Ben Talbot – Engagement Manager

I chose to join Momentum Partners primarily because of the people who work here.  Momentum people are a great mix of intellectual horsepower, good fun and genuine interest in their colleagues and the businesses they work with.  Since making the move from Bain London I’ve also been very impressed by the approachability and involvement of the Directors at Momentum. Momentum Partners respects work-life balance to the extent this is possible in the consulting industry.  Most people at Momentum work eleven hour days through the week, with very little requirement for weekend work.  As with most project-based work, there are periods that can be a little ‘crunchier’, but these tend to be short-lived and relatively infrequent.  Days are often very intense, but most people find this energising – it’s amazing how much work you can get done when you’re working to a stretch timeline.  Momentum Directors and Managers take the time to coach staff, ensuring that the quality of the work is up there with the best consulting firms in the world.

Momentum has certainly kept me busy with challenging projects.  My first project at Momentum focussed on safety improvements at a mining contractor.  I worked both in their city offices and also on a number of remote sites in WA and SA where I worked fly in fly out rosters.  The project drove a period of significant change within the client organisation.  We have tracked progress since the project, over which time the client has seen significant (>50%) improvements in the major safety statistics.  Being part of such a successful outcome is very personally fulfilling.

I have also worked with a local healthcare provider.  Here, I had significant involvement with the CEO and Senior Management Team, and really drove change within the organisation’s structure, and also their operating model.  Amongst other things, our work resulted in some support functions being moved out into the line to better align with operational goals.  This was a good example of how Momentum Partners works with clients – we helped the senior team to design the organisation, and also worked on guiding the detail associated with implementation.  The entire project was extremely collaborative, another feature of Momentum Partners’ model.

In my time at Momentum I have worked on projects virtually solo, and at the other end of the spectrum I’ve managed a team of over 10 people including client and Momentum staff.  The experiences and responsibility I’ve enjoyed here have developed me both personally and professionally.  I would recommend Momentum to anyone who seeks a challenging experience working with a great team across a wide range of business problems and industries.

Navine Arora – Associate Consultant

After graduating from Oxford University, I was attracted to the firm because it is boutique and yet the team has deep functional expertise, and I sensed that the culture was one centred on collaboration and team work.

I have now been at Momentum Partners for two and a half years and have gained substantial project experience, across a variety of industries and service lines. The breadth of work has ensured fresh challenges on each project and allowed for continuous learning.

Momentum Partners advocates client exposure from early on in your career. My first project was a Business Improvement program for an Australian electricity distribution player. I had the role of Program Management Office, which involved building an Excel model to track and monitor the value and status of initiatives in the pipeline. I worked as part of a 6 person team over 4 months and identified more than $20M of annual savings. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about the Business Improvement process and build up my consulting toolkit.

I have also worked on numerous strategy engagements. The most notable was for a crane safety systems manufacturer in Adelaide. I worked closely with my Director and the clients to devise a 3-year business plan which advised the company on key strategic decisions around its customers and markets, products and solutions and delivery model. Our insight on the direction of the company was based on some core pieces of analysis – market sizing, customer interviews and a financial model. I presented our findings every few weeks to the senior management team and it was fulfilling to work on a project that was so instrumental for the company’s future.

Undoubtedly, I have benefited from early client exposure and a variety of work which has positioned me now to effectively lead client teams, or present to senior leadership teams at ease. Consulting is an excellent platform to launch your career as you are exposed to business issues across a variety of industries, which means there will always be new learning opportunities.