Research - Publishing - Events - Advisory

U.S. Bonus Payments for 2010 Remain Strong; Salary Levels to Increase Slightly Buck Consultants - 10 March 2010 Buck - The majority of U.S. employers report their bonus payments in 2010 will be similar to what they paid in 2009, according to the results of a recent survey by Buck Consultants. Buck's survey found that pay increases for 2010 will average 2.2 percent, which exceeds 2009 levels but is slightly less than the 2010 projections made by companies in a July 2009 Buck study. One-third report making changes to the way they measure or reward employee performance. Thirty percent indicate they plan to use market-based salary adjustments to retain top performers. And more than 95 percent of participants have no plans to expand or implement bonuses for attracting and retaining employees, despite growing worker dissatisfaction. (685 words) . . . More 2010 Global Consulting Firm Rate Study Launches - Free to Participants Monadnock Research - 25 February 2010 Monadnock Research announces its comprehensive research program for 2010 consulting firm rates. The study will be the largest negotiated client rate study ever conducted. Participation is free and confidential. Statistical results will be aggregated and reported in a final 500+ page report that will be made available only to participants. . . . More Hewitt Spins-Off Part of Its Executive Compensation Consulting Business as Meridian Compensation Partners Monadnock Research (VIII N8) - 25 February 2010 MR - Hewitt Associates has divested a portion of its North American executive compensation consulting business, forming Meridian Compensation Partners LLC. Under the agreement, a number of principals and consultants will be leaving Hewitt to form Meridian. Staff departures will be staged between February and October 2010. The move addresses regulatory changes in the U.S. related to transparency and objectivity of advisory relationships, and conflicts they may pose. Hewitt and Meridian say the firm will operate as an independent executive compensation advisor. There will be no cross-ownership interest held by principals of either entity, according to Meridian sources. Hewitt says it will continue to serve board clients that are comfortable with its current controls in place to ensure independence of executive compensation advice, or where fee disclosure is not a material issue. (732 words) . . . More Former Deloitte Consultant Settles Insider Trading Allegations Monadnock Research (VIII N7) - 25 February 2010 MR - A former Deloitte employee benefits consultant and three co-defendants have settled SEC insider trading charges, agreeing to pay around $145,000 without admitting or denying the allegations. The case involved insider trading in securities of Crocs, YRC Worldwide, Spectralink Corporation, and SigmaTel. Crocs was a Deloitte audit client. (Includes copies of settlement documents - 300 words) . . . More Consulting Leadership News: L.E.K., A.T. Kearney, CSC, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, EquaTerra, and FTI Consulting Monadnock Research - 25 February 2010 MR - L.E.K. Consulting appoints 13 new Partners across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. A.T. Kearney appoints Director of firm's Global Business Policy Council. CSC appoints President of Global Sales and Marketing; Vice President of Cyber Technology and Services. EquaTerra appoints Real Estate & Facilities Management Advisory practice leader. Former CFO of National Science Foundation joins Deloitte; Firm appoints new leader of the U.S. automotive practice. KPMG Appoints U.S. National Managing Partner of university relations and recruiting. PricewaterhouseCoopers appoints principal and leader of Capital Projects & Infrastructure practice. FTI Consulting appoints Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer; Segment leader for FTI Technology. . . . More Fraudulent Transfer Claims on the Rise Navigant & the Economist (EIU) - 24 February 2010 Navigant and EIU - Signals about the pace of economic recovery continue to be mixed and there has been a dramatic uptick in the number of fraudulent transfer claims filed as a result of the financial crisis, according to the results of a new study by Navigant Consulting and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). According to the findings, more than half of respondents saw an increase in fraudulent transfer cases in the past year, while only two percent saw a decrease. Lenders are increasingly being found by courts to have negotiated unfair advantages in their dealings with distressed borrowers over the interests of other parties. (465 words) . . . More IBM to Revamp U.S. General Services Administration's Acquisition and Procurement System Monadnock Research - 18 February 2010 MR - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded IBM a services contract to modernize the system that federal agencies and their suppliers use to source equipment, supplies, information technology (IT), and telecom services. The award has a contract value of $74.4 million over eight-years. Northrop Grumman, Vertex Information and Computer Consulting Services, and Collins Consulting will work with IBM on the project. (300 words) . . . More Global Business Leaders Should Prepare for Slow Growth Economic Era Boston Consulting Group - 18 February 2010 BCG - The Boston Consulting Group has published a diagnosis of the global economic crisis and an analysis of what companies and business leaders need to do to succeed in the emerging slow-growth business environment. The new book from BCG authors and Senior Partners David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter is entitled Accelerating Out of the Great Recession: How to Win in a Slow-Growth Economy (McGraw-Hill, Feb-2010). Rhodes and Stelter say that companies face ongoing long-term challenges brought on by global trade imbalances, unstable financial institutions, and overleveraged consumers that can no longer drive economic growth. They note that that U.S. consumers generate nearly 19 percent of global GDP, and lost U.S. demand cannot be easily replaced. A 32 percent increase in private consumption in China, for example, would be required to offset a 5 percent reduction in U.S. consumer spending. (1,955 words) . . . More Deloitte Acquires Australian Analytics Firm, Pathfinder Solutions Monadnock Research - 17 February 2010 MR - Deloitte has expanded its analytics group with the acquisition of marketing and business insights boutique firm Pathfinder Solutions. A team of 15 from Pathfinder will join Deloitte. The integration will increase Deloitte's Analytics and Information Management practices, the largest in Australia, from an existing national group to 170 professionals. Deloitte says the acquisition allows it to offer a full suite of data analytic, information management and consulting services in the areas of strategy, operational improvement, human capital, forensics, and technology. . . . More Brazilian Advisory, RiskControl, Acquired by Accenture Monadnock Research - 13 February 2010 MR - Accenture has acquired RiskControl, a privately held risk consultancy based in Rio de Janeiro. Accenture sees the acquisition as a complementary expansion of its risk service offering to Brazilian clients. The deal includes the transfer of RiskControl's staff and service offerings as well as its software platform, RiskControl. The application helps companies manage, monitor, and evaluate business risks, primarily market risks facing financial institutions. RiskControl will report operationally into Accenture's New Risk Management service line. (465 words) . . . More KPMG on 2010 Global Consulting Market, with Monadnock Research Perspective Monadnock Research (VIII N6) - 12 February 2010 MR - Aidan Brennan of KPMG Advisory offers his views on the state of the global consulting marketplace in 2010, including his insights on the emerging dominant position of the Big 4 and, historically, what brought us to this point. Monadnock Research offers its perspective on Brennan's key points, and why the Big 4 should carefully consider their expansion plans. (2,045 words) . . . More Accenture Launches Risk Management Consulting Service Line Monadnock Research - 11 February 2010 MR - Accenture has launched a global Risk Management consulting service line to help companies better identify, manage, and mitigate risks and make greater strategic use of risk data and information to support decision-making. A 2009 survey of 260 corporate executives by Accenture highlights the growing importance of risk management. Among the specific issues clients identify with risk management programs are: ineffective risk integration; return and capital issues in decision-making; misalignment of strategy and risk appetite; shortcomings in corporate risk culture; inadequate availability of timely risk information; lack of integration and aggregation across risk types; and mis-assignment of risk responsibilities. (565 words) . . . More Ketchum Launches New Change Management Advisory, Ketchum Pleon Change Monadnock Research - 11 February 2010 MR - Ketchum has launched a change management consultancy, Ketchum Pleon Change (KPC), which will be led by David Rockland, CEO, and Ralf Langen, President. The new firm combines Pleon's Change & Transformation practice and Ketchum's Stromberg Consulting unit, and will service clients globally from offices in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, London and Munich. This comes six months after Ketchum and Pleon announced their agreement to merge. The firm now operates as Ketchum globally and as Ketchum Pleon in Europe. (715 words) . . . More Consulting Leadership News: Deloitte, Convergys, GSA, Conseo, Hay Group, Wipro, Roland Berger, Unisys, and PwC Monadnock Research - 10 February 2010 MR - Deloitte appoints U.S. real estate practice leader, and Vice Chairman. Convergys names Circumference Group principal as President and CEO. U.S. Senate confirms new General Services Administration leader after delay of nearly ten months. Conseo Consulting appoints Bain co-founder as Senior Advisor and advisory board member. PricewaterhouseCoopers appoints former Microsoft U.K. Chief Security Advisor as director in firm's U.S. Forensics Technology Solutions practice. Hay Group appoints former CEO of Sullivan Cotter as Healthcare Practice National Director of Business Development. Unisys names President of Technology, Consulting, and Integration Solutions business. Wipro Technologies appoints Vice President of Government Relations. (1500 words). . . . More Kantar Retail Forms Retail Insights and Consulting Business Monadnock Research - 10 February 2010 MR - Cannondale Associates, Glendinning Management Consultants, Management Ventures, and Retail Forward have combined operations to form Kantar Retail. Kantar, a WPP company, will focus the four niche firms on transformational insights, strategic consulting, and capability-building for global retail marketplace (855 words) . . . More More News More Research Notes (subscription) More Firm Research