What Herronpalmer does

herronpalmer is a privately held management consulting firm founded in 2012 in Minneapolis by Tony Herron and Kathleen Dillon, providing strategic advisory and practical support to HR, payroll, and benefits professionals at large and complex employers. The firm does not build or sell technology products; instead, it delivers expertise through a structured portfolio of seven professional service lines covering Strategy (assessment and business case development), Operating Model (service delivery and interaction design), Market Landscape/RFP (provider intelligence, RFP management, and contract support), Implementation (transition and project management), Optimization/Audit (process improvement), Ongoing Advisory (contract management and governance), and Benchmarking (market comparison and negotiation leverage). Its client base includes many Fortune 1000 companies and spans diverse sectors such as public entities, oil & gas, manufacturing, and the public sector.

The firm monetizes through custom engagement-based professional services fees on multi-year contracts, sold and delivered through direct, relationship-based enterprise engagement. It has completed over 850 engagements for more than 200 companies since founding, with most clients described as repeat long-term relationships, supported by a Net Promoter Score of 91. herronpalmer differentiates on independence from any specific service provider, deep practitioner experience (consultants average 25 years in HR and benefits), and proprietary benchmarking data accumulated across hundreds of engagements. Go-to-market is supported by content marketing (articles, blogs, webinars, videos) and LinkedIn presence, targeting HR and benefits decision-makers navigating provider selection, technology transformation, and ongoing program management.

The firm is self-sustaining with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no public revenue disclosure. It has not pursued acquisitions, partnerships, or geographic expansion beyond select global HR/payroll advisory work, and offers no software, APIs, or AI/ML-driven products. Its operations are U.S.-based with claimed global reach on selected engagements.

Name

Herronpalmer

Legal name

herronpalmer

Website

https://herronpalmer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

herronpalmer is a Minneapolis-based consulting firm founded in 2012 that provides strategic advisory and implementation support on HR, payroll, and benefits programs to large and complex employers, primarily Fortune 1000 companies, through seven service lines delivered by senior practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR & Benefits Advisory Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive HRO (Multi-Process HR Outsourcing) (BPACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Procurement Helpdesk & Stakeholder Support (BPAAAJAD), HRIS/HCM Managed Services & Support (BPAEAGAF)

Keywords

• HR advisory services
• Employee benefits consulting
• Payroll transformation consulting
• Provider selection RFP
• Benchmarking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Advisory Services: Consulting fees for strategic advisory, implementation support, benchmarking, and ongoing advisory services. Engagements range from assessment and business case development to full implementation support and contract management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Herronpalmer is a consulting and advisory firm providing strategic advice and practical support to HR, payroll, and benefits professionals. It delivers a portfolio of consulting service lines covering strategy, provider selection, implementation, optimization, ongoing advisory, and benchmarking to help large employers navigate HR and benefits transformation.

Product overview

Herronpalmer is a consulting and advisory firm offering strategic advice and practical support to HR, payroll, and benefits professionals. Rather than a unified software product, the company provides a portfolio of seven consulting service lines: Strategy (assessment and business case), Operating Model (service delivery design), Market Landscape/RFP (provider selection and procurement), Implementation (transition and project management), Optimization/Audit (process improvement), Ongoing Advisory (contract and performance management), and Benchmarking (market comparison and negotiation). These services are delivered through experienced consultants who help clients navigate HR technology selection, implementation, and management. The company also publishes thought leadership content including articles, blogs, webinars, and videos on topics spanning HR technology, compensation, payroll, analytics, and industry trends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy Assessment and business case development services to help clients decide on optimal approaches for HR and benefits, including peer benchmarking, roadmap construction, and financial business case creation.
• Operating Model Service delivery and interaction design consulting to help organizations define overarching strategy, structure, service delivery models, employee experience, global HR management, and technology/automation frameworks.
• Market Landscape/RFP Provider intelligence, RFP and contract support services including crafting assessment templates, identifying qualified providers, analyzing submissions, normalizing fees, orchestrating due diligence, and facilitating evaluations.
• Implementation Customer-facing transition services ranging from Project Management Office (PMO) support to technical staff augmentation for adopting new systems, outsourcing for the first time, switching providers, or taking services in-house.
• Optimization/Audit Service and operations audits with process improvement recommendations to address pain points, streamline benefit options, map candidate journeys, and optimize talent outcomes.
• Ongoing Advisory Contract management, performance monitoring, and governance support services to help clients manage relationships with service providers, monitor performance, and navigate ongoing HR and benefits operations.
• Benchmarking Market comparison services providing extensive data on implementation costs, ongoing fees, scope of services, performance standards, and contract terms to support renewal decisions and negotiation leverage.
• Thought Leadership Content Articles, blogs, webinars, and videos featuring latest thinking on HR, compensation, payroll, technology, analytics, and industry trends to guide client decision-making.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91 Net Promoter Score
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Everest Group: Research and advisory firm focused on IT, business process, and HR services sourcing. Provides provider intelligence, RFP support, and benchmarking services highly comparable to Herronpalmer's Market Landscape/RFP and Benchmarking offerings.
• Source Global Research: Research and advisory firm focused on the consulting and sourcing industry. Provides benchmarking of consulting providers and indirect advisory comparable to Herronpalmer's market intelligence and Benchmarking service lines.
• The Hackett Group: Strategy and operations consulting firm with an HR transformation advisory practice. Offers benchmarking, business case development, and transformation services directly comparable to Herronpalmer's Strategy and Benchmarking service lines.
• HfS Research: Research and advisory firm focused on services sourcing, automation, and digital transformation, now part of Accenture. Overlaps directly with Herronpalmer on services sourcing advisory, provider selection support, and benchmarking research.
• Information Services Group (ISG): Technology and business services sourcing advisory firm where Herronpalmer founder Tony Herron was previously a partner. ISG provides closely comparable sourcing advisory, benchmarking, and provider selection services with a broader technology services focus and public-company scale.
• Brandon Hall Group: HR research and advisory firm providing benchmarking, research, and consulting to HR and talent leaders. Closely comparable content-driven advisory model and target audience, with similar thought leadership and benchmarking assets.

Broad incumbents

• Aon: Global professional services firm with significant HR consulting practice through Aon Hewitt (formerly Hewitt Associates). Competes on HR outsourcing advisory while also offering risk management, reinsurance brokerage, and broader capital advisory services.
• WTW (Willis Towers Watson): Global professional services firm with a large HR consulting and HRO advisory practice alongside insurance brokerage, actuarial consulting, and direct outsourcing delivery. Overlaps with Herronpalmer on HRO selection and HR transformation but with much broader portfolio and global scale.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering executive search, talent acquisition, and HR advisory services. Overlaps with Herronpalmer on HR strategy and operating model work but is heavily focused on leadership, talent, and executive compensation.
• Mercer: Global HR and benefits consulting leader within Marsh McLennan, providing health, wealth, and career advisory services. Competes with Herronpalmer on HR strategy and benefits outsourcing advisory but with broader portfolio, larger teams, and global delivery footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herronpalmer-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Herronpalmer