Mercer Management Consulting by William Covino

Opportunity Impact Your career. Our business.

Choice

We’re committed to building a dynamic organization full of individuals who share our passion and drive for finding opportunities and creating results for our clients. That’s why we’re equally committed to your growth and development, helping you to evolve into a seasoned business problem solver and trusted advisor. From the first day you step into Mercer, the work you do and the people you do it with will equip you to take on any job, any goal, any challenge you set your mind to in the future. Does this sound like the opportunity you’ve been looking for? We’ve been looking for you.

Opportunity Opportunity is everywhere. And it’s our job to find it.

Every day, we help leading enterprises develop, build, and operate businesses that deliver sustained shareholder value and growth. From manufacturing and transportation to retailers and private equity firms; from technology and communications to consumer products, we capitalize on existing opportunities to make organizations more nimble, more effective. We look for hidden opportunities to help our clients anticipate the changing priorities of their customers. We look for new opportunities to ensure that our clients can create and sustain strategic agendas that keep them competitive in complex markets.

At Mercer, delivering superior results to clients is our opportunity for success. That’s where you come in. We didn’t become a top-tier strategy and operations firm just because of our case work or client list. We’re also where we are today because of our people. And because we believe that our people are responsible for superior client results, you’ll do a lot more than just case work during your time here. You’ll work with thought leaders to develop intellectual capital, engage in ongoing efforts to build and sustain the firm, and broaden your experience through our innovative talent strategy programs. You’ll work with influential clients, interact with senior leaders, lead projects, make decisions, get feedback, learn from your mistakes, and have fun along the way. You’ll further your education, play an active role in shaping and sustaining the firm’s culture, and chart your own career course. All in an environment where trying new things is not only encouraged, it’s essential. Because it’s all about your success...and ours.

And your Mercer experience will extend far beyond our offices. A growing and impressive roster of Mercer alumni offers opportunities for networking, support, and career options across industries and around the world. Want a career in marketing? How about finance? Moving across the country—or across the ocean? Want to start your own business? Our alumni are doing all of these things, and more. With such a vast and varied range of experiences and talents from one starting point, Mercer is much more than a consulting firm...we’re a community.

“I came to work at Mercer not once, but twice—the first time directly out of college, and then again after business school. From the beginning, I was impressed by Mercer’s willingness to very quickly inject me into high-impact client situations. At the same time, the senior partners were dedicated to helping me develop my skills and abilities as a trusted advisor and manager. Today, I have the discipline and experience to succeed as a leader of people and ideas, and I’m able to pass that on to the next generation of Mercer leaders. Mercer offered the very best opportunity for me to make an immediate and lasting impact—on both my clients and my career.” John Wenstrup Director

“One of the things I find so invigorating about working at Mercer is the constant interaction I have with employees at every level of our organization. Everyone brings a different experience to the job, and every day brings an opportunity for me to be challenged by new perspectives, share new ideas, and solve problems in innovative and surprising ways. Our collective experience and the great variety of styles at work make this an incredibly dynamic place to work, and it catalyzes ideas and solutions that generate tremendous value for our clients.” Adrian Slywotzky Managing Director Named one of Consulting Magazine’s “Top 25 Consultants” in 2003

Impact Finding opportunity is one thing. Knowing how to capitalize on it is an entirely different matter.

Every answer we find, every solution we create must have one thing in common—it must have an intentional and positive impact on our clients and their business challenges. Working with us, you’ll learn to approach challenges in a way that transcends industry and geography. It’s a unique way of looking at our clients and their business issues, and delivering superior results to them. We call it building a Value Growth Agenda. And it all begins from the outside in. Remember the old saying “The customer is always right”? We believe that in order to truly

understand our clients, we have to take a good, hard look at their customers—where they shop, what they buy, what they like, what they need, why they behave the way they do. Understanding the driving forces behind unmet customer needs and their future priorities helps us to get ahead of the curve and build agendas for our clients to address and meet their customers’ needs ahead of the competition.

“In looking for a consulting firm, we needed a partner, not just another vendor. What we found in Mercer was a team with a deep knowledge of our situation and the challenges we faced. They brought a collaborative and flexible approach to problem-solving, innovative ideas backed up by solid experience and leadership, and a down-to-earth approach that enabled them to build relationships and support within our organization from day one.” Sean Donohue Vice President Ted, United’s low fare airline

Our solutions are built around a number of growth levers:

Business Design Innovation Creating new business designs to respond to emerging needs of key customer segments

Organizational Transformation Aligning leadership, people, processes, culture, and incentives with the chosen strategy

Operational Breakthrough Optimizing cost, quality, speed, and assets in the context of the chosen business design

Customer Value Growth Understanding differential customer behavior and profitability, and fine-tuning value propositions to optimize the business economics

And that’s only the half of it. Because delighting customers and shareholders alike takes much more than just customer insight and a great product. Behind every successful agenda for growth lies a plan for maximizing operational performance within the organization.

We work with our clients to create and enhance their supply chains, to optimize operating costs and capital structures, to evaluate and grow channels, to reorganize resources around the best opportunities, and to find more efficient ways to manage inputs—people, material, partners. Every successful strategy has an equally important implementation plan—one that is prioritized and organized to work in the real world. It’s how we do business…and how we generate results.

Choice An experience with Mercer will prepare you for whatever opportunity you’re looking for—at Mercer or beyond.

Whether you choose to make a long-term career of consulting or move on to something else, the broad business skills and leadership talents you’ll gain here are second to none. We’ll work with you to think about career paths and progression, leadership opportunities, and development options. We’re flexible and innovative in providing opportunities for our employees to learn and grow at every step of their careers. No matter where you are in your education or your career, Mercer has options to fit your needs and your personality. The choices you have in tailoring your career reach far and wide beyond the scope of most consulting firms. What do we look for in choosing our candidates? Poise. Maturity. Initiative. Intuition. Creativity. That, and a strong background in

problem-solving and analytical skills. We require no specific industry experience or academic majors. In fact, one of the best— and most interesting—things we can do for our clients and ourselves is to bring together a diverse group of people who bring a broad range of strengths and backgrounds to their roles. Choice is all around you at Mercer. All you have to do is look for it. And you don’t have to look far. While we hire at every level, a significant amount of our recruiting takes place at the undergraduate and MBA levels. Details regarding Mercer programs and opportunities are outlined on the opposite page.

“I took advantage of Mercer’s non-profit fellowship program to work for an organization called ChildCo. Their mission is to inspire and empower disenfranchised student groups by creating and implementing learning programs that embrace the pervasive influence of mass media, celebrity culture, and technology. This experience enabled me to take some time out of my normal work life to apply my wide range of consulting skills and strategic experience in an inner-city environment for a grass-roots group dedicated to improving education in America. It’s immensely rewarding to work for a company who not only recognizes the importance of giving back to the community, but actively supports efforts to do so.” Raphaela Neihausen Associate

25% of the core consulting group participated in one of the offered talent management programs in 2003. In 2003, 90% of Mercer consultants that applied to an MBA program were admitted into a top-tier school of their choice, including Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Kellogg, Tuck, and others. Individuals choosing not to pursue a graduate degree have the opportunity to progress internally from Analyst to Director.

EMPLOYEE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OPTIONS

Continuing Education

A N A LY S T S ( U N D E R G R A D UAT E D E G R E E )

A S S O C I AT E S ( G R A D UAT E D E G R E E )

MBA sponsorship — Obtain an MBA with tuition assistance and an offer to return to the firm Career progression to MBA level and beyond without returning to school or leaving the firm

N/A

Talent Management Programs 10/11 month year — formalized leave of absence program where staff can take 1-2 months off without pay to pursue outside interests Externships — 6 or 12 month on-site learning experience with a client Non-profit fellowships — 6 or 12 month opportunity to work at a non-profit organization while continuing to receive 40% of salary Formal Mercer Training and Development

Two weeks of office-based orientation and toolkit training Case simulation program Ongoing level-specific and topic-specific training

Unparalleled summer program, with small groups and real case experience

Informal Mercer Training and Development

On-the-job coaching and teaching from peers, managers, mentors, and thought leaders Mercer’s Digital Learning Center for training and research Consultant-developed and delivered learning sessions

Career Feedback and Development

Twice-annual career review process Formalized transparent process Merit-based, not time-based progression

Career Paths

Progression planning — the ability to move your career forward at your own pace Springboard to other opportunities — an open door to positions or career directions within and outside of the firm

Senior level access — to Directors and clients Career focus — specialize now or later Management — manage clients, junior consultants and intellectual capital development Springboard to other opportunities — an open door to positions or career directions within and outside of the firm

The choices are endless. Where you choose to go from here is up to you.

Potential For you. For our clients. It’s all within your reach.

Opportunity. It’s all around you. It’s up to you to figure out what to do with it. The choices you make and the challenges you take on will have a lasting effect—personally, professionally, in ways you might never have imagined.

At Mercer, the opportunity exists to go far, to succeed in many different ways. To impact our clients and each other in measurable, positive ways. To choose paths that work for each of us. To build a community that extends far beyond a job.

Impact.

Find out for yourself.

The chance to make a difference. For your clients. For yourself. The outcomes you create will extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of your work...they’ll make an impression on your life.

Choice. The freedom and flexibility to build your career and your expertise in the direction that you want to go. The choices you make will shape your future...and your success.

Join us.

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www.mercermc.com

Your career. Our business.