Vault’s Verdict

Roland Berger stands as a top firm for consultants looking to build international careers. With many insiders transferring between offices—from Europe, to Brazil, to the firm’s growing North American presence—Roland Berger can offer a unique career. Insiders love that they can take on work in a variety of practices and industries as their interests change over time, aided by an apprenticeship model and mentorship culture that emphasize on-the-job learning.

Consultants at Roland Berger tend to take on client-facing responsibilities on important deliverables soon after they join the firm, and promotions tend to come fast in the first few years on the job before eventually slowing down. The firm has no up-or-out model, and the salary and benefits are among the most competitive in the industry. It offers high base salaries, bonuses that climb with seniority, and additional benefits such as parental leave, sabbaticals, MBA sponsorship, and a wellness stipend. 

The firm has a track record of growing faster than the industry average, say insiders, and its entrepreneurial culture allows consultants to scale innovative ideas across the firm quickly. If you’re interested in applying, make sure you’re ready to handle case exercises and explain why you fit the culture. 

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “The firm operates meritocratically but without a strict up-or-out approach. So, strong performance is rewarded over the long run, while avoiding creating a culture of sharp elbows.”
• “Entrepreneurial culture which allows senior people to steer their work-life balance. Travel depends heavily on staffing allocation. Limitations are considered.”
• “I enjoy my colleagues, and the firm really does a good job of filtering out jerks. Also, the firm encourages developing new ideas and will help implement them a  a wide level.”
• “Values driven culture: collaboration, empathy, entrepreneurship + deep technical expertise + fun work!”

Quality of Life

• “The travel requirements and flexibility around family or outside life commitments are really great for the industry. The team is always very vocal and open to work something out. I find that some weeks the hours are exorbitant but that the teams are sensitive to this and try to balance it out in the long run. There are also systemic processes in place to ensure it is not a long-term problem.”
• “Work-life balance can vary notably between projects based on the scope, team, and client requirements. Generally, the firm works well to accommodate personal time commitments and manage travel in a sustainable way for the team, while continuing to meet clients’ needs. As somebody that enjoys traveling for work I have found opportunities to travel more than others, including international opportunities.”
• “A very comprehensive New Ways of Working program monitoring consultants work hours with senior management intervention if needed.”
• “Work-life balance is extremely important at Roland Berger. Happy consultants leads to great project execution which leads to happy clients. A great virtuous circle! PTO time is respected and not sacrificed. We are working hard to establish the right mix of working from home vs. office time when not staffed on a project.”

Career Development

• “I began my career in Brazil, gained international experience working in Germany, and since completing my (sponsored) MBA in 2014, I’ve been part of the U.S. team. Over the years, I’ve progressed from business analyst to partner, consistently challenged by intellectually stimulating projects, exceptional colleagues, and a competitive environment that fosters growth.”
• “True believers in the apprenticeship model, seniors take the time to develop more junior consultants. We instill a firm ownership mentality from the start and commit to growing each other as part of the firm’s success. Excellent training programs carried out in very cool remote locations. However, there’s not enough time in the day to promote even more networking.”
• “I really enjoy the diverse set of training we can participate in, whether it’s technical skill sets, special women training, sales training, etc. There is so much to choose from, and the trainers are usually excellent plus the locations are amazing. Also, for internal mobility options, there is so much to choose from. When I started working at Roland Berger I focused on pharma and healthcare clients, then I discovered my love for everything M&A, so now I do M&A and investor work for a broad set of clients from all industries. Also, when I started working for Roland Berger, I started off in Germany. I moved to the U.S. and work for Roland Berger here. The opportunities to grow with this firm are just endless.”
• “Great informal training provided by mentors at the firm. Promotions are fast early on, then slow down pretty significantly at the Senior Consultant II level and above.”

Compensation

• “The salary package is extremely competitive. The base salary is high, plus the bonus share climbs with every promotion. Also, there is the same pay for everyone on the same level, so there is a sense of fairness and an open culture around this topic. My favorite perks include the amazing maternity leave program, the sabbatical leave policy and the coverage of all medical expenses.”
• “Best factor in the firm is pay equality, with every consulting title having the same standardized base compensation and bonus range (actual bonuses vary on performance). This includes a standard compensation for consultants reaching post-MBA level with and without an MBA degree. Worst aspect of the compensation is salary progression in part due to a larger number of title steps between key milestones vs peers (e.g., undergrad to post-MBA to partner).”
• “Benefits currently under revision with 401k match increasing and health insurance further improving in 2026.”
• “Roland Berger does full MBA sponsorship, but it can be very competitive. They also offer a $1,000 yearly wellness benefit that can be used for anything wellness-related (e.g., gym memberships, meal kits, massages, even athletic clothing). Roland Berger has a profit-share depending on company performance and great travel benefits as well through a corporate card.”

Inclusion

• “Generally, Roland Berger has an extremely accepting and welcoming culture. I think this stems from its European heritage and not feeling pressured by current policy issues coming from the U.S. government. On the other hand, Roland Berger has offices in areas of the world that are less inclusive (e.g., Middle East, Southeast Asia). I think Roland Berger global could do a better job of promoting inclusivity to support colleagues in these offices.”
• “The firm has invested in numerous affinity groups to support inclusion for various groups and makes clear efforts in recruiting to increase representation across the organization. The firm has also made a clear and focus double down on diversity and inclusion efforts with the desire to draw contrast from other firms which have softened on their efforts in the past year.”
• “Very strong affinity groups for women, LGBTQ+ and ethnic communities. New affinity group recently stood up for ability and veterans.”
• “All metrics tracked and specific programs put in place to try to address areas where we are not making the progress we intend.”

Business Outlook

• “Roland Berger is growing faster than the industry average. I believe this is largely due to its growth in North America and its focus on driving real value, getting hands dirty and working collaboratively with clients. Roland Berger was also just named the 5th best management consulting firm by Forbes. I think this recognition shows Roland Berger's dominance, despite being a lesser-known name in the industry.”
• “I feel like Roland Berger is on top of things in terms of innovativeness, industry knowledge, and being close to the client needs. We truly have always talked about ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ and clients value us for it. We are a global firm but can still move fast as we are not ‘a big tanker’ that is stuck in processes and takes forever to pivot. We listen to the client and get them what they need.”
• “Super entrepreneurial and with a huge hunger to grow, especially in NA. Really committed to developing leading edge thought capital. Proud of our European heritage and commitment to sustainability.”
• “The firm continues to grow, even in a challenging market, and has seen notable wins in the past year to support the business and avoid the need for any reduction in force over the past year.”

Hiring Process

• “Our interview process consists of three distinct components. First, we assess the candidate’s fit with our firm culture. Next, we evaluate their business acumen through a discussion on a relevant business topic. Finally, we conduct a case study. In the initial phase, the case study is relatively simple and typically based on a past project, with slides provided and clear questions such as market sizing or strategic recommendations. In the second phase, the case study becomes more elaborate but follows a similar format, focusing on deeper analysis and structured thinking.”
• “Three rounds of interviewing 1) phone call with peer level to test interest 2) in-person 2 part-quantitative reasoning and case 3) interview with a leadership team member to test fit.”
• “The interview process is very smooth and quick. The team was responsive and I think the whole process took one to two weeks at most for most candidates. The ideal candidate is very driven and ambitious, with a technical or analytical background, and evidence of an entrepreneurial spirit in addition to a history of great results.”
• “Ideal candidate is someone with an engineering background who has a strong understanding of business concepts, can think entrepreneurially, and is confident and structured under pressure.”

Interview Questions

• “Client is interested in investing in commercial shipbuilding: How would you size this market? What is the payback period? Is this a good opportunity?”
• “Our cases and interview questions are similar to top tier consulting firms. We spend a little more time ensuring cultural fit and want to hire people with a desire to thrive in the consulting profession.”
• “We typically use a set of different case studies to evaluate candidates. Usually, the cases are taken from real life project examples.”
• “ESG evaluation for an international hotel chain. Typical ‘Why Roland Berger?’ and other similar questions. Highly responsive to candidates asking their own questions as well.”