Gagen MacDonald

What Gagen MacDonald does

Gagen MacDonald is a privately held, women-owned management consulting firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1998/1999. The firm provides bespoke organizational transformation, change management, and human capital consulting services to large enterprise clients, reporting engagement with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies over a 25+ year operating history. Its service portfolio spans M&A integration, business and digital transformation, strategy execution, culture change, future of work, employee engagement, internal communications, purpose alignment, leadership development, and experience design — delivered through project-based, custom engagements scoped directly with senior client leadership.

The firm's core "technology" is its proprietary consulting IP rather than software: a set of trademarked methodologies and philosophies including the "Three Things That Change Everything" framework (compelling story, committed leaders, intentional roadmap), the "Six Levers of Culture" methodology, and brand phrases such as "the human struggle of change®," "Love in Business is Good Business," and "Creating Clarity From Chaos." It does not sell software products, operate a platform, or expose APIs.

Gagen MacDonald generates revenue entirely through professional services fees from custom consulting engagements. It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of APCO Worldwide LLC, branded "An APCO Company," gaining access to global distribution while maintaining its own brand, leadership (Founder & CEO Maril MacDonald), and boutique operating model. The firm has 51–100 employees and pursues a content-led go-to-market approach, distributing thought leadership through white papers, an annual priorities publication, the "Let Go & Lead" podcast/video series, LinkedIn, email newsletters, and webinar series targeting HR, communications, and C-suite buyers at enterprise clients.

Name

Gagen MacDonald

Legal name

Gagen MacDonald, L.L.C.

Website

https://gagenmacdonald.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gagen MacDonald is a Chicago-based, women-owned management consulting firm that delivers bespoke change management, culture, communications, and organizational transformation services to Fortune 500 clients, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of APCO Worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting (Change & Organizational Transformation)

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organization Design & Change Management Consulting (BPAHACAD), Digital & Technology Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAH), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Change management consulting
• Organizational transformation services
• Culture change advisory
• M&A integration consulting
• Employee engagement consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Engagements: Gagen MacDonald generates revenue through bespoke consulting engagements with enterprise clients. These are project-based, custom engagements scoped and delivered across the firm's practice areas including change and transformation, M&A integration, culture change, strategy execution, employee engagement, leadership development, and experience design. Fees are negotiated per engagement and billed through professional services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gagen MacDonald provides bespoke human-focused management consulting to large enterprises, integrating change and transformation, culture change, M&A integration, strategy execution, internal communications, employee engagement, leadership development, purpose alignment, and experience design. Engagements are project-based and delivered directly by senior consultants to help organizations address the human barriers to organizational transformation.

Product overview

Gagen MacDonald is a people-focused consulting firm offering an integrated portfolio of transformation and change management services. The core offerings include M&A Integration, Business & Digital Transformation, Strategy Execution, Culture Change, and Future of Work consulting. These services are complemented by specialized expertise in Purpose, Culture, Communications, Employee Engagement, Leadership & Talent, and Experience Design & Creative Consulting. The firm positions itself as helping organizations navigate 'the human struggle of change' by combining these service areas into a unified approach that addresses organizational transformation holistically.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Integration Consulting services to help organizations navigate the human side of mergers and acquisitions, including cultural integration and change management during M&A transactions.
• Business & Digital Transformation Advisory services to help companies modernize operating models, customer journeys, and employee experience through digital transformation initiatives.
• Strategy Execution Consulting to help organizations translate strategic vision into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Culture Change Services focused on transforming organizational culture through values, behaviors, symbols, systems, and communication levers.
• Future of Work Advisory services addressing how work and workplaces are evolving, including hybrid work models and workforce adaptation.
• Employee Activism Consulting to help organizations manage and respond to workforce activism and employee advocacy.
• Customer & Employee Experience Services to improve both customer and employee experience through design thinking and human-centered approaches.
• Change & Transformation Organizational change consulting to help companies navigate transformation and maintain relevance amid shifting expectations.
• Purpose Advisory services to help organizations discover and articulate their organizational purpose and connect it to employee meaning.
• Culture Consulting services to analyze and develop organizational culture through structured frameworks and interventions.
• Communications Internal communications consulting to help organizations align employees around strategic vision through effective messaging.
• Employee Engagement Services to increase workforce engagement, retention, and productivity through targeted interventions and programs.
• Leadership & Talent Advisory services to develop enterprise leadership mindset, talent management, and leadership development programs.
• Experience Design & Creative Consulting Creative consulting services to design compelling employee experiences and organizational change initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ Fortune 500 companies helped navigate the human struggle of change
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• APCO WorldwidecoreOthersGagen MacDonald is a wholly owned subsidiary of APCO Worldwide, one of the world's leading global communication and strategic advisory firms. As an APCO company, Gagen MacDonald operates with access to APCO's global network, resources, and client relationships while maintaining its distinct brand identity and specialized human-focused consulting focus. The relationship provides Gagen with broader geographic reach, cross-selling opportunities, and the credibility of the APCO brand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Prosci: Prosci is a dedicated change management research, training, and advisory firm best known for the ADKAR model. It directly competes with Gagen MacDonald in the same enterprise change and transformation consulting category, with overlapping Fortune 500 buyer personas.
• Kotter International: Kotter International is a change management strategy and consulting firm built around the Kotter 8-Step Process. It competes head-to-head with Gagen MacDonald for change and transformation engagements with large enterprise clients.
• FranklinCovey: FranklinCovey provides leadership, change, and execution consulting alongside training and content IP (e.g., 7 Habits). It overlaps with Gagen MacDonald in change, culture, and leadership development work sold into enterprise HR and L&D buyers.

Broad incumbents

• APCO Worldwide: APCO Worldwide is Gagen MacDonald's parent company and a global communications and strategic advisory firm. While Gagen sits within APCO, APCO's broader communications advisory portfolio is a comparable go-to-market parallel for large-scale change and stakeholder engagement work.
• Deloitte (Human Capital practice): Deloitte's Human Capital practice offers organization transformation, change management, and workforce strategy at global scale. It competes with Gagen MacDonald on enterprise transformation mandates but as part of a much broader consulting portfolio.
• Bain & Company (Organization Practice): Bain's Organization practice advises on operating model, culture, and change as part of its broader strategy consulting business. It targets the same Fortune 500 transformation buyer as Gagen MacDonald but operates at a materially larger scale.
• Accenture (Organization & Culture practice): Accenture's Change Management and Organization & Culture practices deliver enterprise transformation advisory alongside technology implementation. It overlaps with Gagen MacDonald in change and culture work, typically with a technology and systems integration angle.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm spanning leadership, talent, and rewards advisory. Its Organization Strategy and Transformation work overlaps with Gagen MacDonald's change, culture, and leadership practices for enterprise HR buyers.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global leadership and organizational advisory firm with practices in culture, change, and leadership development. It targets the same C-suite and HR leaders as Gagen MacDonald but with a heavier executive search weighting.

Others

• McKinsey & Company (People & Organizational Performance): McKinsey's People & Organizational Performance practice serves global enterprises on change, culture, and organization design. It competes for the same C-suite and HR buyers as Gagen MacDonald but with vastly larger scale and broader offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gagen-macdonald
• Xx.com/gagenmac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Gagen MacDonald