The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Strategy Consultants and Leaders of 2023. This group of accomplished individuals encompass a broad range of positions and specializations, from consulting firm senior executive to sector head to client engagement leader to corporate finance and M&A experts, and beyond. Although they may have different titles, they share the common trait of being able to think critically through complex problems and continuously changing business environments, and determine the right course of action for their clients, groups, and organizations. Awardees were nominated and selected not only for their most recent performance but also for their years of experience and professional milestones achieved leading up to and including their current position of influence.
Among this year's awardees, Scott Rankin, Principal and the Global Head of Strategy and the US Strategy Leader, oversees overall client service, go-to-market efforts, people, and innovation. Another notable recipient, Rebecca Scottorn, serves as a Partner at LEK Consulting, where she co-founded its Sustainability Centre of Excellence, a hub that brings together the expertise of more than 25 partners from diverse sectors and regions. Meanwhile, Jack Azagury boasts a remarkable 26-year tenure at Accenture, where he currently serves as the Group Chief Executive, overseeing its $15 billion Strategy & Consulting service and directs a global team of over 47,000 professionals.
We commend these individuals for their commitment to the organizations they serve. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Strategy Consultants and Leaders of 2023.
1. Eric Wick
Company: Boston Consulting Group
Title: Managing Director and Senior Partner
Eric Wick is a Managing Director and Senior Partner in the Chicago office of Boston Consulting Group. He has led BCG’s Corporate Finance and Strategy practice area in North America, and has worked with clients across industries on a range of strategic and operational initiatives aimed at achieving enterprise goals.
Prior to joining BCG, held line roles including Operations Director for the online grocery distributor and various positions as an officer in the United States Navy, where he specialized in deep sea diving and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Eric holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona.
2. Brent Tomlinson
Company: Kroll
Title: Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer
Brent Tomlinson is the Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer. As the leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, Kroll leverages its unique insights, data, and technology to help clients stay ahead of complex demands. Tomlinson joined the company as part of the firm’s acquisition of Prime Clerk in 2019 and most recently led strategy and growth for Kroll Business Services.
3. David Narramore
Company: Tata Consultancy Services
Title: Managing Partner, Strategy & Value Realization
David Narramore serves as the Managing Partner of Strategy & Value Realization at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions that leverages technology for business transformation and catalyzes change. Narramore offers invaluable insights to his clients with a unique blend of experience derived from 15 years in strategic, transformational, performance improvement, and value realization consulting, coupled with 15 years in financial advisory, valuation, restructuring, and corporate transaction consulting.
4. Jack Azagury
Company: Accenture
Title: Group Chief Executive, Strategy & Consulting
Jack Azagury is Accenture’s Group Chief Executive—Strategy & Consulting, overseeing the company’s $15 billion Strategy & Consulting service. Leading a global team of over 47,000 professionals, he manages Accenture’s industry and enterprise functions, applied intelligence, innovation, and corporate strategy practices. With 26 years at Accenture, Azagury is a member of the Global Management Committee.
5. Chip McLean
Company: Crowe
Title: Managing Director, Strategy Activation
Chip McLean is a Managing Director and the leader of Strategy Activation at Crowe, a public accounting, consulting, and technology firm utilizing its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities. McLean specializes in developing and implementing practical frameworks and processes to aid clients in making optimal strategic choices for driving growth and delivering value.
6. Michael Tobitsch
Company: Marsh McLennan
Title: Managing Director, Strategy & Corporate Development
Michael Tobitsch serves as the Managing Director of Strategy & Corporate Development at Marsh McLennan, the world’s leading professional services firm in risk, strategy, and people, boasts more than 85,000 colleagues advising clients in 130 countries. He has a successful track record in building and developing high-performing teams, originating and executing acquisitions, as well as developing organic and inorganic growth strategies to create value within businesses.
7. Juliana Bruton-Dubois
Company: Teneo
Title: Managing Director, Strategy and Communications
Juliana Bruton-Dubois is a Managing Director with Teneo, based in London. She leads the Health Sector activity within Strategy and Communications and possesses experience across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, charity, professional services, housing, technology, and education & skills.
8. Navid Ahdieh
Company: North Highland
Title: Managing Director
Navid Ahdieh holds the position of Managing Director at North Highland and serves as the Global Lead of the firm’s Strategy and Management Consulting practices. He also plays a key role on North Highland’s DEI Committee, guiding the firm’s next-generation talent strategy program.
9. Cindy Lee
Company: Chartis
Title: Chief Strategy Officer and Director
Cindy Lee holds the positions of Chief Strategy Officer and Director for Chartis, where she co-leads the Strategy Practice. Chartis is dedicated to providing a comprehensive array of mission-critical advisory services, ranging from management consulting in the areas of strategy, performance, digital and IT, and revenue cycle to clinical quality and patient safety services, medical staff services, interim staffing, as well as strategic communications and change management.
10. Andy West
Company: McKinsey & Company
Title: Senior Partner
Andy West is a Senior Partner and serves as the Global Co-Leader of McKinsey & Company’s Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice. He is dedicated to assisting leaders and organizations in accelerating sustainable and inclusive growth through various strategies, including innovation, portfolio management, effective capital-markets engagement and communications, IPOs, M&A, and divestitures.
11. Dunigan O'Keeffe
Company: Bain & Company
Title: Partner, Head of Global Strategy
Dunigan O'Keeffe is a Partner and serves as the Head of the Global Strategy practice, including NextSM, at Bain & Company. With over 20 years of consulting experience, he has worked across India, Japan, Europe, and the US. O'Keeffe is recognized as a business builder dedicated to helping companies innovate, grow, and rapidly scale while establishing sustained competitive advantages.
12. Julien Duvaud-Schelnast
Company: Arthur D. Little
Title: Partner
Julien Duvaud-Schelnast is a Partner at Arthur D. Little, bringing over ten years of management consultancy experience. He is a member of the Telecom, Internet, Media & Electronics, and Strategy & Organisation practices. Duvaud-Schelnast focuses primarily on the telecom and transport industries, addressing a wide range of topics, including growth and diversification strategies, marketing plans, product launches, and organizational design.
13. Rebecca Scottorn
Company: LEK Consulting
Title: Partner
Rebecca Scottorn is a Partner at LEK Consulting, contributing to the global Industrials Practice. LEK Consulting is a prominent global management consulting firm known for utilizing deep industry expertise and rigorous analysis to help business leaders achieve tangible results with real impact.
14. André Estignard
Company: BearingPoint
Title: Partner
André Estignard, Partner and Global Leader in People & Strategy at BearingPoint, has been an integral part of the firm since 1996. With over 20 years of dedicated focus on strategic challenges in the defense and security sector, he has led major transformation projects, specializing in organizational design and complex systems integration.
15. Adam Echter
Company: Simon-Kucher
Title: Partner
Adam Echter is a Partner with Simon-Kucher and leads the Global Industrials Sector. Echter’s career is marked by a deep commitment to enhancing sales excellence, business model innovation, and strategic pricing across various industries. With a rich background in sales development—from grassroots outside sales to the comprehensive restructuring and empowerment of sales teams—his expertise has impacted industrial companies with revenues ranging from $100 million to several billion dollars. Such experience and success have led to recognition as one of “The Top 25 Strategy Consultants and Leaders of 2023” by the Consulting Report.
An author of note, Echter co-authored “Beating Inflation” alongside Dr. Hermann Simon, a best-selling author and co-founder of Simon-Kucher. This work underscores his thought leadership in the field of pricing during economically volatile times. Moreover, his contribution to the speaker circuit has delivered valuable insights through the Professional Pricing Society, Chief Executive Group, Private Equity International and various industry/academic forums.
Adam holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University at Buffalo and an MBA in finance from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. Notably, his commitment to education and mentorship led him back to the Simon School of Business to help develop the first comprehensive pricing degree formally recognized by any MBA program.
16. Michelle Tartalio
Company: Clarkston Consulting
Title: Partner, Marketing & Corporate Strategy
Michelle Tartalio is a Partner and the Head of Marketing & Corporate Strategy at Clarkston Consulting. In her role, Tartalio oversees the growth strategy, aligning services with industry demand and developing strategic thought leadership for the firm. Throughout her career, Tartalio has advised Fortune 500 executives and Boards of Directors across various industries, including consumer products, life sciences, financial services, and internet software and services.
17. Sebastien Plessis
Company: Emerton
Title: Partner
Sebastien Plessis is a Partner at Emerton, a global high-end strategy consulting group with offices worldwide. With 23 years of experience in strategy consulting, including roles at Mars & Company, Bain & Company, and Emerton, he is dedicated to assisting CEOs and Executive Committees of leading international corporations and midsize companies in shaping their vision, corporate strategy, and full potential strategy.
18. Sriram Hariharan
Company: HCL Technologies
Title: Executive Vice President, Strategy, Corporate Development and Business Enablement
Sriram Hariharan currently serves as an Executive Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development, and Business Enablement at HCL Technologies, an Indian multinational IT services and consulting company. With 24 years of experience, Hariharan joined the company in 2017 as the SVP of Strategic Initiatives.
19. Steven Lacroix
Company: CGI
Title: Vice President, Consulting Services, US Operations
Steven Lacroix is the Vice President of Consulting Services, US Operations, at CGI, one of the world's largest IT and business consulting services firms founded in 1976. The firm is known for being insights-driven and outcomes-based, aiming to accelerate returns on investments.
20. Scott Rankin
Company: KPMG
Title: Principal, Global Head of Strategy and US Strategy Leader
Scott Rankin is a Principal at KPMG and serves as Strategy leader for its Deal Advisory & Strategy practice. Based in Boston, Rankin has spent significant time as a strategy and M&A consultant, as well as in senior executive roles at a Fortune 150 retailer and a mobile commerce start-up.
Rankin has deep expertise in defining and implementing inorganic and organic strategic initiatives across numerous industries and sectors, and as a strategy and M&A consultant, works directly with C-suite executives and private equity leaders to develop M&A strategies, strategic growth plans and operational transformations. He brings deep industry expertise and leverages sophisticated analytics to identify markets, categories and channels for growth and areas for profit improvement. His areas of expertise include growth strategy, commercial diligence, operational diligence, operating model transformation, cost optimization and profit improvement.
Rankin has an MBA in Business & Strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management with a BBA in Finance.
21. Laura Manson-Smith
Company: Korn Ferry
Title: Global Leader Organization Strategy Consulting
Laura Manson-Smith is the Global Leader of Organization Strategy Consulting at Korn Ferry, a leading global organizational consulting firm. Joining the company in 2017 as a Senior Client Partner, Manson-Smith plays a pivotal role in designing optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities for clients. Korn Ferry specializes in helping clients hire the right talent, advising on workforce motivation and rewards, and guiding professionals through career development. With a career spanning 20 years, she is a seasoned business transformation specialist, focusing on sustainable change with an emphasis on the people and cultural dimensions.
Manson-Smith’s consulting expertise aids clients in improving business performance by aligning people, processes, and organizations with strategic goals. Manson-Smith has worked across diverse industries, including energy, defense, government, and pharmaceuticals, and has a global perspective through engagements in Europe, the US, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. She holds a BS in physics with honors, including a year in Europe, from Imperial College, London, and is a qualified chartered accountant.
22. Sudhakar Sathiyamurthy
Company: Grant Thornton
Title: Managing Director, Integrated Risk Management Services
Sudhakar Sathiyamurthy is a Managing Director leading Integrated Risk Management Services at Grant Thornton. With extensive experience in technology strategy, operations, and risk management, Sathiyamurthy has advised financial services clients across North America, EMEA, and Asia.
23. Susan Lee
Company: EY-Parthenon
Title: Americas Commercial Strategy Leader
As the EY-Parthenon Americas Commercial Strategy Leader, Susan Lee plays a crucial role in assisting clients with their operating and go-to-market models, emphasizing revenue growth throughout the transaction lifecycle. With over 25 years of experience, Lee is a renowned advisor in commercial transformation, showcasing expertise in pricing, strategy, sales, and marketing across the consumer packaged goods, retail, and industrial sectors.
24. Samir Datt
Company: Protiviti
Title: Global Lead, Technology Strategy & Architecture
Samir Datt is the Global Lead of Technology Strategy & Architecture at Protiviti, a global consulting firm specializing in delivering deep expertise and objective insights to help leaders navigate critical business challenges. With over 25 years of technology consulting experience, Datt is a founding member of Protiviti.
25. Joeri Gussé
Company: Monitor Deloitte
Title: Director, Strategy & Transformation
Joeri Gussé serves as a Director of Strategy & Transformation at Monitor Deloitte, specializing in strategy design and execution within the banking sector. With over a decade of experience in strategic advisory and large-scale transformations in Financial Services, he provides guidance on digitalization, distribution, growth strategy, and operations to clients.
