Galt & Company

Galt & Company Overview

Note: Galt & Company was acquired by AlixPartners in late 2021.

Our Firm Profile series continues with this deep dive into Galt & Company. Galt & Co is a unique player that is known for helping chief executives and senior management teams of Fortune 500 companies develop strategies and organizational capabilities that deliver and sustain superior long-term shareholder value growth.

But how has this well-regarded firm fared during market disruption of 2020? The short answer: extremely well. The firm continued to grow during the pandemic, making 2020 one of its best years on record. As a result, the firm continues to hire and is well positioned to continue its expansion as economic headwinds subside.

Galt’s value proposition can be summed up in one sentence: the firm brings the disciplines of the capital markets inside a corporation and enables managers at all levels to grow and maximize the shareholder value contribution of their businesses. This top management advisory firm helps its C-Level clients build and implement the capabilities to “win” in both the customer and capital markets. Its clients have been able to capture leading shares of market profits and develop a reinvestment advantage that results in sustainable competitive advantage and total shareholder returns. The firm has had a profound and enduring impact on several of the world’s most respected companies, as noted by their Chief Executives in the book written by the three Founders; Beliefs, Behaviors and Results. Some of the firm’s known clients have included Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Abbott Laboratories and Gillette.

Let’s examine one of these case studies for just one minute. Take Clorox – the company had been delivering above average shareholder returns relative to peers driven in part by leading brand equities in profitable market niches and a disciplined approach to cost and capital management.  However, the company’s top line growth had slowed. Galt & Co worked closely with CEO Don Knauss and his leadership team to identify market profit concentrations and focus strategies and resources to capture share of those profits. These management disciplines were driven deep into every line of business and are sustained to this day.

As a result, Clorox has delivered compounded annual economic profit growth of 13% per year, resulting in top quartile shareholder returns long after Galt was working with the leadership team.

Graphic courtesy of Galt & Co.

Overall, the firm’s work impacts corporate and business unit strategies, resource allocation, performance management – and builds the company’s ongoing management capabilities to ensure superior performance is self-sustaining.

Galt & Co achieves this in customer markets by developing differentiated business models that create more customer value and gain share of market profits (not just share of revenue or volume), and in the capital markets by focusing resources on the most valuable opportunities to maximize sustainable returns, increasing re-investable cash flow and shareholder value.

Galt consultants develop an in-depth understanding of micro-economics, corporate finance, corporate and business unit strategy and organizational design and learn to apply this knowledge in corporate-wide transformation programs that create significant profit growth and shareholder returns. Galt members reside in the location of their choosing. With decades of experience managing remote teams, Galt was well positioned for the effects of pandemic lockdowns. This model also ensures that, as an employee, you can choose to live in a region with a relatively lower cost-of-living, making the generous Galt salary stretch even further.

This model contributes to the firm’s flat and collaborative organizational structure. One of the original purveyors of WFH, Galt is a unique player in the consulting industry. Read on to see if it is the right fit for you!

In this profile, we’ll cover the following aspects of Galt & Co to give you a holistic look at the firm (click to jump to section):

• Firm History
• Organization
• Firm Culture
• Interviews & Recruiting
• Target Schools
• Diversity Programs
• Summary

Key Stats

• Website: www.galtandco.com
• Offices: New York, NY; Chicago, IL
• Employees: 50-75

Firm History

Galt & Company was founded in 2003 based on the conviction that every company’s governing objective should be to maximize long-term, sustainable shareholder value.  Since then, the firm’s expanding leadership team has continued to innovate and refine an approach referred to as “Managing for Shareholder Value,” which has proven to be unique and deliver compelling value for clients.

Since its inception, Galt has worked with its clients to fundamentally transform how their businesses are run. The company has established five key conditions for success for its clients:

• Define “winning” as maximizing shareholder value over time
• Develop a granular understanding of where and why profits are concentrated in a client’s business and in a client’s markets
• Agree on and manage to an agenda of the highest-value opportunities
• Employ differentiated business models and reallocate resources to the highest value growth opportunities (“me too” strategies and capital allocation will not deliver advantaged performance)
• Sharpen organizational conditions and capabilities to embed and replicate the “Managing for Shareholder Value” framework throughout the client organization

At the end of the day, Galt & Co exists to help clients achieve this shift in how they manage their business and bring about the associated positive results for shareholders. In fact, the firm has a strong track record of client success, with average sustainable client shareholder returns over 150% of their industry peer index!

Organization

Galt & Co prides itself on having a flat, collaborate organization for its ~75 employees. In fact, there are only 3 positions at Galt: consultant, director and managing director. Each position is staffed on project teams, meaning you get consistent exposure to firm leadership during your time at Galt. This structure lends itself to both formal and informal mentorship opportunities, which are doubly important in a firm that hasn’t invested in a traditional office apparatus.

As generalists, Galt & Company employees work across all industries, geographies, and functional areas and build an integrated perspective on strategic, organizational and financial issues. The firm’s specialty lies in helping companies develop the strategies and capabilities that accelerate profitable growth and shareholder returns over time.

Project engagements are strategic in nature and typically span multiple units of the client’s business.

Through lasting improvements in management’s capabilities, decision processes, and standards, the company’s clients have been able to continue delivering superior shareholder returns over many years. The firm believes that outside advisors should build clients’ capabilities and sustainable competitive advantages—not replace them.

Some of the company’s key practice areas and industries served are as follow:

Practice Areas:

• Corporate and Business Unit Strategy (all aspects)
• Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures
• Organization Design and Effectiveness
• Customer, Channel and Supply Chain Strategy
• Management Processes and Incentive Compensation
• Target Setting and Business Performance

Industries:

• Manufacturing
• Industrial Products
• Consumer Products
• Pharmaceuticals
• Packaging
• Retail
• Banking (Retail and Commercial)
• Engineering Services

One of the most unique (and appealing) characteristics of Galt & Company is that employees may live anywhere in the United States that they would like – as long as there is an airport nearby for necessary travel to the client, of course. This flexibility is one of the main attractions of working at Galt.

Career paths at Galt & Company can vary significantly. There is no formal “up or out” model at Galt & Company – the firm is committed to developing its consultants to have the skills and qualifications necessary for any position inside or outside of Galt.  Compensation guidelines – both base and bonus – are transparent to consultants and are based on individual and firm performance. Because Galt helps its clients deliver superior shareholder returns relative to peers, Galt also strives to compensate its employees in line with that objective. In fact, the firm’s performance bonuses are in the industry’s upper echelon, and this variable comp offering speaks volumes about the market position Galt occupies and the type of candidates it is looking to attract.

Exit opportunities from Galt & Company are often quite attractive. Former employees have entered C-Suite positions at many different corporations, created or joined start-ups, or took time away to attend top business schools. The exit opportunities are particularly attractive for entrepreneurial-minded folks who want to go out and start a business of their own after a stint with Galt.

Why would people leave the firm? For the same reasons consultants leave the industry from any firm: exit opportunities often provide a better lifestyle (read: less travel), although with the travel changes brought on by COVID-19, this is not likely to be a key consideration going forward as travel requirements are likely to be minimal even after the pandemic is behind us. In addition, many consultants are ready to own a P&L instead of being in a purely advisory role.

Exit opportunities are plentiful after an experience at Galt & Co. Here’s a representation of what some Galt alumni have gone on to do after their time at the firm.

Notable alumni:

• Daniel McLaughlin – CFO, Renovo Financial, LLC
• Ann Marie Macdonald – CFO and COO, Part of the Solution
• Rob Dillon – President, Baycom, Inc.
• Pranav Gupta – Vice President, Evercore Partners
• Andrew Annacone – Managing Partner, TechNexus
• Dan Ulvila – Executive Director of Field Operations and Strategy, Horizon Pharma
• Greg Mortner – Senior Product Manager, Amazon

Firm Culture

One of Galt & Company’s main attractions is its flexibility – employees may live wherever they like in the United States. What does this mean for work/life balance? In part, it means that you have more control over when and where you work than you would at a traditional firm. However, you’re still working for a fast-paced consulting firm. Expect long hours but a minimal travel schedule even when business travel is back in full swing.

Training, mentorship, and camaraderie (read: fun!) are fundamentally important to Galt & Company. In addition to a formal onboarding program, Galt brings the entire firm together quarterly for training and team-building locations throughout North America and the Caribbean – past examples include Aspen, Nashville, Las Vegas, Panama, and the Grand Cayman Islands. The Summer and Winter events extend into a weekend of social activities that includes guests. These events are always high notes for employees.

Galt & Company’s core values include, but are not limited to: accountability, honesty, integrity, respect, diversity, inclusion, client commitment, thought leadership, and continuous learning and improvement.

The firm prides itself on its true meritocratic culture, and curiosity and insight generation are rewarded accordingly. As a result, there is strong respect among employees for one another, and past employees speak highly of both the talent and the practiced values of the firm. This also means, as at other consulting firms, that expectations are high, and you are consistently challenged to meet and exceed them. See more reviews of working at Galt & Company here.

One of the aspects that differentiates Galt, even amongst top firms, is what we’ll term its “mission against mediocrity”. Every consultant at the firm is given the same opportunities and is judged purely off of performance. If you like to bet on yourself and appreciate being compensated for the results you achieve, Galt may just be the firm for you.

This meritorious culture is personified by the fact that, at Galt, analysts often deliver presentations to senior client stakeholders. This is the beauty of working for a mid-sized firm with a flat organizational culture. If you’re looking to kickstart your career with more opportunities than you might find at larger firms, add Galt to your list of options.

Interview Tips & Recruiting

Galt & Company looks to hire individuals of all backgrounds and credentials. The company seeks out applicants that are intelligent, self-motivated, and eager to learn. Preferred characteristics include the abilities to work through complex financial and/or quantitative analyses, to translate outputs into actionable and practical business insights and strategies, and to clearly and convincingly communicate these insights to senior and line management of clients.

Interviewing at Galt & Company generally follows the standard strategy consulting process. An initial phone screen, followed by ~2 rounds of formal behavioral/case interviews with ~3 individuals (typically 1-on-1’s with a combination of consultants, directors, and managing directors). Each interview lasts 30-45 minutes and cases are generally led equally by interviewer/interviewee. As with most case interviews, the focus is on thought process and structure rather than getting to the correct answer. The interview process is similar for all candidates, though experienced hires and MBAs will be expected to handle more challenging cases in the interview process.

Target Schools

Galt & Company is open to experienced hires and qualified candidates from all universities. The firm currently targets the following schools:

• Columbia University
• University of Michigan
• Northwestern University
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Diversity Programs

Diversity and inclusion are both listed in the company’s core values and are reinforced through formal annual training required for all employees.

Summary and Conclusion

Whether you are 10 days or 10 years into your consulting career, Galt is a fantastic place to start or continue your journey. This rings especially true if the idea of 100% remote work intrigues you, or the firm’s flat organizational structure would be a welcome change from your current work environment. Galt & Company doesn’t check all the boxes of a traditional consulting firm, but perhaps that is exactly what will make the organization the perfect fit for you!

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