The now-waning pandemic has caused severe disruption to industries across the globe over the past two years - entire markets have been disrupted and the recovery is only just getting up to speed. Despite the seismic shifts in the ways we live and work, business has never been better for consultancies, who have reaped record profits assisting public and private sector organizations struggling to adapt. Firms have responded by supercharging efforts to recruit and retain talent, and many are taking advantage of the opportunity to further expand their reach, including one top management consultancy that recently announced the opening of a new office in Brussels, Belgium.
A global leader in management consulting, OliverWyman has established offices in more than 70 cities across 30 countries, employing more than 5,000 professionals around the world who help clients optimize business, improve operations and risk profile, and transform their organizations. The firm has been active in the country for more than a decade, serving the market primarily with teams flown in from its Amsterdam and Paris offices. The expansion is driven by an increase in demand in the nation, where the firm has worked extensively with clients such as the European Commission and major banks.
Steven Vermeylen was selected to lead the new branch after having been recruited from an almost decade-long tenure at PwC, where he most recently led the Industrials and Manufacturing practice. Vermeylen previously served as a Partner at Accenture overseeing the Strategy and Operations practice in Belgium. The new leader will be joined by two other partners, Muriel Schtickzelle and Kevin Smeets, both long-serving OliverWyman members, and the recruitment for new members is currently underway.
“With companies facing unprecedented challenges such as Covid-19 pandemic and climate-related crises, our new Brussels office will allow Oliver Wyman’s teams to remain even closer to clients and better assist them with their strategic and business needs globally,” said Vermeylen, the new Head of Belgium.
The move comes after the firm’s best year on record, having grown 2021 revenues by 21% to $2.5 billion, and on the heels of a recently announced acquisition of Azure Consulting in Australia, to boost its presence in Asia Pacific. As the world continues to open and businesses ramp up operations, OliverWyman and other consultancies may likely continue their aggressive growth to meet the burgeoning demand.
