The 11 Consulting Podcasts You Should Listen to
Consuming consulting resources in the form of blogs or videos may require extra attention. This does not apply to podcasts! You can listen to them while driving, cooking, eating, or taking a shower. That’s the best part about them—they’re easy to consume.
But again, you’ll be hit with the paradox of choice. When there are so many options available, it’s hard to choose one. Like all the other industries, the number of consulting podcasts is increasing day by day. So, which ones should you listen to?
In this article, we have compiled a list of the 11 best consulting podcasts. These are hosted by highly senior consultants from renowned consulting firms. No matter what your taste is, it’s likely that there’s at least one podcast on this list that you’ll totally love.
1. The McKinsey Podcast
As the name suggests, The McKinsey Podcast is a podcast run by one of the big three consulting firms, McKinsey & Company. This consulting podcast features conversations with leading experts on several topics. Examples are leadership, change management, digital transformation, region and industry-specific discussions around business and management, etc.. If you’re thinking about joining the management consulting career path. Then, you should spare at least thirty minutes every day to listen to this podcast. The reason is that this is one of the few consulting podcasts that’s actually managed by a top consulting firm.
Here’s a sneak peek of some of their recent episodes:
- The state of burnout for women in the workplace: In this episode, Alexis Krivkovich and Lareina Yee, who are senior partners at McKinsey. They discuss how women are working hard to ensure employees’ well-being and facing higher stress as a result.
- Diagnosing the pain in your supply chain: In this episode, two partners in McKinsey’s Operations Practice, Knut Alicke and Dan Swan discuss how executives can make their operations more robust to survive future disruptions like the pandemic.
- How to future-proof your organization: In this episode, Chris Gagnon, a senior partner, and Elizabeth Mygatt, an associate partner, address the fast-changing work environment and how organizations can prepare themselves for a post-pandemic world .
Keen to check out more episodes? Then visit their official website and scroll down to find more topics you may be interested in.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Podcasts are very easy to consume and can offer you great insights even when you’re performing your regular daily tasks like driving or cooking.
- McKinsey & Company, one of the MBB firms, runs the McKinsey Podcast in which general business and management topics are discussed.
- KPMG has different business podcasts for the U.S., U.K., France, and Switzerland. Each podcast features different topics ranging from accounting to energy.
- Similar to KPMG, Bain & Co. has different consulting podcasts for different topics, including private equity and net promoter score.
- Deloitte: Deloitte has a really large range of podcasts that cover various topics like AI, accounting, global business insights, etc.
2. KPMG Global Podcasts
You probably know that KPMG is one of the Big Four accounting firms in the world. However, did you also know that they have a good variety of business podcasts? The multinational corporation has a wide range of podcast series on subjects like ESG, income tax, financial audit, and other accounting-related topics. So, what makes this consulting podcast different? Well, KPMG’s podcast offers geography-specific consulting resources to its listeners.
Here is a list of the accounting industry giant’s podcasts from around the world:
- United States:In the U.S., the KPMG Current Conversations podcast features conversations with top executives from the energy industry and discussions around the challenges and the future of the energy industry.
- United Kingdom: The U.K. version of the podcast has been named KPMG Podcast Series: Building Confidence. In this series, regulators, senior board members, and subject-matter experts talk about the problems and reforms needed in corporate reporting, audit, and stewardship.
- Switzerland: KPMG Expert Talk is KPMG’s Switzerland-focused podcast series in which they discuss topics like digitalization , sustainability, and tax trends. The podcast helps listeners to stay up to date with potential business-related risks and opportunities in Switzerland.
- France: If you’re looking for short and sweet consulting resources in French, then episodes from KPMG Tax will provide you with 15-minute episodes in which business tax news is discussed from a French point of view.
3. Bain & Company Podcasts
Founded in 1973, Bain & Co. is one of the oldest consulting firms and has the privilege to be a part of the Big Three MBB firms. The company and some of its senior members also offer some unique insights on niche topics through podcasts. Unlike McKinsey’s podcast, which covers a wide range of topics, Bain & Company has separate podcasts for different subjects.
Here are some consulting podcasts from Bain that you may want to subscribe to:
- Beyond the Bio Podcast: This is a podcast that features the best employees of Bain & Company. Keith Bevans, who is the partner and global head of consultant recruiting, invites the most outstanding people from the company. On the podcast he gets to know them on a personal level. If you’re a junior consultant who wants to learn how seasoned consultants do it, you should definitely listen to this podcast.
- Dry Powder:The Private Equity Podcast: As mentioned before, Bain really knows how to dig down to a specific niche and provide industry-relevant updates. In the Dry Powder podcast, head of Bain's global private equity practice, Hugh MacArthur, talks to private equity experts. Topics are the new developments and opportunities in the private equity sector. If you’re walking the management consulting career path to get into private equity someday, then this is the podcast for you.
- The Net Promoter System Podcast: Now, this podcast is not necessarily governed by Bain & Co. directly. However, the man at the helm of this podcast is Rob Markey, who is a partner in Bain's New York office. He is also a professional speaker and business strategist, which qualifies him to run this podcast that focuses on a very specific topic—Net Promoter Score. If you don’t know, the Net Promoter Score is a type of metric that is used to measure customer loyalty. Ever answered this question after a purchase: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our company to others?” Well, that’s Net Promoter Score in a nutshell. In the podcast, Rob mostly discusses different ways of building a loyal customer base and having repeat purchases.
4. Deloitte Podcasts
Just like Bain, Deloitte really knows how to create separate niches for different types of audiences. And just like McKinsey, the company also has a general-topic podcast in which they discuss various issues from the business world. The multinational company has some of the most diverse range of consulting podcasts as compared to other consulting firms. Whatever your taste is, Deloitte probably has a podcast for you.
Here are our top three picks:
- Deloitte Global Insights: This podcast series includes general business-related topics from all around the world, such as technology, innovation, sustainability, human resources, etc. The few recent episodes focused on healthcare reforms in the U.S., digital health and cybersecurity, merger and acquisition, and accounting. As you can see, the topics covered are quite broad, just like McKinsey’s podcast.
- Consumer Speaks: An Accounting Podcast: This one's for you if your niche is accounting or if you’re looking to build a career in accounting. The consulting resources you’ll find here are unparalleled to any other website. This podcast is your best bet if you want to keep up with the latest accounting issues that are affecting the consumer industry.
- AI Ignition: Exploring the Future of AI in the Enterprise: Truly, AI is the future, and the more you know about it, the better chances you’ll have of succeeding as a consultant in the future. In the AI Ignition podcast series, the executive director of the Deloitte AI Institute Beena Ammanath sheds light on the future of artificial intelligence through deep conversations with AI leaders from around the world. If you want to stay up to date with the latest developments in the AI sector, feel free to explore this podcast.
And that brings us to the end of this article. Listening to eleven different business podcasts regularly while being a busy full-time consultant is no walk in the park. However, you could choose a couple that you think will be really beneficial to you during your consulting career. Good luck.
