2015

Please see below selected intelligence from 2016 and earlier about operations. This is a synthesis of major recent developments at competitors, business schools, thinktanks, media, commentators, and other key influencers.

Please see below selected recent intelligence about McKinsey & Co.

April 2016

• Kazakhstan signed a deal with Google and McKinsey to harness the power of “big data” analysis and improve efficiency in its mining industry. A government fund finalised an agreement to set up a centre for collecting and analysing data from across the mining sector, based in the commercial capital, Almaty, working in partnership with the US technology and consulting groups.

Please see below selected intelligence about Capgemini.

June 2016

• Capgemini announced an alliance with German blockchain specialist, Ascribe, to develop a blockchain database solution, enabling bank customers to combine loyalty points from various programs & redeem in real time.

Please see below selected intelligence about Boston Consulting Group.

June 2016

• Boston Consulting Group announced a partnership with startup accelerator, MassChallenge. The two firms will collaborate to connect BCG's clients with leading startups in the US, the UK, and Israel. MassChallenge will help BCG support the digital transformations of its clients across industries and give insights into the latest trends and innovations. BCG staff will take part in judging and mentoring MassChallenge startups and will participate in MassChallenge innovation workshops, its Global Bridge Summit, and other events with startups throughout the year.

Please see below selected intelligence about BDO.

June 2016

• BDO USA announced an expansion into the Utah market through the addition of 64 staff, including 10 partners, from Mantyla McReynolds, LLC.  Founded in 1989, Mantyla McReynolds provides a full range of accounting and consulting services to a diversified client base of public and private businesses.

June 2016

• Debra A. Polishook has been appointed Group Chief Executive, Accenture Operations. She succeeds Michael J. Salvino, who will retire and join Carrick Capital Partners, an investment firm focused on technology-enabled businesses. Accenture has also named Manish Sharma as Group Operating Officer, Accenture Operations, succeeding Polishook. The changes are effective 1 September 2016. Polishook, is currently Group Operating Officer for Accenture Operations, one of the firm’s five businesses with more than $7 billion in annual revenues and 100,000 staff globally. Polishook will also join the company’s Global Management Committee. Sharma, based in Bangalore, India, is currently Senior Managing Director, Global Delivery & Solution Development for Accenture Operations. Sharma will continue as a member of Accenture’s Global Leadership Council.

• Accenture opened a new centre in Málaga, Spain, to help its European clients develop quality digital marketing content at speed and scale, and in a multitude of digital formats and languages. Over the next two years, the Accenture Interactive Centre of Excellence is expected to create 150 new jobs. The new facility specialises in accelerating the production of digital marketing content from banner ads and social media posts to websites and videos for marketing organisations. A growing team of front-end developers, designers, copywriters, and content managers, supported by industrialised production and quality management processes, will help clients move faster from digital marketing content vision to execution.

June 2016 　

KPMG appointed Darren Burton as Vice Chair, Human Resources. Burton succeeds Bruce Pfau, who is retiring from the Vice Chair role after 12 years. Pfau will join the firm’s Advisory practice in a senior consulting role. Burton joins KPMG from Raytheon Company, where he most recently served as Vice President, Human Resources and Security for Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services Company. Prior to Raytheon, Burton held senior HR positions at Williams Lea, IBM, the Campbell Soup and DuPont.　

The union representing more than 4,500 government financial officers has lodged two formal complaints of professional misconduct against KPMG over its work in setting up offshore tax structures on the Isle of Man. The Association of Canadian Financial Officers wants the Ontario and Quebec chapters of the self-regulating Chartered Professional Accountants, or CPA, to assess KPMG's behaviour against the profession's code of conduct, bylaws and regulations. 　

2015 saw major global trends, from the Greek sovereign debt crisis and the Chinese stock market meltdown, to the refugee exodus and of course the global terrorist attacks. And it was a record year for deal-making as business confidence recovered. So what will 2016 bring? Throughout January and February Halcyon put together this evolving index of significant forecasts for 2016.

META-LEVEL FORECASTS