It's always slightly strange to read a book about the industry you work in. I've been a management consultant for a little over five years, working for small boutique consultancies. It's an industry whose reputation has largely been shaped by those that are less ethical, and McKinsey comes top of the list of murky companies who despite scandal after scandal, remain hugely popular with businesss and governments alike.  When McKInsey Comes to Town shines a perhaps unwitting light on exactly why their popularity endures.

Bogdanovich and Forsythe structure their book through several case studies examining the impact of McKinsey on areas ranging from Disney to Saudi Arabia, via post-apartheid South Africa and the NHS. The sprawling nature of McKinsey's business interests is undeniable, and the firm cling to 'internal walls' to justify the fact that they repeatedly work for different competitors, and business regulators and governments. Each case study broadly follows the same structure - challenge identified, McKinsey is hired, makes changes (usually with some negative impact), one (or more) consultant involved has an ethical dilemma and quits...McKinsey moves on unchanged. I get the sense this structure may suit reading more than listening - as it did start to get a little repetitive with time.

However, these case studies highlight just why McKinsey is so popular - they centre the ask of the client above all else. Where a clients wants may have wider impacts, these are simply ignored - meaning (generally) clients get what they want and unsurprisingly continue to hire them. I would have liked a bit more from Bogdanovich and Forsythe interrogating the context that has business and in some cases governments place efficiency and profit above all else. McKinsey may not have many moral qualms in enabling this to happen but the businesses themselves are hardly innocent parties.

The sections in this book I found the most compelling (and damning) were focused on the company involvement in pharmaceuticals, supporting the Saudi Arabian government and designing UK health policy. However, to some extent much of this had already been researched and reporting on prior to this book - and I'd have liked a few more revelations - although conscious I'm quite a niche audience.

When McKinsey Comes to Town is a good introduction to the unethical practices of some of our largest and most powerful businesses, although is light on solutions. It remains to be seen if further negative attention on McKinsey will make any meaningful difference to the company's bottom line.