McKinsey has 65,000 alumni
That’s not a talent drain. It’s a distribution strategy.
When I first started recruiting for consulting firms, I saw attrition as a risk to manage. A signal of organisational strain, or cultural misalignment.
But over time – especially as I’ve worked more closely with senior leaders across Europe – my perspective has shifted.
Attrition, handled well, isn’t just acceptable. It’s powerful.
Take McKinsey’s latest round of 3,000 cuts
On the surface, it looks like a cost play.
Revenue per consultant dropped from $624k in 2021 to $512k in 2023 – so the firm is adjusting the model.
But beneath the headlines, there’s a longer-term truth:
Most consultants who leave don’t disappear.
They ascend.
They become CEOs. Founders. Chief Strategy Officers.
They move into banks, government, PE firms, tech companies.
And they carry McKinsey’s way of thinking with them.
That’s the real alumni advantage.
It’s not just logo equity – it’s a live network of decision-makers who still speak the language.
From the outside, it can look like churn
From the inside, it’s often compounding.
When your alumni are in the room – on the client side, the budget side, or the Board side – your ideas travel faster.
You don’t have to explain the frameworks.
The shared mental models are already there.
This is true for BCG and Bain as well. The strength of their networks gives them leverage beyond their headcount.
A note from the recruitment side
This is why it pays to let people leave well.
And to decline candidates respectfully.
Because the partner who exits with grace today – or the candidate you turn down thoughtfully – might be sitting across from you next quarter.
On the other side of the proposal table.
Making the call on your next career-defining deal.
This post comments on Financial Times, “McKinsey & Co runs the consultancy playbook on itself” – 30-May 2025 🔗 Read original article
Ben Appleton is the founder of Strat-Bridge, a specialist executive search partner to the strategy consulting industry. He works with global consulting firms and senior leaders across the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and beyond — helping them build capability at the Partner and Director level.
