KPMG and BDO among group of consultants set to publish New Year’s resolutions
By this point in January, many are already lamenting their failed efforts to stick to their New Year's diet, hit the gym every morning or stay away from the sauce.
Not to be deterred, City A.M. has learnt a group of well-known names in consultancy are set to publicly pledge their resolutions for the new year today.
The 20-plus members of the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), including KPMG, IBM Global Business Services and BDO, will post a set of principles to stick to online. Hopefully, having them somewhere they can see them will ensure they're not forgotten by February.
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The promises, which form part of the MCA's Consulting Excellence scheme, include conducting business ethically, being transparent with clients and responding to concerns raised and carrying out training and professional development planning each year.
Professional services titan Deloitte found itself with egg on its face late last year, after the government rushed to distance itself from a memo written by the firm warned as many as 30,000 additional staff members to deal with its 500 Brexit-related projects.
The Big Four giant has since apologised for any "disruption" its note may have caused to Downing Street.
"Most New Year's resolutions fall by the wayside after a month or so, but Consulting Excellence is a commitment for the whole of 2017 and way beyond," said an optimistic Alan Leaman, chief executive of the MCA.
Howard Tollit, president of the MCA and executive partner at IBM, added: "As the consulting industry adapts quickly to meet new needs and expand into new service areas, it is more important than ever that all our best firms identify, strengthen and promote their good practice in these areas. These are the core consulting skills and qualities that bring us together as an industry and enable us to continue to deliver value to clients and the wider economy."