AWR Lloyd Limited

Vault’s Verdict

AWR Lloyd is something of an exemplar of a boutique firm: insiders note that it strikes a balance between challenging work and a supportive culture, fostering a workplace where learning and growth are valued, with substantial client exposure on offer right from the start.

The flip side of this agility is the intense pace and high expectations that come with the territory. While the firm encourages a work-life balance, the demanding nature of the projects can sometimes blur these boundaries. AWR Lloyd’s approach is best suited for self-motivated individuals who are ready to dive into an entrepreneurial atmosphere and navigate the challenges unique to a boutique firm. The promise of rapid career advancement here is real for those who can thrive in a competitive yet supportive environment.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “AWR Lloyd is a great place to work if you want to work with talented individuals on a variety of projects across multiple industries.”
• “Diverse people and cultures, with a multifaceted array of assignments and sectors.”
• “If you are looking for a head-start in consulting field which opens door for strategy consulting, investment banking, and venture development as well as an exposure to different industries, this is the place for you.”
• “Taking a bird’s eye view of problems to really focus our attention on areas that truly matter the most and develop a long-term strategic thinking plan based on that macro picture.”
• “We are boutique, smaller-scaled, but we work with a growth-mindset attitude. Everyone’s work is appreciated and adds great value to the growth of the firm. We are able to offer strategic insights and valuable resources to our clients at par excellence, comparison to other peers in the industry.”

Quality of Life

• “Best: hands down the work environment and culture—open, willing, helping, fun, casual but also serious when need be, and filled with extremely smart people.”
• “Especially when it comes to time off (annual leave or sick), I am quite happy with the quality of life here because my boss never rejects my request.”
• “Great work-life balance, easy to take time off and low travel requirements. Can be challenging during tough M&A season and increasing consulting engagements.”
• “The best aspect of AWR Lloyd’s quality of life is the promotion of work-life balance, flexible working hours, and how easy it is to get approval for time off.”
• “Very good work-life balance. Regular check-ins to see if the balance is good. The culture of the firm is very egalitarian—you can give constructive criticism and promote new ideas very easily. The firm’s management is very approachable and open to new ideas. Colleagues are friendly and respectful.”

Career Development

• “AWR Lloyd provides a platform for all its FTEs to not just fulfill the interests of the firm but also avenues for FTEs to pursue their interests.”
• “Best: An entrepreneurial mindset applied to strategy consulting. Firm diversity, autonomy, and promotion policies that encourage action-oriented individuals regardless of level of experience.
  Worst: The unorthodox and unstructured nature of the firm can make it difficult for most individuals to navigate within the firm and demonstrate value addition to the firm.”
• “Promotion is merit-based. Allowed to explore other areas outside of primary function e.g. establishing M&A/capital raising track record in tech. Extensive opportunities for collaboration across international teams both within the firm and externally with its network.”
• “The firm has a relatively standard promotion process and puts an extremely positive environment for diversity and training opportunities for all its employees.”
• “Very good cross-border work to improve networking pool, however it’s hard to officially transfer.”

Compensation

• “Attractive compensation package, bonuses, and additional compensation can vary and depend on firm’s overall performance versus team performance.”
• “Best: firm offers profit sharing arrangements if this fits your personal situation. Also, buy-in opportunities at attractive prices. Worst: salary progression depends on performance, not considering market fluctuations.”
• “My salary is not currently satisfactory. However, salaries do progress quickly here! If you work well, you can expect to be rewarded yearly.”
• “Salary progression and promotions are fair and competitive with the market. The downside is that salary progression is based on your team’s performance.”
• “The best aspect of our compensation package includes comprehensive benefits.”

Community Engagement

• “Colleagues are from different backgrounds/different ethnicities. Everyone is treated equally and fairly.”
• “Firm is highly committed to DE&I, particularly for minorities. There is an opportunity for further improvement in hiring and supporting individuals with disabilities.”
• “Similar to health and wellness, there is not a lot of 'tangible' and 'formal' top-down initiatives around DE&I. But the firm culture is just simply very open and inclusive—we hire non-discriminatorily, have a non-discriminatory team and culture, and the virtuous cycle repeats. It is embedded in our DNA because as a boutique firm we must actively avoid group-thinking and gather diverse perspectives as much as possible.
  That said, it is worth mentioning that AWR Lloyd has become a knowledge partner for ABWCI for about a year now, and the team who is responsible for this 'work stream' is led by women and also consists of mostly women.”
• “The firm practices very positive DE&I efforts. The firm is very diverse, and takes great pride in making everyone feel welcome.”
• “We are so diverse in terms of people, gender, religion and culture. Everyone is being treated equally and with respect.”

Business Outlook

• “As a boutique firm, we cannot afford not to be early in identifying upcoming mega-trends and I think we have been good at it. For example, we have been championing ESG and sustainability for a while now. On an even 'wilder' side, we even have a cannabis advisory service module. Our specialization in the 'Energy Transition' theme is also a prominent strength.
  However, implementing this 'constant innovation' and 'bespoke services' as a boutique firm can be challenging. We have yet to find 'niche' service modules that we could replicate for different clients without too much effort. As a result, there is no stable, 'cash cow' business unit (e.g. audit for Big 4) and we need to keep re-inventing ourselves and going up the learning curve for almost every new project/client. This will also hinder our growth.”
• “Extremely strong and well-positioned in oil & gas/infrastructure/renewables sectors. Still developing a track record in pharma/psychedelics/TMT. Interesting combination of strategy consulting, investment banking, and project advisory/development capabilities. Employees are generally happy to be in their roles.”
• “Given its focus on sustainability, AWR Lloyd is well-positioned to thrive as the world increasingly turns to long-term and inclusive solutions.”
• “The firm is extremely well positioned in the industry, especially considering the global trend towards sustainability and green transition, with many partners, connections, services, and clients in the space. Worst aspects are the typical 'prestige' pitfalls with cold clients.”
• “We are highly competitive as a firm, even against bigger companies. We have accelerating presence in many key regions around the world.”

Hiring Process

• “AWR Lloyd is seeking young and entrepreneurial individuals that have a balanced mindset between a strategy consultant and an investment banker.”
• “Being smart, switched-on, and hardworking goes without saying. Beyond the obvious I would say what we need is more 'pirates'. People with a slightly maverick way of thinking. Oddballs perhaps.
  People who are relatively independent and resourceful. People who don't need to wait to be told what to do.
  People with an enterprising and buccaneering spirit. People who can be decisive, bold and determined when needed.
  But also people who are naturally kind. People who have a genuine sense of honor and duty as well as loyalty and respect for those around them. And a real concern for humanity and the planet as a whole.”
• “Interview and testing stage involves 3 steps: 1) Quant test, 2) Interview round one with manager, 3) Interview round two with director/associate director.”
• “Process includes several interview rounds with different (relevant) people in the firm. Firm is looking for well-connected people with an open mindset and pro-active character, preferably with a network to bring into the firm.”
• “The firm has at least one interview, but is happy to schedule more if the applicant requires to go through their questions in more detail.”

Interview Questions

• “Describe previous role(s) and achievements, how would they approach certain difficult situations?”
• “How many gas stations would you say are in Thailand? (Giving rationale and thought behind your answer)
  How many balloons would you fit in an airplane (draw on your previous experiences to come to a conclusion).”
• “Market sizing/guesstimate questions such as how many cars are in the country. Financial questions such as definitions, or financial calculations, such as ratios or balance sheet items. English comprehension questions based on paragraphs.”
• “Presenting a geopolitical situation or government policies, and asking what, if any, opportunities may exist there for the firm.”
• “We have four main tests for different positions: basic valuation test, comprehension test, case interview, and aptitude test.”