Global advisory brand L.E.K. Consulting has been investing in its financial services practice. The firm has both added experts to build its capacity, and ventured into new geographies – while it is still setting its sights on expanding the team’s scope in the coming period.
The financial services industry is responding to systemic threats on multiple fronts. While climate change and geopolitical chaos are disrupting supply chains, and making due diligence a much less predictable process, structural shifts through AI and digital disruption, as well as private capital dynamics, and changing regulatory and customer expectations, mean having an agile, adaptable strategy in finance has never been more important.
L.E.K. Consulting is working to significantly expand its global financial services practice, to help clients navigate this need to reshape the financial services ecosystem. With a growing team of senior leaders averaging over 20 years of experience, L.E.K. advises C-suite executives and boards as they confront increasing complexity across financial services.
In the UK and continental Europe, L.E.K. is increasingly advising clients on business model evolution, M&A led opportunities to reposition businesses, and delivering pragmatic solutions to high value strategic decisions that its clients and their shareholders face. With teams already operating across Europe served out of core hubs in London and Zurich, the firm is planning further locales.
Ashish Khanna, a London-based partner who spearheads financial services work in the EU, commented, “In the U.K. and continental Europe, L.E.K. is increasingly advising clients on business model evolution, M&A led opportunities to reposition businesses, and delivering pragmatic solutions to high value strategic decisions that our clients and their shareholders face. Our teams operate seamlessly across Europe served out of our current core hubs in London and Zurich, with further expansion planned.”
To that end, the changes do not only relate to L.E.K.’s size. The practice is also growing its scope, and connectivity with other teams. Bringing in senior leaders with an average of over 20 years of experience, the firm is also broadening its focus to build long-term, high-engagement partnerships with corporate institutions navigating transformation. Its financial services expansion is also going to grow its capabilities across banking, insurance, fintech, payments, and wealth management, complemented by centres of excellence in risk, digital and AI, and data and analytics.
“We’re building a differentiated model that positions us at the forefront of strategy in emerging domains across financial services,” added Philippe De Backer, who leads financial services work in the Middle East. “As the sector evolves and increasingly converges with areas like technology, consumer, healthcare and industrials, clients turn to us for our high-touch, bespoke approach and the clear, unbiased perspective that comes from deep cross-sector insight.”