New research projects 5.5% annual growth rate in Canadian consulting market through 2010

Toronto – The market for consulting services across Canada represents a vibrant opportunity for consultancies located both inside and outside its borders according to industry analysts Kennedy Information in a new study commissioned by CMC-Canada. Demand for services in the private and public sectors is outpacing global market growth rates, and the consulting expertise resident in Canada is well positioned to serve clients in other parts of North America with a talented, bilingual and cost-competitive professional workforce. The findings also point to a variety of additional forces that are influencing demand and service delivery.

"Unlike other countries, Canada's consulting marketplace is more fragmented and stratified," says Heather Osler, President and CEO of CMC-Canada. "We're experiencing a rise of the mid-size management consultancies, and Canada is seeing a dramatic surge with the leading Business Advisory Firms (BAS) competing directly with the well-known strategy consulting firms. The robust market is further supported by the entrepreneurial activity of niche and boutique management consulting firms."

The comprehensive analysis of the management consulting profession in Canada and its contribution to the Canadian economy, Management Consulting in Canada: 2007 – 2010, provides exclusive data on current market size, and growth projections through 2010. The report analyzes market demand by type of management consulting service (i.e., segment) and by province. The report also provides market segmentation by client vertical industry.

Other key sections of the report include:

• Client Characteristics by Industry and Geography: the critical pain points and opportunities, including case studies, across client industries and a range of geographies.

• Professional Demographics: profiling over 700 representative consultants, the analysis includes important workforce benchmarks for firm managers including age distribution, experience levels, gender statistics, detailed compensation and fee figures, and associated data.

• Competitive Landscape: the nature of competition in the Canadian consulting market, including rankings of the largest firms in both the management consulting and IT consulting segments, as well as by client industry vertical. This analysis illustrates market revenues by province and by type of client firm, among other data.

• Trends and Opportunities: Based on extensive interviews with thought leaders and clients, this section details the drivers, trends, challenges and opportunities that are shaping the market for consulting services. It summarizes key success factors in competing in the Canadian market and identifies emerging client needs.