Blue Matter Consulting

Blue Matter Consulting, with offices in the United States and Europe, offers consulting services for clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. You may never have heard of it, but it’s a cutting-edge firm at the intersection of biotech and management consulting. Its goal is to drive meaningful impact and push the boundaries of science and technology, ultimately improving lives by improving the business outcomes of its clients.

In 2021, Blue Matter Consulting Limited was named the 5th best Boutique Firm by Vault and received several other awards in the same year. In this in-depth Firm Profile, we’ll dive into the inner workings of Blue Matter Consulting Limited to uncover the insights you’re looking for as they relate to careers, culture, and more.

Whether you’re just learning about the firm for fun or strongly investigating a career with Blue Matter Consulting, you’ll get what you need from this article. Let’s jump in!

Table of Contents:

1. Blue Matter Consulting Key Stats
2. Blue Matter Consulting History
3. Blue Matter Consulting Careers
4. Practice Areas
5. Industries
6. Office Locations
7. Career Path
8. Exit Opportunities
9. Notable Alumni
10. Blue Matter Consulting Culture
11. Blue Matter Consulting Internship
12. Blue Matter Consulting Interview
13. Blue Matter Consulting Salary
14. Target Schools
15. Diversity Programs

Blue Matter Consulting Key Stats

• Blue Matter Consulting Website: bluematterconsulting.com
• Blue Matter Consulting Headquarters: San Francisco, California
• Blue Matter Consulting Number of Employees: 120
• Blue Matter Consulting Number of Locations: 5
• Blue Matter Consulting Chief Executive: George Schmidt, Ashwin Dandekar, Emily Hua (3 Managing Partners)
• Blue Matter Consulting Revenue: ~$20M

Blue Matter Consulting History

The Blue Matter Consulting history began in 2012 when it was founded by current managing partners, Ashwin Dandekar and Emily Hua. Presently, George Schmidt, managing partner, and Mary Lee and Shankar Sundar, principals, comprise the remainder of the leadership team.

In 2019, Blue Matter launched a subsidiary, Salience Learning, that is dedicated to solving learning and development problems in the field of life sciences. Specifically, the firm aims to assist professionals in critical thinking and problem solving, leveraging data, and operating more effectively.

Furthermore, in January 2021, Blue Matter Consulting launched The Center of Excellence, focused on central nervous system therapies. In addition, it acquired AIM, a leading European consulting firm specializing in supply chain management.

Even more recently, in March of 2021, it undertook a timely digital health initiative led by Jeff Leisch, a Principal in New York.

Blue Matter Consulting Careers

Blue Matter Consulting careers have entry points at various levels, which are quite standard across the consulting industry more broadly.

Blue Matter does not offer internships but has built an extensive professional development system called Blue Matter Academy to help its consultants continue to build relevant skills. Blue Matter Academy offers a variety of professional development opportunities for those new to the firm, experienced employees, and team leaders.

Practice Areas

Blue Matter works across client types – from smaller clients with a single asset in development to large bio-pharmaceutical companies with diverse product portfolios. Blue Matter Consulting practice areas include product, portfolio and organizational strategy in oncology, rare disease, and other specialty therapeutic areas.

The firm helps companies build their portfolio and growth through:

• • Portfolio & Therapeutic Area Strategy
  • Organizational Models & Operational Excellence
  • Functional Area & Corporate Strategy

Specifically, Blue Matter offers therapeutic expertise in oncology and rare diseases. Blue Matter consultants assist clients with product development and commercialization, launch strategy and planning, and brand and lifecycle planning services.

The firm has seen rapid growth as it has taken a leading role in supporting clients who are developing new products in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these services are offered through a practice area called “Pathfinder Capabilities”.

Industries

Blue Matter Consulting operates within the life sciences industry, with a targeted focus on oncology and rare diseases within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

Clients often offer services and products related to the central nervous system, infectious diseases, cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory health, and immunology.

Office Locations

Blue Matter Consulting office locations can be found across major cities in the United States and Europe. The firm’s headquarters are in San Francisco, where it was founded. Remaining offices are in New York, London, Zurich, and Berlin. Remote opportunities may also be available, although are not common.

Career Path

The Blue Matter Consulting career path begins with entry level positions and continues to senior consultant and management leadership opportunities. The firm values professional growth and has invested heavily in creating the Blue Matter Academy, through which employees can gain skills and knowledge. Combined with the experience acquired by working actively with team members, this allows professionals at the start of their careers to prepare for the next career step with Blue Matter. Many higher-level positions are filled internally, though there are no set timelines for advancement. This also means that Blue Matter Consulting does not employ an “up or out” model like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.

Exit Opportunities

Blue Matter Consulting boasts a stronger brand name in Europe than does in the U.S.

In 2021, Vault rated it the 8th Best Consulting Firm for Exit Opportunities in Europe, demonstrating the value of the Blue Matter Academy and the high regard in which the firm is held on the continent.

Some Blue Matter Consulting exit opportunities include positions with other consulting firms. But Blue Matter Consulting exit opportunities also include leadership positions at companies within the life sciences industry. You’ll almost certainly have the option to exit consulting and work in an “ownership” role on the other side of the table.

Finally, given your consulting experience, you may also be well positioned to find roles in private equity, venture capital, or pursue an advanced degree in management or science.

Notable Alumni

After working at Blue Matter Consulting, your career can take several different paths.

One Blue Matter Consulting notable alum is Thomas Blair, who is a graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and currently works in the Duke University Hospital system. Erik Woodruff, senior manager of Competitive Intelligence at Gilead Sciences in San Francisco, began his consulting career with Blue Matter. Woodruff joined the firm as an associate, advancing through the ranks to the position of senior consultant during his three years with the firm.

Blue Matter Consulting Culture

The Blue Matter Consulting culture is empowering and open, an environment the firm is proud of and actively cultivates. It seeks employees who are passionate, creative, and analytical. It nurtures these qualities as it puts “people first.”

While there are many leadership positions at Blue Matter, the culture is one in which ideas from all are heard and valued. Blue Matter believes there is no hierarchy when it comes to critical thinking and solving problems – everyone is encouraged to share proposals. Professional development is valued, and with the large Blue Matter Academy program, it is a strong element of the firm’s culture.

Blue Matter Consulting Internship

A Blue Matter Consulting internship may be difficult to come by. The firm currently does not have information about internships on its website or advertise the availability of such positions.

Blue Matter Consulting Interview

To be a good fit for Blue Matter, you’ll benefit from some life sciences industry experience, but experience in consulting more broadly may also be enough to find your way in. The firm tends to focus on experienced hires, staying away from undergraduates with no experience (hence the lack of internship opportunities!).

A Blue Matter Consulting interview is a simulation of what working for the company might be like – you’ll be placed in a simulated, yet high-pressure, situation intended to allow you the opportunity to show your skill set and how you’ll handle the rigor of consulting at Blue Matter.

Interview questions generally include those in which candidates are asked to describe how they might advise a pharmaceutical company looking to launch a new product – remember, the firm cares more about your problem-solving approach and process than they do the “answer” you arrive at. In addition, the firm values unique individuals who are friendly, honest, and flexible thinkers.

Interview Process

The Blue Matter Consulting interview process can be lengthy, consisting of multiple interviews that exceed an hour each. This process is intended to allow the firm to gain an understanding of how you will perform on the job and within a team.

Some interviews may be one-on-one while others involve presenting to a large group of interviewers. The process generally culminates with lunch with the consulting staff, without managers, to determine if you are a good fit for the Blue Matter culture.

Blue Matter Consulting Salary

The typical Blue Matter Consulting salary is around $114,000 annually, and consultant salaries tend to range from $108,000 to just over $133,000, though bonus pay may be available as well. Senior consultants can expect to earn roughly $147,000 per year while manager salaries are a bit higher at approximately $170,000. Given the varied cost of living in cities where the firm is located, your offer may be a bit different. See our salary report for more details on consulting salaries.

Target Schools

Blue Matter Consulting doesn’t really recruit undergraduate students. However, it does hire MBA and PhD students, especially those coming from highly rated science and business programs. Campuses located in the vicinity of office locations in San Francisco, New York, Zurich, Berlin, and London are target schools where students can begin to network and potentially start their careers with Blue Matter.

Diversity Programs

Blue Matter Consulting diversity programs were reimagined this year with the launch of a new diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. Components of this recommitment to diversity include several sub-initiatives, such as the Women’s Network and a Racial Justice and Equity committee.

The main objectives of the new initiatives are to increase the firm’s diversity, ensure equity and inclusion, and educate employees in racial justice. In 2021, Vault rated Blue Matter 10th out of all consulting firms based on diversity, perhaps reflective of the firm’s focus on this area.

Conclusion

Blue Matter Consulting is a boutique firm with a big footprint in the life sciences industry. With locations in both the United States and Europe, there are many opportunities to work with a broad range of clients and grow a career that either keeps you in consulting long-term or offers you exit opportunities into industry.

At Blue Matter, consultants get to work with clients creating industry-leading advancements related to spinal muscular atrophy, developing innovative biotechnology, or delving into new therapeutics. If working at the intersection of science and business appeals to you, a role at Blue Matter Consulting may be just what you’ve been looking for! Contact us today to work with our team of experts for interview prep, resume edits, or general questions.

Additional Reading:

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