Seriously I've tried googling. It appears to an acronym that everyone uses and nobody knows!

It's comprised of the first alphabet of the top few MC firms:-McK-BCG-Bain-BAH (correct me if I'm wrong)Cheers.

You are correct. However, as the initial poster does not know what MBBB stands for, they are unlikely to understand all of the acronyms/ abbreviations in your response.McKinsey and CompanyBoston Consulting groupBain and CompanyBooz Allen HamiltonHope that helps.

soon it will be MBBBD! Deloitte has this cunning plan to become tier 1 in consulting by 2010! :):)))ha!

OK...MBBB make up tie 1 MC firm. Then, which kind of company belong to tie 2 MC firm? Any examples? or personal list :-)

DreamSky,You only need to do a search on this forum to find that there's a heated debate about what actually constitutes tier 2 - firms vary much more in size, their offering, particular skills etc so it becomes much more complicated (and personal!).I'd like to continue what anon (the 2nd) said about Deloitte's aim to become tier 1. All jokes aside, do people actually think its possible for any firm to move into the elite? I guess most people would respond that its a ridiculous notion, MBBB are untouchable. Yet in my view, BAH has lost some of its prestiged status, so it can go the other way, and as long as a firm stays up to date with what clients are demanding, hires top talent (for instance I know Deloitte hires its strategy graduates, the workhorses of any strategy house, quite in advance of other firms, putting it in a potentially advantageous position) and so on, surely it is possible in theory? Not that it won't be hard...Just a few thoughts as I find this more interesting than endlessly debating where every firm is placed in relation to others.

Are MBBB the only 1st tier firms?

Alex, strategy-wise, apparently, yes.

Surely in some specific areas the niche/boutique firms are at least equal to or sometimes better than the MBBBs?

I'd be interested to find out the opinion of how the following firms are perceived; OC&C, CVA Parthenon, Spectrum, Marakon, Mercer MC, Roland Berger, L.E.K,How are these firms perceived from a client perspective for strategic work? (I'm a student and want to get away from recruitment blurb). From who I've spoken to, it seems that McK aren't as hot as they make out and are average and arrogant.....

There are boutiques that are considered Tier 1 within the MC industry although not well known outside the industry (e.g., Monitor, AlixPartners). There are firms that are Tier 1 in certain countries but not in others (e.g., Roland Berger, LEK). There are firms that are on the cusp...and would be considered Tier 1 depending on who you ask (Booz, Mercer). There are really only 3 firms that are universally considered Tier 1 -- McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. As someone alluded to earlier, Booz have lost a lot of their lustre because: (1) they have a huge government practice that doesn't necessarily attract the best and the brightest; (2) they've become known for their "politically-charged" environment, and (3) because they handled the 2001 lay-offs particularly and spectacularly bad, so a few top-tier MBAs have intentionally steered away from them. And in the world of top tier MC, you are who you hire, and you are where you recruit from.Of the 3 universally-accepted Tier 1s, only one is a "pure play" strat house -- BCG. McK and Bain (contrary to popular belief) have large Operations practices...which do quite "mundane" things like Manufacturing and Supply Chain (strategic sourcing, logistics, etc.). Monitor (the boutique I mentioned earlier) is also a "pure play" strat firm. AlixPartners specializes in turning around companies that are near or in bankruptcy. Because all top tier firms practice some level or "up-or-out" (look for a long thread around this topic), this means 90% of all Analysts and Associates at Tier 1 firms never make it to Partner. Therefore, from my perpspective, a true test of a firm's "eliteness" is where their alumni land when they get "out-counseled". You guys can do your own research on this one.

Beng, How would your firm see someone that comes from Macquarie? ( PE side )ThanksAlex

Excellent post Beng, thats cleared a lot of things up for me at least!