Marc Boilard

Partner, Automotive & Operations, Oliver Wyman

Marc embarked on a career in consulting with a relatively limited time horizon: his plan was to consult for a couple of years and then return to the field of engineering, where he had started out.

I planned on staying in the field for two years—that was 18 years ago! My background in engineering provided me with a number of key ingredients for becoming a successful consultant: intellectual curiosity, active listening skills, and a taste for hard work.

Undoubtedly Marc’s capacity for hard work and underlying intellectual curiosity is suited to an industry where more changes have taken place in the past five years than in the last 50.

I help clients become more competitive on the market, which can consist in multiple things: greater organizational agility, faster time to market, more cost effectiveness.

But he is also found that the skills he acquired in the automotive industry are increasingly applicable to many other industries.

Ten years ago, while working on a project in the transportation industry, I began developing expertise in the field of innovation and engineering and found myself really enjoying the work. Since then, I have built a strong expertise in this area, which has brought me to clients in various industries like aerospace, food, and software!

Defining the right strategy in a complex world is not simple, Marc notes.

The world is changing very fast, with digital disruptions emerging and new competitors popping up, even in mature sectors, such as the automotive and space industries. The difference between the correct strategic approach will define the winners and losers.