What is Parthenon’s vision? Parthenon is a strategic advisory boutique. Our mission is to be the strategic advisor of choice for CEOs and business leaders worldwide. Although Parthenon remains a generalist firm in its orientation, the firm has developed substantial expertise in several industry verticals and business issue areas. Among the most frequently served business issues are: corporate and business unit strategy, profit improvement, innovation and growth, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. The industry verticals of greatest Parthenon expertise are: retail and consumer products, diversified manufacturing, education, financial services, private equity, publishing information and technology (primarily software and medical devices).
Parthenon’s hallmarks in the industry have become long-term relationships and performance related fees. The firm today remains the leading consulting firm to consider ways to share risk through consulting-for-equity or success fees.
Do you plan to cap the growth of the firm at a certain size? We are a boutique, which means we pride ourselves on our small, personable and entrepreneurial culture. While we do not have a specific size cap, we will maintain controlled growth to foster this boutique culture.
How does Parthenon decide when to do consulting for equity? How is the equity value determined? Parthenon actively pursues opportunities to perform consulting for equity in order to share in the value created from our strong client partnerships and performance track record. Unlike some other firms, consulting for equity is not a novelty for Parthenon — it is part of our core business and values.
When we consult for equity, we are given a portion of our fees in the form of stock or options. For publicly-traded securities, the valuation is simple. When the client is privately held, we fall back on traditional option pricing models, such as Black-Scholes.
How is compensation structured? There are three main components to compensation:
Signing bonus — awarded at acceptance of offer
Annual bonus — awarded based on Parthenon’s overall profitability, the individual’s performance and seniority at the end of each full year of service
Base salary
What is the policy on business school reimbursement? Principals who have been promoted as Associates will receive tuition reimbursement for business school, subject to the following conditions:
Principals are expected to work for Parthenon during their first summer (not a mandatory requirement)
Principals receive their first and second year tuition reimbursement in the form of a two-year loan. In the event they leave before two years, they are required to pay Parthenon the unamortized balance of the loan
How large is your consulting staff and how many people are at each level?
We have more than 110 consulting staff members. Currently 14% are
Partners, 45% are Principals, and 41% are Associates.
What is the career track for a Principal or Associate?
How are consultants staffed onto projects? Do I get to choose my projects? Associates and Principals will typically, but not always, be staffed on two cases at a time. Several factors influence case staffing: individual preferences, individual professional development needs, the client’s timing needs, and the firm’s requirements. The weighting attributed to each factor is situational.
Typically, how long do projects last? Although the length of projects varies widely, most range from two to five months.
What is the typical case team structure and composition? Case team structure and composition can vary widely given our diverse mix of clients and portfolio company assignments. If there is a typical composition, it would probably be one Partner, one or two Principals, and one or two Associates.
What type of hours does a consultant at Parthenon work? Consultants at Parthenon work fairly demanding hours as expected in the consulting industry. On average, people work 55 - 75 hours per week. These hours vary widely by project.
What is the company dress code? While there is no formal dress code, members of the firm typically dress in business casual attire. When clients are in our office or when we travel to clients’ offices, business attire is expected.
How is Parthenon’s ownership structured? Parthenon is a privately held company. The shareholders include the Chairman and the Partners.
What is your connection to Parthenon Capital? Can I work through The Parthenon Group to get a job with them?
We are sister companies (although Parthenon Capital is a separate
legal entity) and The Parthenon Group has invested in both of the
Parthenon Capital funds in order to provide financial opportunities
for our consulting members. However, we operate independently and
we are not involved with Parthenon Capital’s hiring process.
Refer to www.parthenoncapital.com
or contact their recruiting coordinator at www.parthenoncapital.com/employment.asp
Do you plan to open any new offices in the next year or two? We are currently focused on growing our offices in London and San Francisco rather than on opening new offices.
