Mapping Germany’s Consulting Partner Talent Pool: What Does it Reveal?
We wanted to see which firms are most represented, where partners are located, and which organization offers the fastest access to leadership.
As part of our digital transformation work, we mapped the German Consulting Partner talent pool. We analyzed Partner roles (Junior Partner, Associate Partner, Partner) within 5 top global management consulting firms: McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Strategy& (PwC), Kearney, and Boston Consulting Group.
Obviously, experienced consultants remain highly sought after for roles in Corporate Development, Corporate Strategy, P&L management, and M&A within tech and tech-enabled businesses. Thus, we created this piece to help tech companies in Germany that are looking for the right Consulting Partner gain a better understanding of the talent pool.
Which consulting firm is the most represented?
We identified 422 Partners, with just 16.4% of them being women. Unsurprisingly, the largest pools of Partners are found within the MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain), which also employ the highest number of FTEs in Germany.
But once you adjust for firm size, Kearney and Strategy& have actually over 2x more Partners per 100 FTEs located in Germany than McKinsey and BCG. Only Bain remains at the top, which may reflect a more senior-heavy structure or a different approach to project staffing and leadership accessibility.
Where are consulting Partners located in Germany?
If you're thinking geographically, start with the Munich Area: four in ten Partners are based there. McKinsey (33%), Bain (49%), BCG (38%), and Strategy& (40%) all show a strong Munich presence. We see two reasons behind this. (1) The presence of global company headquarters. (2) A dense private equity and Mittelstand scene. Altogether, it generates a steady flow of transformation, digital, and M&A work, keeping Partners busy year‑round and making it a natural hub for top-tier consulting firms.
Kearney is the only firm tilting toward Berlin, where 23% of its Partners are located. This likely reflects the concentration of public-sector and policy work in Germany's capital - a space where Kearney has built a particularly strong track record.
Which consulting firm has the most seasoned Partners?
Across all firms, Partners bring over a decade of experience, including at least 5 years in a relevant Partner role. But if you’re looking for the most seasoned leadership, turn your eyes to Kearney: its Partners have a median of 16.6 years of experience, including 10.6 years as Partners. By contrast, McKinsey appears to have a younger Partner pool, with a median of 12 years of total experience, including 5.8 years at the Partner-level.
And Partners at Kearney and Strategy& also build most of their experience within the firm, with the highest median tenures of 7 and 8.7 years, respectively. In contrast, Bain shows the shortest median tenure at just 4.9 years, suggesting that many of its Partners may be recruited externally at the Partner level rather than promoted from within.
We focused only on individuals who reached Partner-level internally within their current firm to understand how long the typical promotion path takes. And if you're after leadership accessibility, Bain offers the fastest internal track to Partner-level with a median of 4.3 years from the moment they join the firm (of course, they may have had experience prior to Bain).
At Kearney and Strategy&, it takes more time, largely due to more structured apprenticeship models. The upside is deeper firm-specific seasoning and strong retention; the downside is a slower climb.
Yet, it is worth noting that top consulting firms, including the MBBs, faced a cooler market in 2023 and 2024 and are actually not doing so well. As a consequence, many ‘promised’ promotions were delayed or cancelled. McKinsey, for example, reported its smallest partner class in 2024, about 20% lower than the year before. Thus, this may be the right moment for you to approach this talent, as they could be more open to considering a switch.
Conclusion: What does it mean for you?
Well, if you're hiring a Consulting Partner in Germany, here's what to keep in mind:
If you’re screening the MBBs, you’ll see scale on their side, and you'll find the largest pool of Partners there. But don’t overlook Kearney and Strategy&. When you normalize by firm size, these two stand out with more senior-heavy structures.
Geographically, Munich is your best bet: four out of ten Partners are based there, making it the top location for Partner-level talent.
Across all firms, Partners bring significant experience to the table. But if leadership accessibility is a priority, Bain provides the fastest path to Partner.
Obviously, this is a highly skilled and costly talent pool that German organizations in particular are interested in. When our Digital Transformation Practice pitches for strategy roles, most clients are looking for this profile. Yet it is difficult to attract and usually comes with a salary cut. That is why we are also sharing advice on how to attract them to move in-house:
Reduce travel so people can plan their week and private life with more certainty.
Let talent stay with projects from start to finish, not just until the exciting part begins.
Give them an influence in shaping the company’s future and ensure their impact is visible.
Create a workplace that feels like a long-term home, with clear paths for career growth.
Offer real team leadership, not just temporary project groups, and support them in developing their people.
And if this kind of mapping speaks to you, if you're curious about how we built it, or if you're hiring a Consulting leader, let's talk. sahar@thebigsearch.com
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