Wavestone

Wavestone is a management consulting firm with a commitment to solving problems with clients in a collaborative, hopeful way. It has a focus on digital and data strategy, services optimization, and IT solutions. Wavestone has a strong team culture and offices in many popular locations, as well as excellent internship and career opportunities. Keep reading for all the details.

Table of Contents

1. Wavestone Key Stats
2. Wavestone History
3. Wavestone Career Path
4. Firm Internship
5. Practice Areas
6. Industries
7. Office Locations
8. Target Schools
9. Diversity Programs
10. Wavestone Culture
11. Wavestone Interview Process
12. Exit Opportunities
13. Wavestone Salary

Wavestone Key Stats

• Firm Website: wavestone.com
• Firm Headquarters: Paris, France
• Firm Number of Employees: 5,500+
• Firm Number of Locations: Offices in 17 countries
• Firm Chief Executive: Pascal Imbert – Chairman of the Management Board
• Firm Revenue: $900M

Wavestone History

Wavestone was founded in 1990 by Pascal Imbert and Michel Dancoisne under the name Solucom. In 2016, they acquired Kurt Salmon’s European and financial services practices and rebranded as Wavestone.

Wavestone Career Path

A strength of Wavestone’s lies in the transparency of their offered careers and the potential paths that may follow. Wavesttone defines each role and the expectations therein very clearly, creating an understandable, actionable way forward for anyone looking to join the Wavestone team.

These formally defined paths are held within “Wavestone Horizon,” and they also contain the required skills and starting salaries, which are consistent across the board. There’s a lot of room for internal growth, as Wavestone values being able to provide new opportunities to existing staff members; anyone can request to move positions within the firm. HR considers every request it receives, and the preferences of each individual are taken seriously.

Firm Internship

Wavestone has plenty of internship opportunities for the ambitious, creative student. It has openings on most of their teams, giving you plenty of options for where you could jump into the company to gain experience. Wavestone gives interns the same kinds of upwardly mobile possibilities as full-time staff, so there is lots of potential in joining their team for even a small stint.

Practice Areas

• • Finance, risk & procurement
  • Innovation management & funding
  • Marketing, sales & customer experience
  • Operations & supply chain
  • People & change
  • Strategy

Industries

• • Consumer goods & retail
  • Energy & utilities
  • Financial services
  • Manufacturing
  • Public sector & International institutions
  • Real estate
  • Telecom, media & entertainment
  • Transportation & travel

Office Locations

• • New York City, United States
  • Dallas, United States
  • Brussels, Belgium
  • Paris, France
  • Marseille, France
  • Nantes, France
  • Lyon, France
  • Munich, Germany
  • Leudelange, Luxembourg
  • Casablanca, Morocco
  • Geneva, Switzerland
  • London, United Kingdom
  • Hong Kong
  • Singapore

Target Schools

As the headquarters and largest office are in Paris, many of the schools it recruits from are in Paris; all are in France.

• • Emlyon Business School
  • Paris Dauphine University
  • NEOMA Business School
  • KEDGE Business School
  • CentraleSupélec
  • Grenoble Ecole de Management
  • Arts et Métiers ParisTech
  • Pantheon-Sorbonne University
  • EDHEC Business School

Diversity Programs

Wavestone For All was created by an employee initiative and is a network inside Wavestone that works to promote and support inclusion and diversity within the firm. It searches out ways to provide solutions where they’re needed and raise awareness among employees, as well as changing the overall company culture to be as inclusive as possible. The firm values supporting LGBTQ+ individuals as well as providing equal opportunities for women and underrepresented groups.

Exit Opportunities

As a younger firm and one that has had to adjust over the years since the merger, Wavestone’s culture will prepare you well by surrounding you with minds who constantly problem solve and innovate. You likely won’t encounter the potentially encumbering traditions and deeply entrenched methods that may come along with a firm who has been firmly established for a longer period of time, with sometimes unnecessary loyalties to certain practices.

Wavestone Culture

The culture at Wavestone has been lauded as one that stands out within the industry. Wavestone was named “best consulting firm to work for in France” by Glassdoor in 2017.

Employees have good experiences with Wavestone, most sharing about their appreciation for their coworkers and the flexibility that the firm allows them in shifting positions when requested.

Wavestone Interview Process

The interview process usually consists of several steps, often beginning with an HR interview, then a consultant, ending with a senior manager, consultant, or head of the desired department. Staff are courteous and kind, even though there may be some inquiries about your experience, in addition to the expected asks of “Why consulting?” and “Why Wavestone?” Sometimes more difficult questions are asked, but with good preparation, it shouldn’t be more challenging than most others in the industry.

Wavestone Salary

The average business analyst salary sits around $87,835, a consultant’s salary around $117,686.

To see salary data from our full salary report, including MBB + boutique firms, click here.

Conclusion

Wavestone has a lot of space for employees to grow and shift as they desire to make changes in their careers. The interview process isn’t more difficult than average, and there are many skills to be gained that would be an asset as you go forward toward the next step in your career. It has a commendable culture of inclusion and support that would serve you well.

Additional Resources

• Top 25 Consulting Firms
• Boutique Consulting Firms
• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
• Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide