Market conditions

By Zoë Stumpf.

The financial services consulting market is huge–the biggest single industry within the global consulting market. And one of the biggest slices of that is regulatory consulting–a particularly lucrative market for consulting firms especially since the global financial crisis of 2008, and the waves of new regulation that followed. Lucrative, but perhaps a little bit dull. For quite a few years, our conversations with financial services consultants have followed a similar pattern, with concerns about just how long the market will hold up against a backdrop of increasing commoditisation and price pressure, weighed against the irrefutable fact that this is an area that continues to keep vast armies of consultants busy. In terms of new trends, quite frankly, it hasn't been the most exciting area to either discuss or write about. 

By B.J. Richards.

“My grandpa is still waiting for me to grow up!” announced my good friend Josh to peals of laughter as we sat in a swanky London cocktail bar. It had been a while since we’d seen him, and we were thrilled that a speaking engagement had brought him to town. You see, Josh’s job as a professor and principal investigator at a top-ten global research institution keeps him pretty busy, so we don’t get to see him as much as we’d like.

By Rachel Duk.

If the current antics of a certain “reality-star-turned-presidential-candidate” are anything to go by, political scandals are currently in vogue. For those of us watching on here in the UK, the build up to the US election has made for compelling viewing—a fascinating political soap opera that would keep writers of House of Cards in storylines for years to come. For the US electorate however, the debates are a glimpse of an unappealing reality that may come to pass when votes are cast today. Watching on with some empathy perhaps, are the inhabitants of Brazil—who are all too familiar with the damaging effects politically bad behaviour can have on business.