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Hi there,
Cases to prepare. EY-Parthenon is a strategy house, so the core is standard strategy casing - treat your prep the same as you would for MBB/Tier-2: market sizing, market entry, growth, profitability, and M&A/commercial due diligence. CDD is especially worth drilling because it's bread-and-butter for EY-P (a PE client considering a target: is the market attractive, is the company well-positioned, what are the risks). For the Financial Services angle specifically, get comfortable with the basics of how banks, insurers, asset managers and payments players make money - revenue drivers, cost structure, the effect of regulation and interest rates. You don't need deep technical finance, but a case set in a retail bank or insurer shouldn't throw you. Solid mental math and clean structuring matter as much as the framework.
Process (confirm the exact steps with your recruiter, as it shifts). Typically: online application/ CV screen, sometimes an online test or numerical assessment, then interview rounds mixing case and fit, usually building up to interviews with more senior staff (Principals/ Partners) in the final round. For the German offices, expect that they'll want to see you can operate in German if the role requires it - clarify early whether your interviews and casework will be in German or English, and if German, do at least one mock in German so the vocabulary is fluent under pressure.
Other tips. Have a crisp "why EY-Parthenon, why Financial Services, why this office" - they'll test genuine interest in the sector, not just generic strategy motivation. Prepare fit stories (leadership, drive, conflict, impact) with the same seriousness as cases. And know your own CV cold: FS strategy interviewers often probe your background for real analytical depth.
Happy to run a mock case or pressure-test your "why FS / why EY-P" story if useful.
Best,
Leo
The exact process varies by office, but I'd prepare as you would for any Tier 2 strategy consulting interview, with a bit more emphasis on financial services.
On the case side, I'd expect topics such as:
- growth strategy for a bank or insurer
- profitability improvement
- operating model / organizational transformation
- digital transformation
- customer strategy
- cost optimization
- product or distribution strategy
Since it's the Strategy & Execution team, don't be surprised if the discussion goes beyond "what should the client do?" into "how would you actually implement it?"
For the fit part, make sure you have strong answers to:
- Why EY-Parthenon?
- Why Financial Services?
- Why Strategy & Execution?
- Walk me through your CV.
If you already have experience in FS, be prepared to discuss your projects in detail, including your personal contribution and the impact you had.
One final tip: don't overcomplicate the cases. Interviewers are usually looking for clear, structured thinking and good business judgment rather than exotic frameworks or deep banking knowledge. If your fundamentals are solid, you'll be in a good position.
