FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting is a legal, risk management, general management, and operational management consulting firm headquartered in Washington, DC. The fact that it is headquartered in the U.S. capital should give you your first hint that this giant firm counts various U.S. government agencies as some of its biggest clients.

This comprehensive overview of FTI Consulting will explore the company’s culture, comp packages, interview process, and more. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

Table of Contents:

1. FTI Consulting Key Stats
2. FTI Consulting History
3. FTI Consulting Careers
4. Practice Areas
5. Industries
6. FTI Consulting Offices
7. Career Path
8. Exit Opportunities
9. Notable Alumni
10. FTI Consulting Culture
11. Awards
12. FTI Consulting Internship
13. FTI Consulting Case Study Interview
14. FTI Consulting Salary
15. Target Schools
16. Diversity Programs

FTI Consulting Key Stats

• FTI Consulting Website: fticonsulting.com
• FTI Consulting Headquarters: Washington, D.C.
• FTI Consulting Number of Employees: 6,600+
• FTI Consulting Number of Locations: 119 office locations across 29 countries
• FTI Consulting Chief Executive: Steven Gunby
• FTI Consulting Revenue: $2.46 Billion (2020)

FTI Consulting History

It is important to at least be familiar with the firm’s history to best answer po FTI Consulting interview questions. FTI Consulting was founded by Dan Luczak and Joseph Reynolds. Its original name was Forensic Technologies International. The founders’ initial goal was to help courtroom staff and jury members interpret technological evidence via innovative computer models.

The firm went public in 1996, raising $11.1 million. It expanded to Canada in 1997 with its acquisition of LWG. Between 1998 and 2005, it changed its name to FTI Consulting, acquired multiple consulting companies (including the U.S Business Recovery Services division of PwC), and provided essential technology for the Bush vs. Gore presidential dispute. It continued to acquire firms across consulting verticals and expand to other countries in the years that followed.

FTI’s current CEO, Steven Gunby, was named to the position in 2014. Under his leadership, the firm has been named by Forbes in its list of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms consistently since 2016.

FTI Consulting Careers

FTI Consulting careers offer an opportunity to join a community of over 6,600 employees who are working with industry experts to manage financial and operational risk for clients. The collaborative culture values diversity and offers many opportunities for professional advancement at defined career stops.

FTI offers job opportunities to current students, recent graduates, and experienced professionals alike. FTI Consulting is unique in that it works with management groups from Fortune 1000 companies, law firms, and governmental agencies, giving employees the opportunity to work on projects in a variety of industries. Keep in mind, however, that much of FTI’s work takes place in the federal sector – this work is often more like contracting as opposed to consulting.

Learn more about open roles at FTI Consulting here.

Practice Areas

There are five practice areas at FTI Consulting are: Corporate Finance & Restructuring, Forensic & Litigation Consulting, Health Solutions, Economic Consulting, Technology and Strategic Communications.

Inside of these practice areas, the firm engages in projects around:

• • Antitrust
  • Business Transformation & Strategy
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data & Analytics
  • Dispute Advisory & International Arbitration
  • E-Discovery & Managed Review
  • ESG & Sustainability
  • Information Governance, Privacy & Security
  • Investigations & Monitorships
  • Policy & Regulation
  • Risk & Compliance
  • Strategic Communications
  • Transactions
  • Turnaround & Restructuring
  • Valuation & Damages

Industries

FTI offers this long list of services across industries. Unlike boutique firms, which focus primarily on just one functional area or industry, FTI is a truly global firm, often categorized as a “Tier 2” firm one level below MBB and the Big 4. Here are the industries FTI conducts projects in:

• • Aerospace & Defense
  • Agriculture
  • Airlines & Aviation
  • Automotive & Industrial
  • Construction
  • Energy, Power, & Products
  • Environmental Solutions
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure
  • Insurance
  • Mining
  • Private Equity
  • Public Sector & Government Contracts
  • Real Estate
  • Retail & Consumer Products
  • Telecom, Media, & Technology
  • Transportation & Logistics

FTI Consulting Offices

FTI Consulting operates 122 offices across 29 countries, with its executive headquarters located in Washington, D.C. Click on the link for a full list, but the firm’s most popular office locations are as follows:

• • FTI Consulting Chicago
  • FTI Consulting DC
  • FTI Consulting New York
  • FTI Consulting Los Angeles
  • FTI Consulting San Francisco
  • FTI Consulting Atlanta, GA
  • FTI Consulting Dallas
  • FTI Consulting Panama
  • FTI Consulting South Africa
  • FTI Consulting Berlin
  • FTI Consulting Boston
  • FTI Consulting Brussels

Career Path

The typical FTI Consulting Career path consists of six levels:

Consultant –> Senior Consultant –> Director –> Senior Director –> Managing Director –> Senior Managing Director

There is opportunity for upward mobility, as the firm does not necessarily organize promotions around length of service but places more emphasis on performance reviews. The culture isn’t all meritocratic, however – some promotions take place based on staffing needs, as it’s often easier to promote from within to fill more senior roles, and then recruit externally to fill the junior role that has just been vacated. The firm employs a typical “pyramid” structure, with far more Consultants than Managing Directors on staff.

Exit Opportunities

FTI consulting exit opportunities are plentiful, and the firm is a solid launching pad for operations-focused roles in PE, restructuring roles in IB, pursuing an MBA, making a transition to another consulting firm, or working for a credit fund.

Notable Alumni

FTI Consulting recruits top performers, and while some stay through the course of their career, most leave within 5 years of joining the firm (common for all consulting firms). Here are a couple of the firm’s most notable alumni.

Joe Reynolds, one of the two original founders of FTI Consulting, went on to found RTI Group in 2003 and is currently its President and CEO. He is known globally as a top forensic engineering investigator and serves often as an expert witness in legal trials.
Ka Wing Yeungl, previously of FTI’s Hong Kong branch, is now the Executive Director & Compliance Officer of ETS Group Ltd. and has served on the board of Pine Care Group since 2020.

The list of FTI Consulting notable alumni is long; it’s clear that FTI can lead to successful careers across industries for those who choose to leave.

FTI Consulting Culture

Most consultants have positive things to say about their time at FTI, which is not surprising – consulting is a human-capital driven industry. It is in the best interests of the firm to take care of its consultants so that they in turn can take care of clients. However, like all large consulting firms, the experience can vary based on the practice area and location you choose. Individual partners play a large role in setting the culture of their practice area or office, meaning the firm’s overall culture is not as centralized as other, smaller firms. This can be a great thing if you like your office, team, or partner, but can also be an obvious downside.

Generally, consultants tout the potential for career growth and challenging but rewarding learning environment, as well as strong support from upper management. Peers are smart and motivated, and like all consulting projects, there is a heavy teamwork aspect to the culture. Management promotes flexibility (remote work, schedule) and compensation is fair. However, like all consulting firms, work/life balance can get out of whack – it’s normal to work 60+ hours per week during critical weeks of a project.

FTI Consulting overhauled its organizational structure in 2014 to focus on collaboration and facilitate growth within the company. Specifically, the firm invested in diversity initiatives such as the ‘Women’s Initiative’ and outlined its core values as ‘I CARE’, emphasizing Integrity, Creativity, Achievement, Respect, and Empathy.

Awards

• Vanguard Leader in Capital Projects and Infrastructure (ALM Intelligence)
• #1 in the Global Arbitration Review Expert Witness Firms’ Power Index
• Competition Economics Firm of the Year (Who’s Who Legal)
• Named to America’s Best Management Consulting Firms List (Forbes)

FTI Consulting Internship

FTI Consulting has a few opportunities available to undergraduate students hoping to pursue a career in consulting. First, applicable candidates should pay attention to the Future Women & Diverse Leaders Forum. This event is held in various locations across the U.S. bi-annually. Bringing together the most promising students in the country, the immersive experience includes interactive learning activities, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to interview with company leaders. The forum invites freshmen, sophomores, and juniors from historically underrepresented groups to apply.

The FTI Consulting internship program gives rising seniors the chance to join one of FTI’s teams for a 10-week summer experience. Graduate students are also eligible for this opportunity the summer before their final year of school.

Lastly, the FTI Future Leaders Internship is perhaps the most selective opportunity out of the three. This program is designed for rising female or historically underrepresented sophomores and/or juniors with impressive transcripts. If you are offered the chance to return the following year, you are given your choice of practice area to return to the next summer.

FTI Consulting Case Study Interview

The FTI Consulting Case Study Interview is the second portion of the FTI Interview Process. It consists of anywhere from three to six case studies. The FTI Consulting case interview is meant to realistically simulate the types of problems you’ll solve on the job. We always recommend professional case interview coaching to adequately prepare for this rigorous process.

FTI Consulting Interview Process

The FTI Consulting interview process consists of two parts. The initial round consists of a 30–60-minute interview to judge an applicant’s personality, behavior, and experience/qualifications. The main purpose of this step is to determine whether a prospective employee will fit into the ‘I Care’ culture at FTI.

The second round consists of anywhere from 3-6 case study interviews that also contain cultural fit questions throughout. These case interviews will cut across industries and the diverse practice areas that FTI offers – be sure to practice multiple types of cases, from those focused on a technology rollout to cost-cutting for a federal agency to a turnaround strategy for a client exiting bankruptcy. Our Case Library contains 500 of these kinds of diverse cases – and each one contains solutions.

This second round of interviews will typically finish with a lunch or dinner with current consultants – beware, this part of the process is still evaluative!

FTI Consulting Salary

You can see up-to-date entry level salaries at FTI in our most recent consulting salary report.

Target Schools

FTI Consulting target schools include your typical target schools across the industry, including UC Berkeley, Penn, Yale, and the University of Michigan. If you don’t attend a traditional consulting target school, don’t worry! Target an office location closest to your campus and be sure to network with current consultants to get your foot in the door.

Diversity Programs

FTI is committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion, as stated in its core values (‘I Care’). FTI Consulting diversity programs include the following:

• Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategy – You can read more about this overall strategy here.
• Diversity Ambassador Program – This program is designed to build a community where everyone feels valued and has access to the opportunities that appeal to them. It gives employees the chance to launch internal initiatives to promote specific diversity goals.
• FTI WIN – WIN is FTI’s worldwide diversity initiative focused on bringing more women into the consulting world. It offers professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help women grow in their careers, build a community, and realize their potential.

You can read more about FTI’s diversity initiatives here.

Conclusion

FTI Consulting is a large, publicly traded, global consulting firm that offers primarily legal, risk management, and operational consulting services. If you’re interested in joining a global consulting firm that works across global industries, FTI Consulting may be for you. Work with our expert editing team to make sure you have an A+ resume and let our expert interview coaches build a specific case interview prep plan for you.

 

Additional Reading:

• Top 25 Consulting Firms
• Top 10 Boutique Consulting Firms in US
• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
• Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide