Ive heard that Roland Berger are top class in Germany - better than McKinsey - and more or less lower class consulting everywhere else - is this true? any thoughts?

Roland Berger is very big in Portugal too, at the same level as McKinsey and BCG.

I'd agree. They're up there with McKinsey in Germany and in some other European geographies (central & eastern Europe for example) but then nowhere by comparison in some of the Anglo-Saxon geographies, most notably USA. This is essentially because they started out in these markets very late and have struggled to make up the lost ground. But client list is certainly on a par with the other top strategy firms.Tony (RB alumni, has to be said!)

When you mention that their client list is on par with other top tier strategy houses - would you compare them in the UK with Marakon, Mercer etc? Just under Bain, BCG and McK?Im trying to evaluate where they stand in the UK market, and what prestige thier name would have on my CV! Thanks

I think you'll find the quality of the clients you'll work on is exactly the same as at any top strategy firm - so your CV will look good from the quality of clients that you've served. But in terms of reputation, you'll find yourself having to explain who Roland Berger are if you're job-hunting in the UK - probably a bit more than if you've worked for Marakon or Mercer. Tony

I worked at RB in the UK for 24 months before moving into industry and during that time worked with a broad range of top clients (globals, FTSE100s etc) in a multitude of industries on leading strategic issues. RB is top-tier globally and in Europe in terms of strat firm revenues and therefore very much on the radar screen of major national and international companies when it comes to cv recognition. Don't forget the other critical considerations - there is a distinctively fresh culture at the firm (very much linked to the European heritage), and the less pyramidal structure (compared to the likes of LEK/Marakon) means that responsibility comes quickly.