EY Parthenon Strategy Consultant - Financial Services

EY is the only major professional services firm with a dedicated financial services practice (EY FSO) integrated in the EMEIA region. An international team of over 16.000 professionals is working across borders for our clients in the financial sector: Banking, Insurance, Payment Institutions and Wealth & Asset Management, in all service lines: Consulting, Tax, Transactions and Assurance. As we consider our people as the heart of EY, we hire and develop the most passionate people in their field to build a better working world. This starts with a culture that believes in giving you the training, opportunities and creative freedom to make things better. So that, whenever you join, however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime.

The Opportunity

At EY, Financial Services Organization (FSO), we have a dedicated Strategy and Transactions (SaT) team working across Europe, for which the strategy team is operating under the EY-Parthenon brand.
 
EY-Parthenon is a strategy consultancy, committed to bringing unconventional yet pragmatic thinking together with our financial services clients’ smarts to deliver actionable strategies for real impact in today’s complex business landscape. You will work in a variety of situations, such as strategic and commercial due diligence in a M&A context, design of growth strategies, assessment of entry opportunities into new market, strategic performance assessment, etc.
 
Due to significant expansion of our business, we have an opportunity for a Strategy and Transactions Consultant in EY-Parthenon focused on financial services.
 
Key Responsibilities

Working as part of the Financial Services SAT team, you will take part in strategic engagements related to financial institutions, ranging from commercial due diligences over to market entries to in- or divest studies, strategic and growth assessments, business planning, transformation business cases, etc.  As you are part of the wider SaT team you will work closely with the transactions team and hence have the opportunity to cooperate on several transactions in the financial sector.
 
You will contribute to strategic engagements in the financial sector, both outside-in as inside-out analysis, both from a qualitative as quantitative point of view, regularly (but not exclusively) in the context of a transaction. You will be involved in clients' considerations and discussions and should be able to perform workshops with the clients.
 
You will work effectively as a team member and demonstrate commitment to quality. You will help to create a positive learning culture and will also contribute to identifying business development opportunities, in order to better position EY as Strategy advisor in the market.

•    Contribute to client projects - often with multidisciplinary teams where each team member brings his or her own expertise - and deliver high quality outputs.
•    Help client think through where to best deploy their capital to manage their portfolio of businesses, drive competitive advantage and increase returns
•    Demonstrate knowledge of all phases and aspects of strategy development and implementation
•    Identify strategic opportunities, risks and issues, as well as recommending solutions
•    Contribute to business development by preparing client meetings and project proposals and by participating in client discussions
•    Act as a first-line contact for a variety of top-class financial services clients and maintain an excellent relationships with our clients and various stakeholders
•    Share your technical and other knowledge with your colleagues and the department and draw upon previous experience
 

Skills and Attributes for Success

We are looking for motivated individuals with a track record in a strategy advisory firm and/ or in a corporate strategy department. The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in the financial services sector and will combine some of the following attributes:

•    2-5 years of experience in a strategy advisory company and/or in a corporate strategy department in a financial institution
•    Experience with managing complex business projects and working with multi-disciplinary teams
•    Strong analytical and problem solving skills with a practical ability to shape the business agenda and define strategic roadmaps
•    Appetite to work within a team of high performing and motivated professionals
•    Strong verbal and written communication skills
•    Experience in financial services (Banking / Insurance / Asset Management) and related topics
•    Fluent in Dutch/French and English
•    Strong academic record in a degree in a relevant field; MBA is a plus
•    Resistance to stress and ability to deliver under tight deadlines
 
Most of all, it’s the attitude that matters! Enthusiasm for financial services is a must. We are looking for entrepreneurial people, who thrive in international teams and who have a global mindset!
 
What working at EY Offers

•    You will be part of a leading global professional services firm.
•    You will be part of the EY family where everyone is willing to offer support and senior management is very accessible. 
•    You will join a dynamic and growing team with a great mix of young and experienced professionals focusing on financial services.
•    You will get extensive trainings  on technical matters, as well as soft skills and project management, and you will have access to new technologies and innovative equipment.
•    We are proud of our flexible working arrangements, and we will support you to build a successful career and deliver excellent client service, without sacrificing your personal priorities. 
•    While our client-facing profession might require part-time working at client site and business traveling at times, we are committed to helping you achieve a lifestyle balance.