The Brigde International grows to 20 consultants in its first year

Having more than doubled its headcount over the past twelve months, fast-growing Australian management consultancy The Bridge International has entered the new year with a fresh brand position. 

Financial services sector-focused management consultancy The Bridge International has in the space of less than two years grown its team to more than 20 advisors – with those coming on board joining from a variety of sectors, including leadership backgrounds in insurance, banking, energy and retail among others. This diversity of experience is no accident, with the firm openly priding itself on its make-up of non-career consultants.

Officially launched around the middle of 2018, and headed by co-founders and former insurance executives Stuart Blake and David McDonald, The Bridge International offers a wide range of services spanning strategy, organisation, operations, customer service, culture, and commercial & risk – yet is quick to describe itself as an alternative, non-traditional consultancy: the key point of difference being the deep industry background of its advisors.

Those advisors have doubled in number in just the past twelve months, with the firm celebrating its fast-paced growth with a fresh brand position to kick off the new year. Leading with the tag-line, “We are the Bridge between where you are and where you want to be,” the firm states that it has now refined its focus around its main points of difference, which further include a collaborative approach and fast-track services.

Its capacity for the latter, says the consulting firm, comes on the back of its industry experience. “We’ve been on the client-side of the fence and walked in their shoes,” says Blake, a former CEO at one of IAG’s largest Australian insures who like most at the firm brings more than 20 years of industry experience to the table. “We know how hard it is and can relate to our clients. With this experience, we are able to fast track solutions and reduce the consulting bill.”

In addition to hands-on experience and expedited solutions, the firm believes its approach to clients – which have to date included the NRMA, RACV, and SGIO among other insurers – further sets it apart from traditional management consultancies, with its particular focus on collaborative design and the building of partnerships. “We don’t just hand over our findings and walk away,” the consultancy states. “We deliver executional plans that drive real value.”

Further, The Bridge International’s proposition is built around what it call its ‘Triple Play Philosophy’, which takes into account the balance of customer experience, financials, and culture & purpose. Likewise an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience, MacDonald concludes; “The challenge in business is to achieve all three, not overshoot and cause unintended consequences to customers or your culture as you improve shareholder returns.”