The Advisors' Blog

– Aaron Boyd, Equilar

In our “2012 Consultant League Report,” we took a look at annual reports and proxy filings of public companies to determine which consulting firms had the largest, most profitable clients, and which had the best market share in various indices, sectors, and geographic locations. Although many of the large consulting firms consistently stand atop the rankings, categorical breakdowns reveal some of the smaller shops’ unique market niches. Some of our findings:

– Frederic W. Cook & Co. garnered the largest market share for board engagements in the Russell 3000 (14.8% market share), Fortune 100 (22.9%), and the S&P Composite 1500 (17.2% market share).
– W.T. Haigh & Co. achieved the highest average and median percentages of votes in favor of their clients’ Say-on-Pay proposals at 95.5%.
– Towers Watson had the highest percentage of new engagements with 14.5% market share.

Below is a sample table from the report, detailing the market share of firms engaged by the Russell 3000 (in comparison, here are last year’s numbers):

1. Frederic W. Cook & Co. – 14.8%
2. Pearl Meyer & Partners – 11.1%
3. Towers Watson – 10.0%
4. Pay Governance – 6.8%
5. Mercer – 6.2%
5. Meridian Compensation – 6.0%
7. Compensia – 5.8%
8. Radford – 5.0%
9. Hay Group – 2.8%
10. Exequity – 2.6%

Other charts in the 2012 Consultant League Report include:

– Financial Data: Firms’ client base ranked by revenue, net income, year-end market capitalization, total assets, and one- and three-year total shareholder return
– Indices: The firms with the most market share in the Fortune 1000, S&P 1500, and more
– Sectors: Eight different industry categories, from Healthcare to Financial Services
– Geography: The firms with the most market share in each of four U.S. regions
– Engagement: The market share of firms engaged by management

The complete report is provided to all Equilar Knowledge Center subscribers. Non-subscribers can request a copy of the report.