CIL

What CIL does

CIL is a London-headquartered strategy consulting firm that provides advisory services to ambitious mid-market and enterprise businesses across Europe. Founded in 1986 and operating with 101-250 employees, the firm delivers five core service lines: corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions advisory, pricing and commercial excellence, value creation, and data analytics & artificial intelligence consulting. CIL positions itself on deep sector expertise spanning 10 verticals including Financial Services, Consumer Markets, Industrial Products & Services, Private Equity, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Technology, combined with a hands-on, tailored engagement model that contrasts with the staff-pyramid delivery of larger consultancies.

The firm operates a bespoke professional services revenue model, with multi-year engagements priced per scope and delivered through direct enterprise relationships initiated via senior team outreach, website contact, and referrals. Publicly disclosed case work includes a multi-phase transformation engagement with Personal Group, an AIM-listed insurance and employee benefits provider, where CIL supported market sizing, proposition focus, and product development, delivering an 18% uplift in insurance sales and a share price that more than doubled. Additional case work covers price elasticity testing for a leisure business and ERP/data unification for a property services company preparing for exit, indicating repeatable methodologies in pricing and value creation.

CIL maintains B Corp certification and invests in thought leadership through proprietary research, most notably the European Buy & Build Opportunity Index 2026, which analyzed 2,500+ business segments across six European regions. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise with no disclosed intermediaries, and go-to-market relies on content marketing (insights hub, case studies) and a LinkedIn presence to build brand awareness among corporate and PE decision-makers. The firm shows no disclosed funding, M&A activity, or partnership alliances, and operates as an independently held private company with no parent entity.

Name

CIL

Legal name

CIL | Global Strategy Consultants

Website

https://cilconsultants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CIL is a London-based strategy consulting firm founded in 1986 serving ambitious mid-market and enterprise clients across 10 European sectors. It delivers five service lines—corporate strategy, M&A advisory, pricing excellence, value creation, and data analytics & AI—via bespoke multi-year engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategy Consulting Services: CIL generates revenue through bespoke strategy consulting engagements, providing services across corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions, pricing & commercial excellence, value creation, and data analytics & AI.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CIL is a global strategy consulting firm delivering bespoke advisory engagements across five core service lines: Corporate Strategy, Data Analytics & AI, Mergers & Acquisitions, Pricing & Commercial Excellence, and Value Creation. Services are sold as standalone consulting engagements to ambitious businesses across ten sector verticals including Financial Services, Consumer Markets, Industrial Products & Services, and Private Equity.

Product overview

CIL is a global strategy consulting firm offering five core consulting service lines: Corporate Strategy, Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence, Mergers & Acquisitions, Pricing & Commercial Excellence, and Value Creation. These services are delivered as standalone consulting engagements rather than as a software platform or modular product suite. The firm specializes in providing sector-specific strategic advisory to ambitious businesses seeking growth, transformation, or exit preparation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Strategy

Quantifiable outcome

• 18% uplift in insurance sales for Personal Group
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Simon-Kucher & Partners: Global consultancy specializing in pricing, commercial excellence, and growth strategy; directly comparable on the Pricing & Commercial Excellence capability and monetization-led approach.
• Baringa Partners: UK-based consulting firm with strong Financial Services and Energy sector practices and a data/analytics heritage; comparable as a homegrown UK boutique with adjacent capability mix.
• OC&C Strategy Consultants: UK-headquartered boutique strategy consultancy with deep sector specialization and similar size profile; most directly comparable peer given shared heritage, sector focus, and strategy/M&A/value-creation service mix.
• L.E.K. Consulting: Global strategy boutique with deep sector specialization and a strong private equity practice; comparable on service mix (corporate strategy, M&A, value creation) and target buyer profile.
• Elixirr International: UK-listed challenger consultancy with strategy, digital, and value-creation offerings targeting ambitious mid-market and PE-backed clients; comparable on positioning, geography, and target customer.
• Arthur D. Little: Global strategy and management consulting boutique with a sector-led model spanning industrial, financial services, and technology; comparable as a mid-sized, expertise-led alternative to the Big Three.
• AlixPartners: Global consulting firm with a strong value-creation and turnaround practice serving PE and corporate clients; comparable on value creation, M&A advisory, and performance improvement mandates.
• Roland Berger: European-headquartered strategy consultancy with strong sector coverage and pricing/operational excellence practices; closely comparable given shared European footprint and strategy-focused offering.

Broad incumbents

• Bain & Company: Top-tier global strategy consultancy with a particularly strong private equity practice; overlaps with CIL across strategy, M&A, and value creation while operating at significantly larger scale.
• McKinsey & Company: Largest global management consultancy; competes with CIL on corporate strategy, M&A, and transformation mandates and sets the benchmark on pricing, talent, and brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cil-2/?originalSubdomain=uk
• Xx.com/cilconsultants

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CIL