Currently at a boutique consulting firm focused on CDDs. Mostly niche industries - what are recommended courses of action for exits? Is CDD consulting a good path to stay in / looking to hop firms? Or is it best to target corp strat / dev opportunities? All insight is appreciated

Great question! CDD (Commercial Due Diligence) experience at a boutique firm can open several solid exit paths, depending on your goals.

If you want to stay in consulting:

• You can leverage your CDD expertise to move into a larger strategy firm (e.g., OW, LEK, EY-Parthenon), especially those with strong DD practices
• Highlight your analytical rigor, exposure to investment logic, and ability to synthesize insights quickly
• Target firms with strong Private Equity or Deal Advisory practices, as they value this experience highly

If you want to pivot to industry:

• Corporate Strategy or Corporate Development roles are a great fit, especially in sectors you've covered during CDD work
• Your skills align well with market analysis, investment screening, and strategic planning
• PE portfolio companies or large corporates with active M&A arms will especially value your background

General Advice:

• Emphasize structured thinking, client impact, and independent ownership of workstreams
• If your experience is too narrow, consider broadening exposure (e.g., take on growth strategy projects if possible)

Both exits are strong, the key is aligning with where you want to grow. Let me know if you’d like help tailoring your CV for either path.

Hi,

I worked in BCG's PE practice, so sharing a couple of my thoughts here. 

I would say the first thing you should ask yourself is what is your mid/long term objective - where do you want to be, what kind of work do you want to be doing etc.

From a CDD POV, the most 2 directly relevant exits would be

1. Larger consulting firms, joining specifically their PE practice
2. Corp dev / M&A teams in corporates

Therefore "good path" or not really depends on what you'd like to achieve. If you wanted something broader, what I would suggest is try and use your experience to join MBB - and then from there you will have much broader exit options. 

All the best!

All are viable paths, it really depends on which one you want to go for at the end of the day.

Might make sense to start by first talking with some people who are currently a few years ahead of you on each track. Get a sense from them as to how they're experiencing the job and how they would approach things differently if they were in your shoes. 

This sort of clarity and perspective might help you more than anything else. 

Best,
Cristian

hey there!

1. Exits to Industry: CDD (Commercial Due Diligence) consulting can be a good stepping stone to corporate strategy, corporate development (M&A), or even private equity roles, as it builds strong financial analysis and strategic thinking skills.
2. Staying in Consulting: If you enjoy the niche industries and want to continue in consulting, transitioning to a larger firm with more variety (e.g., MBB) could expand your horizons. But niche consulting can be limiting long-term.
3. Targeting Corp Strat/Dev: Moving to corporate strategy or development could be an excellent move, as it allows you to leverage your consulting skills in a more impactful, long-term, and high-visibility role in a business.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for variety and growth, aiming for a corporate role might provide more opportunities. However, if you're interested in staying in consulting, positioning yourself for a move to a larger firm might be the better option.

Alessa

Hi there, 

It depends on what do you want to do in the longer term? 

If you want to go into Private Equity or similar investment roles (e.g., in some of the sovereign funds), then it would be good to stay in CDD. But if you want to pivot to something else, then you might want to look into corp strat roles and get out earlier rather than staying too long. 

You could also look into transition to a bigger consulting firms first, which might give you more opportunities to try different projects within consulting. 

Best,

Emily

I love CDD. But exit opportunities are limited and are the ones you mentioned... either other consulting firms or corporate strategy and corporate development roles. And you are unlikely to focus on a specific industry.

Hi,

I see you've got great suggestions but I have one thing to add:

- Reach out to people whose career you could see yourself having.

Ask them: 

• About their journey
• What did they enjoy
• What did it take to be there
• What are their suggestions for you

Good luck!