Accordion Partners

Key Insights:

Firm focus and growth: Accordion is a private equity-focused consulting firm founded in 2009, now with 1,400 employees across 10 global offices and $185M in revenue.
Careers and culture: The firm offers full-time roles and MBA internships, receives strong reviews for collaboration and supportive leadership, though training can be demanding early on.
Compensation and exit opportunities: Salaries are below MBB levels but balanced by high satisfaction and strong exit opportunities into private equity and broader consulting.

Accordion is a financial consulting firm specifically focused on private equity. It specializes in value creation across all stages of the investment lifecycle, from foundational accounting and FP&A enhancement to exit planning and transaction support, and everything in between.

In this industry-insider overview, we'll look at careers and all things Accordion - the culture, interviews, and salary expectations. Check it out below.

Firm Key Stats

Firm Website: www.accordion.com
Firm Headquarters: New York, New York
Firm Number of Employees: 1,400
Firm Number of Locations: 10
Firm Chief Executive: Nick Leopard
Firm Revenue: ~$185M

Accordion History

Nick Leopard founded Accordion Partners in 2009 with private equity in mind from the beginning. Before launching the firm, he worked with CapitalSource, as well as Bear, Stearns & Co. LLC in its investment banking department. The firm has completed multiple acquisitions, including Mackinac Partners, ABACI, Platform Specialists, Merilytics, OperationsRx, Kavaliro, and more.

Accordion Careers

Accordion has ongoing hiring for a wide variety of full-time positions across 10 locations in the US, London, and India. The firm recommends that interested candidates monitor the latest openings on their careers page.

Accordion Internship

Accordion offers an MBA Summer Associate program for 1st year MBA students with prior backgrounds in private equity, consulting, finance, or accounting. The firm recommends that interested candidates check the careers page during MBA recruiting seasons and reach out to the talent acquisition team for more information.

Practice Areas

Accordion’s consulting practice areas provide tailored solutions for all stages of the investment lifecycle.

- Foundational Accounting and FP&A Enhancement
- Data & Analytics
- Performance Acceleration
- Exit Planning & Transaction Support
- Turnaround & Restructuring
- Digital Finance & AI

Industries

Accordion’s industry coverage offers a range of options for interested parties.

- Business Services
- Energy & Utilities
- Financial Services
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Manufacturing
- Real Estate, Hospitality & Construction
- Retail & Consumer Products
- Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Accordion Office Locations

Accordion’s offices are spread across the US, London, and India, offering options for those interested in a career at the firm.

- New York City
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Atlanta
- Charlotte
- London
- Hyderabad

Exit Opportunities

Experience at Accordion functions as great preparation for the consulting industry as a whole. It would also offer those interested in working in private equity a significant advantage through the exposure to the private equity industry because of Accordion’s focus. See our article on private equity vs consulting here.

Target Schools

While Accordion considers candidates from a wide variety of schools, recent MBA Summer Associates have come from the following.

- The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
- The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Kellogg School of Management
- Tuck School of Business

Diversity Programs

Accordion has no specific diversity program for recruiting, but the firm states it is committed to an inclusive workforce. The firm regularly posts columns on its site sharing insight from team members and endeavors to elevate many different voices.

Accordion Culture

Accordion receives incredibly positive feedback from employees on its culture and work environment. Staff feel that management is supportive, teams are collaborative, and growth is encouraged. Some have said that the initial phase after being brought on can be difficult, as the firm’s training processes could be more extensive, and occasionally there is quite a bit of over the shoulder monitoring. As soon as individuals have adjusted, however, they only have good things to say about colleagues and leaders alike.

Accordion Interview

Most interviews are pretty standard, with behavioral, resume, and experience questions. Only a few candidates have reported case interviews, so it likely depends on the position being applied for. The majority of experiences have been positive, citing friendly, professional interviewers and smooth processes. A few outliers reported some unprofessionalism and unpreparedness, but these seem to be the exception.

Common Accordion Interview Questions:

- Walk us through an area of work you know end to end
- Tell me what you know about Accordion Partners
- How do you value a company?
- Explain a time where you were out of your comfort zone and there were looming deadlines with limited resources, how did you navigate
- through this and what was the outcome?
- What about this role will be difficult for you?
- Walk me through your resume
- What did you like about your previous work?

Accordion Salary

Salaries will usually be lower than at MBB firms, but employee satisfaction is quite high, taking this into consideration. The following are past average salaries, but exact offers will always vary based on role and location. Check out our Consulting Salaries Report for detailed compensation details on 90+ firms.

Associate: $130,000 - $150,000
Vice President: $170,000 - $190,000
Director: $200,000 - $220,000

Conclusion

Because of Accordion’s extraordinary track record with culture and its treatment of people, it warrants any eager aspiring consultant’s consideration. Anyone interested in technology or private equity would be on the right track to look into programs with the firm as well, given its expertise in these areas. While compensation may be higher at competing firms, some elements of Accordion could tip the scales in its favor.

Check out our resources on preparing your resume and case interview coaching!