L.E.K. Consulting promotes five new partners across 4 offices in US
Global management consultancy L.E.K. has promoted five of its staff to the level of Partner, with two in Boston and one apiece in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.
Primed for growth through a recent financing package from Lloyds Bank, London and Boston–based L.E.K. Consulting is, like many of its peers, heavily investing into high-growth segments like digital and innovation. The firm is also keen to continue expanding its geographic and human footprint from its current size of 1,400 professional across 19 global offices.
The management consultancy’s US operations are based in Boston, with further locations in New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
L.E.K. has now expanded its partner membership with the appointment of 5 new partners in the US along with 10 other appointments across the rest of its global offices. The process is overseen by the firm’s Partner Development Committee, which helps develop L.E.K.’s top consultants into Partner material. The committee also evaluates candidate’s readiness for election, and ensures equal opportunities and standards for Partner promotion.
The first of two Boston Partner promotions, Noor Abdel-Samed is a consumer sector specialist with expertise in digital, omnichannel, ecommerce, and marketing. Before joining L.E.K. as a Principal two years ago, Abdel-Samed was Vice President, Omni-Channel at Costco rival BJ’s Wholesale Club.
Before that, he was a Director of Strategic Initiatives at CVS Health, and a Consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. Abdel-Samed started his career as a Law Clerk/Staff Attorney in the US Courts system. He holds a JD from the Emory University School of Law, as well as a BA from Emory University.
Jeff Cloetingh, a Boston-based member of the Industrials and Packaging practices, has been with L.E.K. since 2011. He has deep industry expertise in growth strategy, commercial and roll-up strategy, and M&A transaction support.
Prior to joining L.E.K., Cloetingh spent four years at McLagan Partners (now Aon), focusing on competitive benchmarking and incentive plan design. He holds an MBA from Cornell University, as well as a BA in economics from Colgate University.
San Francisco’s new Partner is Neil Menzies, a L.E.K. team member since 2007 (with a two-year break to complete his MBA at Wharton). Within the Technology and Transport practice, Menzies has supported clients with growth strategy, market readiness, analysis, and M&A strategy, among other areas. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, as a well as a BE in computer systems engineering from the University of Auckland.
The New York office’s newest Partner is Matt Sabbatino, a specialist in payer/provider integration and behavioural health working in the firm’s Healthcare Services practice. Before joining L.E.K. in 2011, Sabbatino was a Captain, combat engineer and paratrooper in the United States Army. He holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Chicago office Partner Ilya Trakhtenberg has been with L.E.K. since 2008, with a two-year break between 2011 and 2013 to complete his MBA at Kellogg. A healthcare industry specialist, Trakhtenberg has particular expertise in medical technology and the healthcare value chain. He has advised corporate and private equity clients on issues ranging from growth strategy to commercial excellence. Trakhtenberg holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, as well as a BA in economics and political science from Northwestern.
"We are delighted to announce our newest L.E.K. partners and recognize their contribution to delivering exceptional results and impact for our clients," remarked Stuart Jackson, Global Managing Partner. "We congratulate them and value their expertise as we broaden our capabilities and drive increased demand for our services across a diverse range of businesses and industry sectors worldwide."
