Kx Advisors EMEA

Vault’s Verdict

Kx is rapidly building out processes and offerings following its spin-out from Kaiser Associates, with plenty of firm-building work to go around for ambitious insiders to take advantage of.

That’s not to diminish the quality of its client offerings or deliverables: this is a firm building a name for itself serving some truly impressive clients.

As an employer, meanwhile, those aforementioned firm-building opportunities are just one way that consultants can stretch themselves: there are development opportunities aplenty, lots of hands-on training, and no shortage of responsibility to go round, right from the off. While that can all add up to lots of hours on occasion, the firm’s compensation model is generous, while transparent pay and promotion policies ensure that all contributions are noticed and recognized.

Firm Culture

“Engaging work; we are a pure growth strategy firm in the healthcare space which makes for interesting subject matter.”

“Excellent responsibility and learning opportunities from day one.”

“Kx Advisors is a great place to start as a junior consultant if you are passionate about Life Sciences and want to learn from a professional team of leaders that are invested in fast progression of all colleagues.”

“Senior leadership is very hands-on and really lead from the front. They're excellent consultants and really get involved in projects, providing coaching for junior team members and the best advice for clients.”

“The amount of responsibility compared to competitor firms is significant, from day one you will be asked to contribute directly to company deliverables. The type of work is only strategy and no implementation work. The clients are very senior and Kx has a wide range of range of clients from small-cap through to large-cap firms.”

Quality of Life

“It has long hours, typical of consulting firms, sometimes - but a system of comp days off and other monetary rewards and recognition makes you feel like your contributions are valued. Consultants get a fair amount of time off and aren't expected to work while on vacation or schedule their vacations around work.”

“Kx has an excellent work life balance. The hours are usually very manageable and amongst some of the best for the consulting industry. It is easy to take time off and there is a culture that everyone should use and take all their holiday - which we all do. We typically go into the office twice per week but this is very flexible.”

“Kx promotes a very positive work life balance, ensuring projects are well staffed and the project work doesn't encroach on weekends. Compared to other strategy firms Kx's work life balance is second to none. In terms of culture, the firm is small and has a tight knit team, although the only downside is when in the office if not a lot of people are in then it can get quiet.”

Compensation

“Compensation is transparent and equal - all employees at the same level receive the same compensation, which keeps it equitable. Compensation is competitive vs other consulting firms.”

“I really like Kx's equal pay policy, so you know everyone at your level is being paid the same. I also think base salaries have improved since a recent % rise at the start of this year. The bonus compensation could scale better with progression/time at the firm.”

“The company offer a competitive salary for AC's and Consultants however I believe this drops off compared to the market rate as you progress to manager and above. The bonus also increases as you become more senior, incentivising you to contribute to the business's goals. However, Kx does offer significant benefits such as dinner after 7pm and frequently spends a lot on employees for socials and also reimburses all travel to the office. This is much more generous compared to larger strategy houses I am aware of.” 

“The salary at an entry level is very competitive for the industry. Salary benchmarking is regularly conducted against competitors. We are also able to expense our commute expenses up to £100 per month.”

Career Development

“Fast-paced, high growth, high-responsibility at an early age.”

“Best: The promotional process is clear and carefully planned, and projects are interesting.

Worst: Not a lot of travelling.”

“Early responsibility and promotion, with fair and transparent guidelines communicated to everyone at the firm. It's a great place to build a career - senior leaders really care about your development and will put in the time and effort to mentor and coach you.”

“Kx has fantastic career progression that rewards on a meritocratic basis. The firm also has a strong emphasis on diversity, and clearly values those principles.”

“The promotion process is very clear and the flat hierarchy enables career mentoring to be done by the senior team, offering advice and clear steps on how to progress.”

Community Engagement

“Kx clearly takes D&I very seriously, with active senior level involvement.”

“Kx makes real commitments to DE&I, working with an external consultancy last year to identify areas of opportunity and making progress on those. Last year, it was inspiring to see an LGBTQ+ woman promoted to partner, making the small partner group more diverse.”

“The environment at Kx is extremely supportive for people from a more diverse background, and we have had D&I sessions and trainings on inclusion with respect to race and ethnicity, LGBTG+ individuals and more. I feel Kx makes every effort to become more diverse and support their diverse employees.”

“The Kx senior leadership team are very open to all employees no matter their background. There is female and LGBTQ+ representation at every level including managing partner. This is reflected in the number of activities organised for women and minority groups at Kx including initiatives such as the women@Kx committee.”

“We have a D&I committee […] The London office is currently led by a women and over 50% of the team are women. Kx employes people from all around the world, the London office is very diverse.

I cannot comment on diversity of LGBTQ+ individuals. For the most part, don't know the sexuality or how people in the office identify, nor would it make any difference at Kx. It is a very inclusive company where everyone is treated the same regardless.”

Business Outlook

“Healthcare consulting is having a bumpy time and Kx's sales have been impacted accordingly - the firm is transparent about this and I am confident in our future outlook.”

“I think Kx is in a strong position, bringing in lots of new clients. Obviously entering a recession is worrying particularly in the strategy consulting industry, but I have full confidence in our leadership that they are able to steer us through the potentially tricky times ahead.”

“Kx is well positioned to serve the biotech and pharma industry, offering specialised service and insights from a seasoned and experienced leadership team. The biotech and pharma industry have taken a hit over the last year due to high inflation environment and loss of market confidence. This has reflected in business at the company, but the future is positive due to the high growth that is anticipated for the life sciences industry and Kx's clients.”

Hiring Process

“All firm interviews are with an employee there are no video interviews. We are looking for people that have excellent problem solving, writing and numeracy skills. They must also be very personal and are able to show that they are willing to take on feedback and implement it.”

“The firm has an excellent interview process with prompt callback and feedback.” 

“The interview is highly personalised, with the first round consisting of a case interview with an actual employee instead of multiple screeners and games. The first interview round is a case interview and a discussion to understand if the applicant would be a good fit for the firm. This is then followed by increasingly difficult interview rounds, concluding with a super day of 2x case interviews and 2x behavioural interviews.”

“The interview process is quick and efficient compared to other consulting firms, and looks for candidates who are smart, hard-working, and intellectually curious.”

Interview Questions

“If you were given a sum of money to invest in a company, which company would you invest in and why?”

“For my interview I was asked to do a market sizing case for the diabetes market and reimbursement of a medical device in the US.”

“Life science specific case interviews. Also, a general awareness of the market is sought after, with questions such as “what company would you invest in right now and why?”n