2026 Vault Rankings
At a Glance
“Many opportunities to be a major contributor from day one with a relatively flat structure. Strong culture of helping each other succeed. Fair compensation for the work-life balance.”
“Good firm culture, reasonable travel expectations, interesting client and projects.”
“Positive small-firm culture, inclusion and diversity efforts, flexible and hybrid work, genuinely down-to-earth and pleasant people.”
“The focus on growth strategy, the great clients, and the wonderful people/culture.”
“It's still client service so there are the ups and downs and fire drills of client demands, which are expected but still disruptive.”
“Firm size and scale, ability to work on projects outside of your capability, and projects can be process oriented.”
“Opaque compensation processes.”
“Somewhat limited opportunities to work in different sectors given narrowness of our typical work. Integrating with PA has made that less of an issue.”
About The Cambridge Group, LLC
Headquartered in Chicago, The Cambridge Group (TCG) specializes in using its understanding of demand strategy to help its clients across global industries including consumer goods, financial services, retail, media, and high technology. The firm was purchased by PA Consultancy in 2022.
The firm focuses on using demand to help clients identify profitable new growth opportunities, optimize portfolios of products or services, unearth breakthrough innovation, reinvent categories, enhance brand equity, and optimize pricing. Some of the world’s most successful brands have benefited from TCG’s recommendations. These include Allstate, Anheuser Busch, CBS, Facebook, Hershey and Best Buy. And these clients keep coming back for more, as 85 percent of the firm’s business comes from repeat clients.
While “demand strategy” may sound straightforward on paper, translating data and insights into a tangible, practical, and actionable strategy to grow a client’s business is a rather difficult task. To do so, TCG relies on its proprietary intellectual capital, designed to create a virtuous cycle of iterative learning and growth for its clients. The Demand Landscape, Shopper Landscape, and Palates Maps help identify and quantify emerging and latent demand in the marketplace. The firm also helped to pioneer the Jobs-to-be-Done innovation approach, outlined in a book written by Clay Christensen and a former TCG partner. This approach helps clients unearth latent demand and address consumer problems to solve with breakthrough innovation.
10 S. Wacker Drive
Suite 3550
Chicago, IL 60606-5058
Phone: (312) 425-3600
Employer Type: Private
Managing Partner: Jim Eckels
Managing Partner: Chris Fosdick
2023 Employees (All Locations): 50
Chicago, IL
Growth Strategy