Strategy&, formerly known as Booz & Company, is a global management consulting firm that focuses on strategic transformation and growth for its clients. The company has built a reputation over the past century for its functional expertise, industry knowledge, and ability to solve complex business and organizational challenges.
Origins and History
Strategy& was founded in 1914 by Edwin Booz in Chicago as a business research and consulting firm. Booz established a reputation for applying scientific management principles to help companies streamline operations and increase efficiency. In the 1940s, the firm expanded into military consulting and supported war production efforts during World War II.
After the war, Booz continued to grow its commercial consulting practice in areas like salesforce effectiveness, logistics, and financial controls. The company went through several name changes over the decades, evolving into Booz Allen Hamilton in 1970s. In 2008, Booz Allen’s commercial consulting division spun off to become an independent firm called Booz & Company.
In 2014, Booz & Company merged with PwC to form Strategy&. The new entity combined Booz’s strategy consulting expertise with PwC’s capabilities in auditing, tax, deals, and forensics. The merger expanded Strategy&’s global footprint and gave it access to networks like PwC’s CEO and CFO communities.
Core Capabilities and Expertise
As part of its heritage as a strategy consultancy, Strategy& is well known for its capabilities in areas like:
- Corporate strategy development – Define strategic vision, assess market landscapes, identify growth opportunities
- Organization design – Align structures, capabilities, and incentives to strategic goals
- Transformation strategy – Lead major change programs across technology, processes, culture
- M&A strategy – Plan and execute post-merger integrations, carve-out divestitures
Beyond core strategy services, Strategy& provides functional expertise across major domains like:
- Marketing & Sales – Go-to-market strategy, channel optimization, pricing
- Operations – Production footprint strategy, supply chain optimization, lean six sigma
- Technology – IT strategy, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture
- Risk – Financial risk management, regulatory compliance, controls transformation
The firm also has deep knowledge across all major industries, including financial services, healthcare, consumer goods and retail, industrials, energy/utilities, and technology/media/telecom.
Thought Leadership and Intellectual Property
Strategy& has established a strong track record of producing influential intellectual property to guide business leaders on strategy and organization. Some of their well-known thought leadership includes:
- Growth perspective – A framework for balancing growth across core, adjacent, and new growth areas
- Strategy Profiler – A tool to evaluate and compare different corporate strategy profiles
- Fit for Growth – A strategic cost management approach to drive efficiency and fund growth
- Digital Vortex – Research on how digitization disrupts different industry sectors
The firm houses several dedicated research centers that produce points of view, case studies, and tools on critical business topics. This thought leadership helps position Strategy& consultants as trusted advisors on key issues.
Notable Client Engagements
Strategy& and its predecessor Booz have served a majority of Fortune 500 companies through engagements such as:
- Developed post-merger integration plan for a global pharmaceutical mega-merger
- Led a business portfolio review and corporate strategy reset for a diversified industrial conglomerate
- Defined operating model and organizational changes for the finance function of a retail bank
- Performed benchmarking of digital capabilities and developed digital transformation roadmap for an aerospace company
Some other representative clients over the years have included PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson, Ford, GSK, AstraZeneca, Adidas, and Singtel.
Awards and Recognition
Strategy& and Booz have earned many honors over the years that recognize the firm’s strategy capabilities, consulting expertise, sector leadership, and workplace culture. Some recent awards include:
- #1 in Operations Consulting by Vault (2022)
- #3 in Strategy Consulting by Vault (2022)
- Global Leader for B2B Branding by Consultancy Rankings (2020)
- Most Innovative Consultancies by Fast Company (2020)
- Best Place to Work in Consulting by Vault (2016)
The firm’s partners are also regularly recognized as global strategy experts and thought leaders. PwC’s acquisition of Booz further bolstered the combined firm’s stature in the consulting industry.
Conclusion
In summary, Strategy& has built a distinctive reputation over the past century based on:
- Functional and sector expertise in corporate strategy, organization, and business transformations
- Influential intellectual capital that provides insights on critical management issues
- Trusted advisory relationships with the world’s leading organizations across all major industries
- A collaborative, inclusive culture and passionate focus on client impact
The merger with PwC provided Strategy& with an enhanced global footprint and integrated capabilities to serve clients. Overall, the firm is renowned for delivering practical strategies that help organizations accelerate growth and gain competitive advantage.