PA Consulting appoints Christian Norris as chief executive officer

PA Consulting, a global innovation and transformation consultancy, has appointed Christian Norris as chief executive officer.

Based in the firm’s London headquarters, Norris succeeds Ken Toombs, who led PA Consulting since 2020.

Jacobs, a US-based design and engineering consultancy, acquired a 65% stake in the 4,000-person company in 2021.

Norris, who has 15+ years of consulting experience, joined PA in 2018 as partner and head of economics and analytics. He also previously led the firm’s strategy and economics practice and its health and life sciences sector.

PA says Norris has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s business strategy over the last five years, including securing new clients and acquisitions.

PA in 2022 acquired The Cambridge Group, a Chicago-based growth strategy consulting firm, and Design Partners, an Ireland-based product design and innovation agency. The firm also registered revenue growth of 14% to reach £785 million in 2022.

“Christian is purposeful, strategic, authentic, thoughtful, and perhaps most importantly in a partnership model, collaborative,” said John Alexander, chairman at PA Consulting. “Working closely with the board, and under Christian's leadership, we will continue to create new growth opportunities for our clients, our people, and our communities."

Before joining PA, Norris was a director in the economics practice of Deloitte, where he spent 10 years. He has a master’s degree in economics from University College London and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Bristol.

"It is a great honor to be chosen to lead PA. We are uniquely placed in the market as the only company to bring ingenuity to life, driving significant value for our clients,” Norris said. “Guided by our commitment to innovation and creating a culture that nurtures creativity and gives back to our communities, as CEO I will lead our diverse teams of experts as we build a positive human future."

Founded in 1943, PA delivers consulting services in product design and engineering, strategy and operations, and digital transformation, among other areas. The firm has offices in Europe and the United States.