Michael Jary

		Michael Jary
		Managing Partner OC&C Strategy Consultants

Former office: London, UK
Alumnus since 1987

Michael was an associate in the London office between 1985 and 1987.

He became the most junior member of the founding team of OC&C Strategy Consultants in 1987. He said: “We started with a team of four ex-Booz consultants. On my first day the challenge of having no offices, no clients and no brand suddenly dawned on me. However, we were an incredibly ambitious team with entrepreneurial spirit and set off on a very fast growth path which has never stopped! For the last 21 years, since the company was founded, we have grown each year by about 25 per cent.”

Michael is now the Worldwide Managing Partner of OC&C and spends much time travelling to visit OC&C’s fifteen offices and 500 people around the globe.

Speaking about the impact of the global recession on the firm, he said: “What tends to affect consulting is not a recession, but uncertainty. So there was no doubt that in the fourth quarter of 2008, when the stock market was swinging up or down by more than 5% almost every day, our clients were reluctant to commit to anything. But a recession is not bad for consulting: once you know what the outlook holds, you can get on and deal with it. In fact, this is a time for real strategic thinking and our most far-sighted clients are asking us to tear up the rule books and take advantage of the ways in which their industries are going to be transformed. A recession is a slow-down in economic activity, but it's a speed-up in industry change.”

Michael is also the Chairman of Duchy Originals, the organic and natural foods company founded by HRH The Prince of Wales. Speaking about Duchy Originals’ plans for growth, he said: “Duchy Originals was a pioneer in the natural foods movement, and it continues to be a pioneer in its model, which we describe as a 'virtuous circle'. We aim to produce great food in a sustainable way, using organic and natural methods and giving a fair return to the farmers, while generating profits for charities. Now we are taking this model internationally. Starting with India, where the green revolution has failed and farmer suicides are running in the thousands, we want to provide a route for family farms to market organic produce under the Duchy India label. We will also be taking our model to the USA where the intensification of farming has led to many smaller farms disappearing.”

And about working with Prince Charles himself, Michael commented: “Well, he personally interviewed me for the chairman role and since then I've had meetings with him about once a month. He's obviously an unusual kind of boss to have, but he's incredibly passionate and involved in the aims of Duchy Originals, and very, very knowledgeable about food production. I have to be on my toes in our meetings!”

Michael is also a non-executive director of Nationwide Building Society, of which he said: “The past year has been an historic time for the financial services industry, and not an easy one at all. It has been fascinating to get a ring-side seat, and one which is fortunately safe and dependable!”