Big Three (management consultancies)
World's three largest strategy consulting firms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Big Three or MBB refers to management consulting firms McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company. The three companies are distinguished by the depth and rigor of their analyses and recommendations, rich histories of service dating back to their foundings in the mid-20th century, and strong client bases spanning some of the world's largest and more important companies.[1]
Known for their highly selective and competitive recruiting process, the MBB firms hire a large portion of their consultants from prestigious undergraduate universities and MBA programs around the world, supplementing them with more senior industry hires with deep expertise in specific sectors served by the firms.[2] While continuing to maintain a focus on the strategy consulting work for which they originally rose to prominence, the MBB firms have expanded their portfolio of offerings over the years to include consulting services such as operating model design, performance improvement, M&A diligence, human capital, and digital / AI transformation.
MBB firms have also been the subject of criticism over the years for alleged unethical activities, with a prominent example being McKinsey's role in helping Purdue Pharma "turbo-charge" its sales of OxyContin, which has been cited as a direct contributor to the opioid epidemic in the United States.[3]
The firms
McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company, collectively referred to as "MBB", are widely considered the three top and most prestigious strategy consulting firms in the world. Jobs at these firms are among the most sought after by MBA students and have a less than 1% acceptance rate.[4]
These three firms are among the world's largest strategy consulting firms by revenue. Their latest publicly available data is summarized in the table below:[5]
| Firm | Employees (year) | Revenue (year) | Revenue per Employee | Locations (cities) | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKinsey & Company | 40,000 (2023)[6] | $16 B (2023)[7] | $355 K | 133[8] | New York[8] |
| Boston Consulting Group | 33,000 (2024)[9] | $13.5 B (2024)[9] | $410 K | 100+[10] | Boston |
| Bain & Company | 15,000 (2022)[11] | $5.8 B (2021)[12] | $387 K | 65[13] | Boston |