels
• Bonus (10–20% of salary for associate consultants, increasing with seniority)

Culture and values

The firm claims to be opposed to the idea of pointless meetings for the sake of it, and takes the approach that every action must have a purpose, rather than just make the client feel like there’s a close relationship. The idea is that the relationship should be fostered by the quality of work rather than by putting in needless hours of schmoozing.

There may be an up-or-out policy at OC&C, much like that known to exist at McKinsey and Company. However, this could also be a consequence of the approach to career progression at the company, explained in more detail in the training and development section of this insight. Those who progress directly at OC&C are in the ‘up’ group, whereas those who leave to study for MBAs are effectively ‘out’. This is pretty standard across the industry, with both options offering routes to successful and satisfying careers.

Fancy a Bisqit?

Following their hiring of brand and design business Bisqit, OC&C’s media coverage has increased significantly. This campaign identified the three principal values that OC&C is recognised for in the market:

• Character
• Clarity
• Collaboration

The purpose of these is to show the ‘singular vision’ of OC&C. Consulting is a field in which projects typically cover a range of different sectors, and so it can be hard to pinpoint a particular focus. OC&C has tried to pitch its position in the market using these three terms to convey a simple and consistent message about what it offers.

The three Cs are also meant to symbolise OC&C’s approach to its work, which involves exploring all the angles before reaching a conclusion.