Consulting firms are winning the CEO sweepstakes — but that’s not always good news for investors
Deloitte. Accenture. PwC.
More CEOs are coming from these firms than ever before.
McKinsey, Bain, BCG? They’ve seeded a generation now sitting in boardrooms.
But does their background translate to strong performance and shareholder returns?
At Eagle Talon, we’ve studied this closely. And our data tells us:
Often, the answer is no.
Consultants are trained in structured, siloed environments —
with clean data, defined problems, and slide decks built for certainty.
But public company leadership doesn’t come with a case study.
It’s political. Messy. Fast-moving.
And the first 12–24 months are where the cracks show.
We’ve seen it time and again:
Platinum pedigree. Strong pitch.
But — poor cultural fit. Weak execution.
Underperformance follows.
At Eagle Talon, we have a simple rule:
If the new CEO’s main credential is “ex-consultant,”
the risk-reward rarely pencils out — especially in year one.
Leadership isn’t about framing the problem.
It’s about owning the outcome.
We invest in great leaders — strategists and operators who can do both.
🔗 Read the full article: GE, IBM Cede ‘CEO Factory’ Honor to Accenture, PWC and Deloitte