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BearingPoint and PA Consulting take the lead in thought leadership
 
 The global thought
leadership ranking for
consulting firms, White
Space, has undergone a
dramatic reallocation of
the top positions during
the first quarter of
2007. 		 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 of material produced over
this period, BearingPoint
and PA Consulting Group
have taken over the top
two slots from McKinsey
and Accenture, who have
slipped to 3rd and 11th
places respectively.		 
 Another surprising
development sees India's
Tata Consultancy Services
in fourth place.
   The focus of thought
leadership material has
also changed
significantly during the		 
 first quarter with a
shift from strategy and
finance-related material
to operation issues such
as operational risk,
regulatory compliance,
technology, outsourcing
and innovation. 		 
    On the basis of volume 
 
Diamond increases full-year profits
 
 Diamond Management &
Technology Consultants
has seen annual profit
rise sharply on the back
of an increased client
list and easing
restructuring costs. The
company reported results
for its fiscal year 2007,
ended 31 March, 2007,
saying net revenue from
continuing operations was
$168.7m, up 16% compared
to $145.2m reported in
the prior year.
   Income from continuing
operations rose to $7.2m,
or $0.21 per diluted
share, compare to $2.0m,
or $0.06 per diluted
share, for the previous
year, when restructuring		 
 costs from the
divestiture of operations
in Europe, South America
and the Middle East
dragged on results.
   "We had a number of
significant
accomplishments in fiscal
year 2007, including
generating 16% annual net
revenue growth; growing
our client base by 30%;
and delivering free cash
flow from continuing
operations of $21.6m. We
finished the year with a
strong balance sheet
reflecting $84.1m in cash
and no debt," said Adam
Gutstein, president and
CEO of Diamond.
   Diamond served 65		 
 clients during the fourth
quarter of fiscal year
2007 and 105 clients in
fiscal year 2007. This
compares with 56 clients
during the fourth quarter
of fiscal year 2006 and
81 clients in fiscal year
2006.
   The company added 19
new clients in the fourth
quarter of fiscal year
2007 compared with 18 in
the third quarter and 16
in the year-ago period.
The top five clients
represented 37% of
revenue during the fourth
quarter of fiscal year
2007 compared to 39% in
both the third quarter
and the year-ago period.		 
    Diamond ended the
fourth quarter with 507
client-serving
professionals, compared
with 503 in the previous
quarter and 441 in the
year-ago period.
   During the year
Diamond repurchased 3.3
million shares at an
average price of $11.21
per share for a total of
$37.5m.
   "We are projecting
growth in our first
fiscal quarter compared
with the prior quarter
and expect to grow net
revenue 15% or more in
fiscal year 2008," said
Gutstein.
   In fiscal year 2008		 
 Diamond expects to grow
net revenue 15% or more
and generate full-year
pretax income margins of
at least 13%, growing
from approximately 12% in
the first quarter to 15%
in the fourth quarter of
fiscal year 2008. The
company expects earnings
per diluted share to
double in fiscal year
2008 to at least $0.42
and full-year free cash
flow to be at least
$22m.
  
  
   		 
 
Marsh & McLennan consolidates consulting units
 
 Marsh & McLennan
consulting units Mercer
Oliver Wyman, Mercer
Management Consulting and
Mercer Delta
Organizational Consulting
have joined together
under a single brand:
Oliver Wyman.
   The firm combines deep
industry knowledge with
specialised expertise in
strategy, operations,
risk management,
organisational
transformation, and
leadership development.
Oliver Wyman's 2,500
professionals operate in
more than 40 cities
globally.
   "We have come together
as Oliver Wyman to build		 
 the world's leading
management consulting
firm," said John P.
Drzik, president and CEO
of the firm. "Joining
forces enables us to
address a broader range
of our clients' needs,
through an enhanced set
of capabilities and an
expanded global
footprint."
   Drzik continued: "The
Oliver Wyman name has
long represented
excellence in strategy
and risk management
consulting to the
financial services
sector. Now that the
three firms are coming
together, the brand will
also encompass top-tier		 
 capabilities in strategy,
operations,
organisational
transformation, and
leadership development
across a broad range of
industries."
   The new Oliver Wyman,
which will aim to compete
in the "elite management
consulting space", is the
keystone of the Oliver
Wyman Group, formerly
named Mercer Specialty
Consulting, a $1.3bn
business unit of Marsh &
McLennan Companies, Inc.
(MMC). The Oliver Wyman
Group also includes NERA
Economic Consulting and
design and brand strategy
consultancy Lippincott
(formerly Lippincott		 
 Mercer). Drzik, formerly
the president of Mercer
Specialty Consulting,
will lead Oliver Wyman
Group.
   In addition to the
Oliver Wyman Group, MMC's
subsidiaries include
Marsh, Guy Carpenter,
Kroll and Mercer Human
Resource Consulting.
Mercer Human Resource
Consulting will retain
the Mercer name.
   Marsh & McLennan
formed Mercer Oliver
Wyman in 2003 following
the acquisition of Oliver
Wyman & Co.
   Mercer Management
conducts strategic
reviews for companies on
product development,		 
 competition and other
issues, while Mercer
Delta consults with chief
executives and other
senior business
executives on boardroom
issues and management
changes.
   Marsh & McLennan
recently sold its Putnam
unit for $3.9bn.
   During the first three
months of the year, the
group reported income of
$268m, down 36% from a
year earlier. Revenue in
the latest quarter was
flat at $1.1bn.