Vault’s Verdict

As a small firm with a highly specific niche, SVM is surprisingly well known. Its key metric, Economic Value Added (EVA) is even more famous than the firm itself, and its consultants almost exclusively work with C-level executives for big-time clients. This makes joining SVM highly competitive, but insiders say the effort is worth it.

Employees at SVM love the firm’s international opportunities. They often travel to sites around the world, which provides diverse, global work experience. This means that travel can cut into their personal lives, but the firm mitigates this by providing top-shelf flexibility when its consultants aren’t on the road. They can generally set their own hours and work where they please.

The firm also offers ample room to develop. While there’s little formal training after onboarding, it provides access to strong mentorship opportunities and on-the-job learning. Promotions also happen fast, with the firm’s performance-based compensation plan rewarding hard work and elite results. Altogether, SVM is a strong firm to consider if you want to build an international career while becoming a financial expert.

Firm Culture

“We have a great firm culture. Everyone is very welcoming. I got a chance to work with senior consultants from the very first day and even participated in client calls in my first week.”

“We have tons of flexibility. I can adjust my personal schedule to work and vice-versa”

“We look for people who are self-driven, motivated, and like working for a small, tight-knit firm.”

“We have a highly motivated staff, keen to explore and investigate new opportunities and methods. Management is very open to actively promote and grow new markets and try new processes.”

Quality of Life

“It’s a very flexible work environment. There are client deadlines, of course, but it’s easy to move internal meetings or take leave when needed.”

“We have a lot of flexibility, so I can move things around to accommodate my other activities, but I often must catch up on work late at night.”

“I love the flexibility we have when we are not traveling. We can work from home or other locations. However, work can get intense, especially around deadlines, which can really interfere with non-work activities.”

“I often travel for client work or business development, but the rest of the time I have tons of flexibility with regards to schedule and work location.”

Career Development

“Promotions are awarded fairly quickly. If you excel, you are looking at a promotion every couple of years. A lot of training occurs on the job.”

“There are tons of international opportunities. Formal training takes place almost exclusively when you start at the company, then it’s more informal.”

“The company cares about employees, their wellbeing, and training. People in the company Promotions are based on your merits.”

“SVM is a great place to start your consulting career and learn applied corporate finance and the ins and outs of management consulting.”

Compensation

“The firm offers good compensation with a good profit-sharing plan that is driven by your own success.”

“We receive explicit pay for our performance, with measurable results and no moving the goal posts after the fact.”

“The firm offers great pay but very little in terms of benefits.”

“The comp is good, and a fair percentage depends on your performance, which is great.”

Community Engagement/DEI

“We have an exceptionally high percentage of women in the business with people from all over the world, from China to Uruguay to Africa. There is no limit on hiring, save for the ability to be smart, friendly, easy to deal with and open to clients and co-workers.”

“We have a good female-to-male balance, and the firm includes many ethnicities and nationalities.”

“SVM hires the best talent regardless of race or sex.”

“We are very open to diversity.”

Business Outlook

“We have great projects signed for next year with large well-known companies. However, I would like to see more innovation in the firm's product offerings.”

“We have great prospects with strong brands. There is room for product innovation, but client work keeps the firm busy so not as much time is dedicated to product development.”

“We run great projects with well-known brands. There is a good mix of repeat and new clients.”

“We’re looking at a few great years ahead given the pipeline.”

Hiring Process

“We have three rounds of interviews, with phone interviews and an in-person session that includes a case and a financial analysis presentation. The firm looks for hard-working individuals, that can learn in an unstructured environment.”

“There are several rounds of interviews with your future colleagues and supervisors. They are very focused on whether both sides are a good fit for each other.”

“After an initial interview to get to know the candidate, we hold a couple more interviews with peers and supervisors, then have you present a business case. The callback process is usually done by email. The ideal candidate has good financial skills, knows how to build models and manage information in Excel, has great communication skills, and is not afraid of client interactions.”

“The process is hands-on and personal. The ideal candidate is a creative problem solver, resourceful, and inquisitive. You should be open to experimenting to find impactful yet simple solutions to complex problems.”

Interview Questions

“Case study questions are very financial- and incentive-focused. Cases may deep dive into the specific value drivers a candidate can identify that will determine the share price of a target company and estimating how changes in specific drivers may impact that price.”

“Expect to see situational leadership cases, financial modelling, financial analysis, and valuation presentation questions.”

“Please explain what you would consider when opening a new business? How would you make the financial analysis and decision process?”

“Perform a valuation of a private company looking to go public.”

Uppers

“The global experience.”

“Flexible hours, work-life balance, compensation, and client interaction.”

“The pay, the mentorship, and the type of work.

“Challenging but rewarding work in a great setting.”

Downers

“It’s hard to balance work and personal life at higher corporate levels.”

“As a smallish consulting firm, there is not as much structure as I would like.”

“We could innovate more.”

“There are limited employee benefits besides salary.”