Strategy&

Strategy& is the strategy consulting business of PricewaterhouseCoopers, commonly known as PwC. It operates as a distinct strategy brand within PwC's wider professional-services network and serves corporations, governments, and other institutions on questions involving growth, competitiveness, operating models, transformation, deals, and organizational change. The brand is the successor to Booz & Company and ultimately traces its history to the management-consulting practice established by Edwin G. Booz in Chicago in 1914. Booz's founding idea was that organizations could make better decisions by seeking independent advice from an external specialist. That proposition helped establish an early form of management consulting. The original business, initially known as Business Research Service and later associated with the Booz Allen name, developed through research, investigations, and advisory work for industrial and commercial clients. Over time, the firm became known for work in corporate strategy, organization, operations, innovation, and leadership. Historical accounts associated the Booz lineage with concepts including product life-cycle thinking, supply-chain management, the PERT chart, and the use of organizational capabilities as a strategic lens. The business experienced several important structural changes. Booz Allen Hamilton became publicly traded in 1970, but the commercial consulting business was separated in 2008 when a private-equity transaction involving The Carlyle Group left Booz Allen Hamilton focused primarily on United States government consulting. The separated commercial practice became Booz & Company. It expanded through acquisitions and capability development, including the purchase of Katzenbach Partners in 2009, the formation of Booz Digital after the 2012 addition of Axon Advisory Partners, and the acquisition of Management Engineers in 2013. These moves broadened its work in organizational culture, digital business, industrial operations, and international consulting. PwC announced its acquisition of Booz & Company in October 2013. Booz's partners approved the transaction in December, and the deal closed in early April 2014. Because the transaction agreement prohibited the continued use of the Booz name by the successor organization, PwC introduced the Strategy& brand on April 4, 2014. The ampersand is intended to be read as “Strategy and,” reflecting the brand's proposition that strategy should be connected to execution and measurable business results. Strategy&'s offering is organized around strategy and transformation topics rather than consumer products. Its work can include corporate and business-unit strategy, portfolio and growth choices, operating-model design, functional strategy, digital and technology-enabled transformation, sustainability and environmental, social, and governance planning, and strategy related to mergers and acquisitions. As part of PwC, the unit can draw on tax, deals, assurance, risk, technology, and implementation specialists, allowing clients to move from strategic diagnosis toward execution. This connection to a large multidisciplinary network differentiates the brand from independent strategy firms, although it remains positioned as a high-end strategy adviser. Research and thought leadership are important parts of the brand. Strategy& and its predecessor organizations have published work through Strategy+Business and recurring studies on chief executives, governance, innovation investment, industry trends, capabilities-driven strategy, deals, digital transformation, and organizational fitness. The Katzenbach Center continues the Booz tradition of examining informal organization, culture, and change, including the relationship between formal structures and the networks through which work actually gets done. Strategy& does not publicly report standalone financial results because it is a PwC business unit rather than an independently listed company. Its global footprint derives from PwC's international network. The brand therefore occupies a hybrid position: it presents a specialist strategy-consulting identity while benefiting from the geographic reach and implementation resources of a major professional-services group. Its historical continuity, from Edwin G. Booz's 1914 practice through Booz Allen Hamilton and Booz & Company to the current Strategy& name, is central to its market identity. Booz & Company was a management and strategy consulting firm created in 2008 when the management consulting activities of Booz Allen Hamilton were separated from the rest of that business. Its history is connected to the consulting firm established by Edwin G. Booz in Chicago in 1914, but Booz & Company as a distinct business and brand dates from the later separation. The firm operated in the strategy and management consulting field. In 2013, Booz & Company announced a proposed sale to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), subject to regulatory approval and a partner vote. The partners approved the transaction in December 2013, and the deal was completed in April 2014. On April 4, 2014, the acquisition and the change of the firm’s name to Strategy& were announced. Booz & Company therefore ceased to be the firm’s continuing brand; its successor operates as Strategy& within PwC. The supplied material does not establish a specific headquarters for Booz & Company, a separate founder for the 2008 entity, its detailed country-by-country market coverage, or its standalone financial and listing status. Edwin G. Booz is associated with the earlier firm from which the business’s history derives, rather than being identified in the evidence as the founder of the separately constituted Booz & Company. PwC announced on October 30, 2013, that it intended to acquire Booz & Company through a conditional merger. Booz's partners approved the transaction on December 23, 2013, and the deal closed in early April 2014. Because the transaction agreement prevented the successor organization from continuing to use the Booz name, PwC introduced the Strategy& brand on April 4, 2014. The ampersand is intended to be read as "and," reflecting the brand's idea that strategy should be connected to execution and measurable business outcomes. Strategy& organizes its business around strategy and transformation themes rather than consumer-facing products. Its work can include corporate and business-unit strategy, portfolio and growth choices, operating-model design, functional strategy, digital and technology-driven transformation, sustainability and ESG planning, and merger-related strategy. As part of PwC, the unit can draw on experts in tax, deals, assurance, risk, technology, and implementation, enabling clients to move from strategic diagnosis to execution. This connection to a large multidisciplinary network distinguishes the brand from independent strategy firms, although it remains positioned as a high-end strategy adviser. Strategy& does not publicly report standalone financial results because it is a business unit of PwC rather than an independent listed company. Its global scale and geographic reach are tied to the PwC network. Its principal historical turning points are therefore the 1914 founding of the Booz practice, the 2008 separation from Booz Allen Hamilton, the 2013 acquisition agreement with PwC, the 2014 completion and rebranding, and the continuing integration of strategy advice with PwC's broader execution capabilities.

Strategy& traces its origins to Edwin G. Booz, who established a consulting practice in Chicago in 1914 after developing the idea that companies could benefit from impartial advice supplied by an outside expert. In 1916, Booz and two partners formed the Business Research and Development Company, undertaking studies and investigative assignments for commercial and trade organizations. Early clients included Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Chicago Union Stockyards, and Canadian Pacific Railroad. The practice represented an early institutional form of management consulting and expanded as businesses increasingly sought specialist advice on organization, operations, and strategy. The firm passed through multiple names and organizational forms before becoming associated with Booz Allen Hamilton. By the late 1950s, it had gained a prominent position in the consulting market. Booz Allen Hamilton went public in 1970 through an initial offering of 500,000 shares priced at $24 per share; its public-market period continued until 1976. The consulting business subsequently developed both commercial and government work, creating a structure that was later divided according to client focus. In 2008, the commercial portion of Booz Allen Hamilton's consulting business, together with consulting operations serving governments outside the United States, was separated in connection with a private-equity takeover involving The Carlyle Group. The separated firm adopted the name Booz & Company. Booz Allen Hamilton then focused exclusively on United States government consulting, although it later rebuilt a commercial practice after a noncompete restriction expired. The separation established the corporate predecessor of today's Strategy& as an independent commercial strategy consultancy. Booz & Company expanded its capabilities during the following years. In 2009, it acquired Katzenbach Partners, a transaction that supported further work on organizational culture, informal networks, leadership, and change. The firm subsequently created the Katzenbach Center as a platform for research and practical insight in these areas. In 2012, Axon Advisory Partners joined the business, helping launch Booz Digital as a team combining strategists, designers, and technologists to develop digital businesses. In April 2013, Booz & Company acquired Management Engineers, adding partners and staff as well as operations expertise in manufacturing, chemicals, and industrial sectors. The transaction also strengthened the firm's position in Germany, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. PwC announced on October 30, 2013, that it intended to acquire Booz & Company through a conditional merger. Booz's partners approved the transaction on December 23, 2013, and the deal closed in early April 2014. The successor brand, Strategy&, was announced on April 4, 2014. Its unusual spelling and ampersand were dictated in part by an agreement that prevented the new legal entity from using the Booz name or a close variant. The name is pronounced “Strategy and” and was designed to signal a connection between strategic direction and practical execution. After the transaction, Strategy& became PwC's global strategy consulting business and a distinct unit within its broader advisory activities. The model gives the brand access to PwC's international network and adjacent capabilities in transactions, technology, risk, tax, assurance, and implementation. Strategy& continues the Booz tradition of senior-level advisory work while presenting its services through four broad themes commonly associated with its research and offerings: capabilities-driven strategy, deals, digital, and fitness for growth. The firm also maintains a research-oriented identity. Its work is published through Strategy+Business and recurring studies covering chief executive succession, governance, innovation investment, industry conditions, organizational culture, and transformation. Research from the Booz lineage has been associated with the development or popularization of concepts such as supply-chain management, product life cycles, PERT charting, and organizational DNA. The Katzenbach Center extends the historical emphasis on the informal organization and the role of culture in performance. Strategy& is not a separately listed company and does not publish standalone financial statements. It is a branded business unit within PwC, with its current scale and geographic reach tied to the PwC network. Its principal historical turning points are therefore the 1914 founding of the Booz practice, the 2008 separation from Booz Allen Hamilton, the 2013 acquisition agreement with PwC, the 2014 completion and rebranding, and the continuing integration of strategy advice with PwC's broader execution capabilities. The business history associated with Booz & Company reaches back to Edwin G. Booz’s consulting practice, established in Chicago in 1914. According to the supplied history, Booz developed the idea that companies could benefit from impartial advice from experts outside their own organizations. The practice grew into a consulting firm that became known as Booz Allen Hamilton. This earlier history provides context for Booz & Company, but the two names refer to different stages and structures of the business. Booz & Company emerged in 2008 when the management consulting business was separated from Booz Allen Hamilton. The separation followed a broader division of activities: the public-sector consulting businesses remained with Booz Allen Hamilton, while the management consulting activities were grouped under the Booz & Company name. The split marked Booz & Company’s formation as a distinct consulting business and brand. In 2013, Booz & Company announced that it would be sold to PricewaterhouseCoopers, subject to regulatory approval and a vote by the firm’s partners. The partners voted in favor of the deal in December 2013. The acquisition was completed in April 2014. On April 4, 2014, the acquisition and the renaming of Booz & Company as Strategy& were announced. The supplied account says the new name reflected an agreement with the former sister company Booz Allen Hamilton that prevented a new legal entity from using “Booz” or variants of that name. The rebranding ended Booz & Company’s use as the continuing brand; the consulting business continued within PwC as Strategy&.

• 2014

  PwC completes the acquisition and introduces Strategy&

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  Following partner approval and regulatory completion, PwC acquired Booz & Company and announced the Strategy& name on April 4.

• 2013

  Management Engineers is acquired

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition added operations expertise and strengthened the firm's presence in industrial sectors and several international markets.

• 2013

  Booz partners approve the transaction

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  Booz's partners approved the transaction on December 23, 2013.

• 2013

  PwC announces agreement to acquire Booz & Company

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  PwC announced on October 30, 2013, that it intended to acquire Booz & Company through a conditional merger, subject to regulatory approval and a partner vote.

• 2012

  Booz Digital is launched

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  The addition of Axon Advisory Partners supported the creation of a digital consulting team combining strategy, design, and technology capabilities.

• 2009

  Katzenbach Partners is acquired

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition expanded the firm's work in organizational culture and change and led to the creation of the Katzenbach Center.

• 2008

  Commercial consulting business becomes Booz & Company

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  The commercial consulting practice separated from Booz Allen Hamilton during a private-equity transaction, creating the direct predecessor of Strategy&.

• 1970

  Booz Allen Hamilton goes public

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  The firm completed an initial public offering of 500,000 shares at $24 per share.

• 1916

  Business Research and Development Company is formed

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  Booz and two partners established a formal business that conducted research and investigative assignments for commercial and trade organizations.

• 1914

  Edwin G. Booz establishes a consulting practice

  [1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  Edwin G. Booz founded a Chicago advisory practice based on the principle that companies could benefit from impartial advice provided by an external specialist.

Showing the 10 most recent.

A global, high-end strategy consultancy operating within PwC. Strategy& emphasizes the combination of independent strategic thinking with PwC's scale, multidisciplinary expertise, transaction capabilities, technology resources, and implementation support. A management and strategy consultancy that became part of PwC and was renamed Strategy& in 2014.

• Strategy consulting

  Corporate and business strategy

  Strategy& advises organizations on choices concerning corporate direction, business-unit priorities, portfolio composition, growth, market entry, and competitive positioning. The work typically connects external-market analysis with an assessment of the client's capabilities and aims to translate strategic choices into an executable agenda. Strategy+Business is the firm's principal management and business publication platform. It disseminates research and commentary on strategy, leadership, innovation, organization, technology, and industry change, extending the brand's influence beyond client engagements.

• Strategy consulting

  Capabilities-Driven Strategy

  This approach centers strategy on the distinctive capabilities that an organization can build and deploy repeatedly. Rather than treating strategy as a list of disconnected initiatives, it links market choices, operating priorities, and organizational strengths so that the business can compete through a coherent system of capabilities.

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory

  Deals Strategy

  Deals Strategy supports clients before, during, and after transactions. Its scope can include acquisition rationale, commercial and operational due diligence, portfolio strategy, value-creation planning, separation, and post-merger integration. The offering benefits from Strategy&'s place within PwC's wider transactions and advisory network.

• Digital transformation consulting · 2012

  Digital Strategy

  Digital Strategy addresses the use of technology, data, design, and new business models to improve or transform an organization. The capability was strengthened by the launch of Booz Digital in 2012, which brought together strategists, designers, and technologists to help clients turn strategic ideas into digital businesses.

• Transformation consulting

  Fitness for Growth

  Fitness for Growth focuses on helping organizations improve the economic and organizational conditions needed for sustainable expansion. Typical themes include cost and productivity improvement, resource allocation, operating-model changes, and the reinvestment of savings into growth priorities.

• Organizational research and advisory · 2009

  Katzenbach Center

  The Katzenbach Center is a research and advisory platform concerned with organizational culture, informal networks, leadership, and change. It reflects the firm's view that formal structures alone do not explain how organizations perform and that informal behavior can either reinforce or obstruct transformation.

• Management consulting

  Management consulting activities were the business grouped under the Booz & Company name following the 2008 separation.

• Strategy consulting

  Strategy consulting is identified in the supplied account as the field associated with the firm and its successor.

• 2014

  Replace the Booz & Company name with Strategy&Strategy

  Background

  An agreement with the former parent restricted the use of the Booz name or close variants by the new legal entity after the acquisition.

  Action taken

  PwC introduced Strategy& as the successor brand on April 4, 2014. The name is intended to be pronounced “Strategy and.”

  Aftermath

  The business retained a specialist strategy-consulting identity while becoming part of PwC's broader advisory platform.

  Source

• 2013

  Agree to be acquired by PwCM&A

  Background

  Booz & Company announced that it would be sold to PwC through a conditional merger, subject to regulatory steps and approval by Booz partners.

  Action taken

  The partners approved the transaction in December 2013, enabling completion in early April 2014.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition became PwC's largest consulting acquisition at the time and provided the basis for the Strategy& brand.

  Source

• 2008

  Separate the commercial consulting practice from Booz Allen HamiltonStrategy

  Background

  A private-equity transaction reorganized the Booz Allen Hamilton businesses by separating the commercial consulting practice and non-United States government consulting operations from the United States government-focused firm.

  Action taken

  The separated commercial business adopted the Booz & Company identity, while Booz Allen Hamilton concentrated on United States government consulting.

  Aftermath

  The transaction created the independent commercial strategy consultancy that was later acquired by PwC and renamed Strategy&.

  Source

• Separation of management consulting activitiesOther

• Sale to PwC and transition to Strategy&Other

• 2014

  Booz & Company is acquired by PwC and renamed Strategy&[1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change

  PwC completed its acquisition of Booz & Company and introduced Strategy& as the successor brand. The new name reflected contractual restrictions on continued use of the Booz name by the acquired business.

• 2008

  Booz & Company separates from Booz Allen Hamilton[1]Strategy&en.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The commercial consulting practice was separated from Booz Allen Hamilton during a private-equity transaction, while Booz Allen Hamilton concentrated on United States government consulting.

1. 1Strategy&en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Strategy&fr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Booz & Companywikidata.org