EY-Parthenon [2024 Profile]

EY-Parthenon [2024 Profile]

EY-Parthenon is the global strategy consulting arm within the Ernst & Young (EY) organization, with thousands of professionals across many countries. Under this arm are several EY member firms across the globe that provide world-class strategy consulting services to C-suite executives.

History and Background

The Parthenon Group LLC was established in 1991 by William “Bill” Achtmeyer and John C. Rutherford, both former directors at Bain & Company. The founders established the firm as a specialty boutique consulting firm and leveraged the client base and relations they had developed during their time at Bain & Company.

Over the years, the company grew rather rapidly, and in 2014, the Parthenon Group merged with Ernst and Young, forming a formidable new entity under the brand name EY-Parthenon. Since the Parthenon – Ernst and Young merger, EY-Parthenon has been on an aggressive expansion trajectory by acquiring new consultant firms and expanding teams with the best in the talent pool.

EY-Parthenon Key Stats and Contacts

• Company Headquarters: Boston, MA
• Number of employees: 9000+ EY-Parthenon professionals (and backing of 365,000
  employees EY professionals)
• Number of countries: Operations in over 120 countries, with local offices in 45 cities
• Cost of engagement: Varies, based on various factors
• URL: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/strategy/about-ey-parthenon
• Social Media Links
  o  EY-Parthenon/LinkedIn
  o  EY-Parthenon/Twitter
  o  EY-Parthenon/Facebook

Work/Focus Areas at EY-Parthenon

The multi-disciplinary EY-Parthenon teams provide clients with strategic and practical solutions that align with each client’s ambitions and provide real-world results. EY-Parthenon teams collaborate closely with other teams within the broader EY ecosystem to support clients’ corporate and transaction strategies. If it is impactful and will promote your long-term growth, you can trust the team to make it a part of your actionable strategy.

Key practice areas for EY-Parthenon are as summarized.

1. Strategy Consulting

EY-Parthenon teams bring on board a professional perspective and experience to provide strategic advice that will help you achieve results that are not only optimal but also sustainable. Organizations can expect custom-tailored strategic solutions to match their unique needs.

Clients can look forward to the team employing the best tools and in-depth analytics to provide professional consulting on.

• Corporate and growth strategy
• Restructuring and turnaround strategy
• Transaction strategy
• Digital transformation strategy

2. Technology Transformation

EY-Parthenon teams guide organizations into and through technology transformation strategy that will add value to the organization and position it to adapt and compete. The teams offer the following key capabilities to ensure the client’s foundational technology strategy aligns with their business objectives.

• Digital foundation design and strategy development
• Assessment of technology capability
• Design of technology operating model
• Technology governance
• DevOps, product management, and agile delivery support

3. Tax Function Operations

The firm helps clients to realize and optimize their tax and finance functions. EY-Parthenon teams will help customize a future-proof tax model that is fit for ongoing changes, which will equip clients to respond better to demands.

4. Climate Change and Sustainability Services

The Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCSS) teams at EY-Parthenon help clients to identify and plan for the risks and opportunities surrounding climate change and sustainability. The firm provides a framework within which clients can better understand and evaluate the impact of these issues, identify  opportunities and support the reporting of associated risks to stakeholders.

5. Business Transformation Platform

EY-Parthenon provides a platform to help organizations realize their desired transformation and maneuver through the challenges that may come with this transformation. The transformation platform leverages robust technology, digital and business knowledge, and proprietary digital tools to jumpstart or accelerate the transformation journey.

Industries

EY-Parthenon actively engages with clients across different industries. The firm’s client portfolio includes players in the following sectors, among others.

• Advanced manufacturing and mobility
• Consumer products and retail
• Energy and resources
• Financial services
• Government and public sector
• Health sciences and wellness
• Private equity
• Real estate, hospitality, and construction
• Technology, media, and telecommunications

How to Interview With EY-Parthenon

EY-Parthenon is home to 9000+ employees, with more joining and adding to this number every other day. Indeed, current and former employees have praised the firm as a great employer, and it is no surprise that many would like to join. Here is a breakdown of what you should know about careers at EY-Parthenon, interviewing with the firm, and what to expect.

The Interview Process

The interview process at EY-Parthenon typically involves two or three interviews, depending on the role or position you are applying for.

Round #1: A phone interview with a recruiter that should last at most 30 minutes on average. The focus for this first round is typically on fit or behavioral interview questions. EY-Parthenon emphasizes fit during this first round of interviews to ensure candidates actually want to work at the firm, as opposed to EY-Parthenon being the backup employer.

Round #2: This round comprises two interviews conducted by the managers or consultants. Each interview lasts about 30 minutes, with one focusing on behavioral or fit interview questions and the other being a case interview.

Round #3: The third round consists of three interviews conducted by the firm’s managers or partners. The typical length of each interview is 30-45 minutes. One interview focuses on behavioral or fit interview questions, the other is a case interview, and the last is a group case interview.

Further analysis of the interview process and insights from Glassdoor breaks down the focus of the interviews through the various rounds. Through the phone, group panel and one-on-one interviews, your professional competencies and presentation skills, IQ, and personality will be on test. EY-Parthenon also conduct an extensive background check in line with its policy to hire new staff members with high integrity.

What to Expect

As outlined, expect interview questions focusing on three key areas.

1. Fit or Behavior Interview Questions

These are structured to help the EY-Parthenon hiring team to know you deeper, beyond what you may have listed on your resume. These questions test for personality and cultural fit with the firm. They are also a chance to showcase your communication skills and a tool to assess past behavior and performance as a base for future performance and success.

Common fit questions to expect include “Why consulting?” “Why EY-Parthenon?” “Tell us about an accomplishment you are most proud of.”

2. Case Interview Questions

Case interviews are candidate-led, which means that you will take the lead as you work with the panel to develop a solutions recommendation for a business problem as presented in the case study.

You will be expected to fully understand the problem statement and objective of the case study. You will then need to develop a framework for the case study and formulate and test a hypothesis before presenting your final recommendation. The assessment will be based on how well you tackle the problem presented and the merits and feasibility of your recommendations.

3. Group Case Interview Questions

For the group case interview stage, which is the final round, you will be working in a team of 3-5 to work through a case study. This round of interviews focuses on your teamwork and collaboration skills. Throughout the exercise, the interviewer will observe these skills and assess your value-add to the group.

The EY-Parthenon interviewing panel may ask that the finalists prepare a PowerPoint presentation for a prospective client detailing your case analysis and recommendations.

Depending on the position you have applied for, the entire interview process may take between two to twelve weeks. You can expect to hear from the recruiter within a week or slightly longer after applying. The phone interview may happen within a few days or so of hearing back from the recruiter. In most cases, you may have to wait at least two weeks after the phone interview to have the in-person interview.

EY-Parthenon typically communicates offer decisions within a week or so after the conclusion of the interview process. Should you not get an offer after the interview, but your resume stands out to the recruiters, you can be sure they will keep it on file for future opportunities

How to Prepare

What goes into adequately preparing for the interview varies across the various interview stages and questions. Remember that each is just as important as the next, and you should prepare for all rounds.

With behavioral and fit interview questions, you may be unable to prepare specific responses for the various questions. What you can do, however, is to have several stories and be able to pick answers from these stories. For example, with several scenarios in mind, you should be able to tell the interviewing team at EY-Parthenon about when you were in a leadership position and had to deal with a challenge or problem.

Understanding the requirements is crucial to getting it right with case interview questions. Note down the necessary details and ask questions to further clarify what may not be clear. As you will need to perform calculations and analyze data, practicing your numerical agility before the interview will help you be better prepared.

For group case interviews, prepare by conditioning your mind to not think of other team members as competition. Practice attentive listening to capture what other team members say during the discussion.

Target Schools

EY-Parthenon actively recruits from both target and non-target schools. Among the list of target schools include:

Undergraduate

• Amherst College
• Brown University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth College
• Duke College
• Fudan University
• Harvard University
• Imperial College London
• India Institute of Technology, Bombay
• India Institute of Technology, Delhi
• London Business School
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• Nanyang Technological University
• National University of Singapore
• Northwestern University
• Princeton University
• Singapore Management University
• Stanford University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Cambridge
• University of Chicago
• University of Oxford
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Southern California
• Williams College

MBA

• Darden School of Business
• Haas School of Business
• Harvard Business School
• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
• INSEAD – Paris
• INSEAD – Singapore Campus
• Kellogg School of Management
• London Business School
• MIT Sloan School of Management
• Stanford Graduate School of Business
• Tuck School of Business
• Wharton School of Business
• Yale School of Management

Careers at EY-Parthenon

EY-Parthenon has lucrative opportunities for interns, new graduates, and professionals with years of industry experience. You can always keep an eye out for new openings and career opportunities at the firm.

Office Locations

7 out of the 45 EY-Parthenon local offices are in the United States. In addition to the EY-Parthenon headquarters in Boston, the other office locations are Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

Outside the U.S., the firm has three offices in Australia and another three in China. There are also five office locations in India.

EY-Parthenon Salary Range

Approximate salary ranges for EY-Parthenon teams range from $103,945 per year for Associates to $236,429 per year for the Directors.

Internships

EY-Parthenon offers internship opportunities at both the undergraduate and MBA level. The opportunity to grow and learn is something to look forward to, and those who have interned with the firm certainly have an edge for landing permanent positions. Again, the pay for interns at the firm is generally above the industry average.

Career Track

Undergraduates joining the EY-Parthenon team will typically come in as Associate Analysts, while MBAs will come in at the Associate level. At this level, you will work with other team members, usually 4-5 members, who may be fellow analysts, associates, and a consultant. More likely than not, you will be a part of two teams simultaneously, given that EY-Parthenon subscribes to the two-case model.

It typically takes 1-2 years to transition from Associate Analyst to Associate and just as much time to get to the Senior Associate level. Moving from Senior Associate level to consultant may take 3-5 years.

At the Consultant level, you will oversee teams and other core functions, which should help prepare you for the role of Director. You can expect to move up to Director Level after 2-3 years as a consultant.

Exit Opportunities

There is indeed more to life after EY-Parthenon. It is only expected that employees may want to pursue alternative paths and build on their careers after some time working with the best in the industry.

Many employees at EY-Parthenon choose to get into graduate school after a few years working as Analysts. The experience and skills acquired during their time at the firm have also seen some of the firm’s former Consultants work for Fortune 1000 companies. Others move to work at other firms such as Bain, McKinsey, and other top firms as consultants. Some have set up short with exciting startups in Silicon Valley.

The exit opportunities are indeed plentiful and varied as former employees can tap into the greater EY-Parthenon network to map their next career move.

Culture/Environment at EY-Parthenon

Current and former employees have some positive insights into the work environment and culture at EY-Parthenon. Even more encouraging is that the firm has always reiterated its commitment to doing better in providing a great work environment for all team members.

Core Values

EY-Parthenon takes great pride in its familial culture, where everyone can feel part of the tight-knit community. The firm remains committed to the ethos of encouraging its people to be “smart, nice, and driven.”

In fact, the firm has an elaborate strategy to encourage the staff to be all three. EY-Parthenon places great emphasis on getting new hires on a training program. The firm has streamlined the program and you will not have to wait to start the program after receiving your job offer.  This program undoubtedly provides opportunities for professional development. After the training, you will be confident about getting on to projects.

EY-Parthenon employees also spend more time on the offering and less on traveling due to the firm’s focus on private equity. More time in the office means more time to interact closely and build meaningful connections with other team members. Additionally, you will have easy access to people who can mentor you and keep you anchored as you navigate through your career path.

The compensation and benefits package at EY-Parthenon is quite attractive and above the industry average. Additionally, the pay model is by project, which is great as you don’t have to stress about putting in more hours at the expense of a healthy work-life balance.

Giving Back/Charitable Efforts

Giving back to the community is a core value at EY-Parthenon. The firm has regular charity days supporting various organizations and causes. Senior Managing Director Bill Achtmeyer actively participates in these charity runs alongside other staff members.

EY-Parthenon Rankings

EY-Parthenon has, over the years, continued to set itself apart from the rest of the pack, appearing high up in various rankings. These rankings are a testament to what the firm is getting done right.