The Consulting Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Financial Services Consultants and Leaders of 2025. This year’s awardees are at the forefront of an industry in flux, and they’re making significant strides by tackling the industry's most pressing challenges—whether it's guiding banks through digital transformations, reshaping insurance models in the face of evolving regulations, or driving innovation in payments and wealth management. Their work is shaping how financial institutions operate, adapt, and succeed in a world increasingly influenced by new technology and shifting consumer expectations.
Each of these leaders has become a go-to resource for financial institutions in search of real change. Their expertise is helping clients modernize, become more agile, and find new ways to deliver value in an industry where adaptability is key.
This year’s honorees come from all corners of the financial services world, each bringing their own brand of innovation and leadership. Joffrey Martinez, Managing Partner and Global Financial Services Lead at Artefact, is helping financial institutions harness the power of AI and data to redefine their strategies and enhance decision-making. Arpan Dasgupta, Chief Business Officer and Head of Financial Services & Insurance at Tredence Inc., is leading the charge in digital transformation and driving scalable growth across the sector. And Isabelle Santenac, Global Insurance Leader at EY, is helping insurers navigate regulatory changes and embrace digital solutions, reshaping their business models for the future.
Through an in-depth evaluation of their career achievements and transformative work, these individuals have emerged as leaders shaping the future of financial services. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Financial Services Consultants and Leaders of 2025.
1. Ashwin Adarkar
Firm: McKinsey & Company
Title: Senior Partner and Leader of Global Retail Banking Practice
Ashwin Adarkar is a Senior Partner and the Leader of the Global Retail Banking Practice at McKinsey & Company. Adarkar’s industry experience in financial services spans more than 30 years, and he has served institutions across retail banking, commercial banking, asset and wealth management, consumer lending, and payments, as well as property, casualty, and life insurance.
Adarkar has worked extensively on strategy, operations, and organizational topics. The focus of his recent work has been enterprise transformation, digital strategy and organization, and corporate governance. Adarkar sits on the board of trustees of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, the Southern California Leadership Council, the Huntington Library, and the Fletcher Jones Foundation.
Prior to joining McKinsey & Company, Adarkar served as a senior partner and managing director, leading North American financial services at the Boston Consulting Group. He also held the role of CEO of the Retail Bank at IndyMac Bank, overseeing new business incubation and M&A. Earlier in his career, he worked with Goldman Sachs as an analyst.
Adarkar holds an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, as well as a master’s degree in industrial engineering and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University.
2. Nicole Bodack
Firm: Accenture
Title: Managing Director
Nicole Bodack is a seasoned management consulting executive with over 20 years of experience advising top-tier financial institutions across Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. Based in Singapore, she specializes in strategy, management advisory, and technology-enabled transformation across Banking, Wealth Management, and Capital Markets.
Nicole currently leads Accenture’s Banking & Capital Markets industry group for APAC and heads the firm’s Financial Services Strategy & Consulting practice in Southeast Asia. She partners with C-suite leaders to help shape and execute transformation agendas that modernize operating models, unlock new growth opportunities, and drive measurable outcomes.
A passionate advocate for innovation, Nicole is focused on helping financial services institutions embrace the future - underpinned by emerging technologies, data, and AI. She is also committed to building high-performing, diverse teams that deliver exceptional and lasting value for clients.
3. Isabelle Santenac
Firm: EY
Title: Global Insurance Leader
Isabelle is the Global Insurance Leader at EY since 2019. She sets the global strategy for a Sector comprised of over 24,000 industry professionals committed to help insurers around the world transform and reshape their business models through audit, business consulting, tax and corporate finance services. Under her leadership, the insurance sector has grown more than 50% over the last 5 years.
Previously, she was the Assurance Managing Partner for financial services in Europe and the Chief Operating Officer of EY’s Global Assurance practice. She has over 35 years of experience working with large financial services organizations globally.
Isabelle contributes extensively to EY’s global thought leadership and writes regularly on topics impacting the insurance industry. She is frequently quoted in the media and makes regular presentations on the insurance industry to a variety of audiences.
In addition, Isabelle is an active contributor to the discussion shaping the sustainability agenda in the insurance industry and is a board member of Positiv, a non-profit organization for which EY is providing skilled sponsorship.
Finally, she is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusiveness and is known for nurturing talent and actively building high performing teams. She is a key supporter of the Insurance Supper Club, a global business community for women involved in the insurance industry.
4. John Behringer
Firm: RSM US
Title: Financial Institutions Leader
John Behringer is the Financial Institutions Leader at RSM US. Behringer is a seasoned financial services executive with a successful track record in numerous enterprise leadership roles. In addition to his role leading the financial institutions sector for the firm, he also serves as the Risk Consulting Financial Services Industry Leader for RSM in North America.
Behringer is a trusted advisor to the C-suite and boards of multiple financial institutions, publicly and privately held, on topics including regulatory matters, digital transformation, acquisitions, fintech partnerships, digital assets, IPOs, and growth strategies. He has 25 years of experience focused on the financial services industry that spans audit, tax, and consulting roles with large global and national public accounting and consulting firms.
Behringer is responsible for driving collaboration across all lines of business to ensure successful client delivery while achieving growth and profitability targets, along with serving on the Financial Services combined leadership team. He directs all aspects of the Risk Consulting Financial Services practice with responsibility for managing a multi-disciplinary group of over 300 professionals delivering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line of defense consulting services to clients in the financial institution, capital market, insurance, specialty finance, and asset management sectors.
Behringer holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Northern Illinois University and is a certified public accountant in the state of Wisconsin. He also holds an MBA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
5. Brian Rebhun
Firm: PwC
Title: Asset & Wealth Management Partner
Brian Rebhun is a Partner within PwC's Asset & Wealth Management Tax practice and is the Managing Partner of PwC’s Financial Services Tax practice. PwC is a global network of firms operating in 152 countries with over 327,000 professionals dedicated to delivering quality assurance, advisory, and tax services. Rebhun specializes in the taxation of private-equity funds, hedge funds, mutual funds, real estate funds, fund of funds, and broker-dealers.
6. Mathew Tierney
Firm: Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Title: Global Insurance Practice Leader
Mathew Tierney is the Global Insurance Practice leader for Grant Thornton Advisors LLC. Tierney maintains offices in both New York City and Philadelphia and oversees the firm’s go-to-market strategy for the insurance industry, which encompasses a full range of audit, assurance, tax and advisory services — and includes creating industry-centric solutions, establishing service delivery teams and ensuring quality execution for the firm’s global accounts.
Previously, Tierney served on Grant Thornton’s Partnership Board as well as on the Global Business Consulting Leadership team for Grant Thornton International Ltd. While serving on the Partnership Board of Grant Thornton, Tierney and his fellow board members helped navigate one of the largest investments in the professional services sector with an outside investment from a leading private equity firm.
Earlier in his career, Tierney was an Advisory Leader with the firm Smart LLP, where he focused on the Insurance Industry and spent time working in Bermuda, London and Germany. Smart was acquired by Grant Thornton in 2011.
Tierney currently sits on the Board of the Society of Insurance Financial Management and donates his time to local athletic organizations in his New Jersey community. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Widener University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Executive Leadership Program.
7. James McDermott
Firm: Alvarez & Marsal
Title: Managing Director & Practice Leader
James (Jim) McDermott is a seasoned leader with over 40 years of experience in the insurance industry and currently leads Alvarez & Marsal’s U.S. insurance and risk advisory practice. He has held executive roles such as CEO, CFO, and EVP of Operations and Technology, working across publicly traded and private equity-held organizations. Specializing in financial and strategic advisory, he has guided boards and senior management on complex accounting, actuarial issues, SEC investigations, and shareholder actions, while overseeing transactions exceeding $5 billion.
Throughout his career, Mr. McDermott has demonstrated a strong track record in organizational transformation and financial restructuring. He has also advised organizations and regulators on high-stakes matters, including transitioning distribution channels, evaluating acquisitions, analyzing new business lines, and supporting regulatory reviews. His operational expertise includes overhauling financial and actuarial systems, redesigning workflows, and improving profitability in underperforming insurance lines such as long-term care and disability income insurance.
Mr. McDermott holds bachelor’s degrees in accounting, actuarial science, and quantitative analysis from the University of Wisconsin School of Business. Recognized for his leadership in financial restructuring across various industries, he has also been admitted and testified as an expert in the U.S. Federal District Court on acquisition due diligence matters. His extensive experience and strategic insights have made him a trusted advisor and leader in the insurance and financial services sectors.
8. Colleen Corwell
Firm: Kroll
Title: Managing Director
Colleen Corwell is a Managing Director and Head of U.S. Compliance Consulting in the Financial Services Compliance and Regulation practice at Kroll, based in New York. Corwell leverages more than 20 years of experience in helping industry firms navigate complex regulations by serving as in-house and outsourced chief compliance officer for more than 20 firms, including registered investment advisors, investment companies, and broker-dealers.
She has been the lead on numerous SEC and FINRA examinations and has a deep knowledge of a wide range of investment products, including private equity, private credit and real estate funds, registered investment companies, business development companies, private placements, and retail asset management products.
Prior to joining Kroll, Corwell worked as a Consultant at ACA, where she advised both small and large firms, including Fortune 500 companies, on complex regulations. Before that, she held the title of Managing Director at Foreside Financial. Corwell has also held senior-level positions at Alaric Compliance, Ameriprise, Capital One, and ING, and she was on the advisory board for BasisCode. Corwell earned an MBA from Touro University and a bachelor’s degree from The College of William & Mary.
9. Sebastien Petsas
Firm: Kroll
Title: Managing Director
Sebastien Petsas is a Managing Director in Kroll’s Financial Services Compliance and Regulation practice, with over 14 years of experience at the firm. Based in London, Sebastien’s work is global in nature with a significant number of projects involving multiple regulatory jurisdictions across the UK, EU, APAC, Caribbean and wider financial services centres.
Sebastien offers regulatory consulting advice across a wide range of topics and firm types. He specializes in leading regulatory commissioned reviews and investigations, where regulatory authorities require an independent expert to assess the general standing of firms under review.
Over the past decade, Sebastien has played a significant role in M&A projects, leading global regulatory due diligence engagements on over 50 transactions within the financial services sector. These transactions include global fund administrators, trust and corporate service providers, wealth management firms, credit providers, payment services, and more. His deep understanding of technical regulatory matters and ability to translate these into potential commercial impacts for buyers, sellers, financing parties, and insurers has established him as a trusted advisor to his clients and their Boards.
Sebastien holds a Law LLB, Legal Practice Course, MSc in Finance and Financial Law, and CISI Diploma in Regulation and Compliance.
10. Hannah Rossiter
Firm: Kroll
Title: Managing Director
Hannah Rossiter is a Managing Director who leads Kroll’s Financial Services Compliance and Regulation practice in the Middle East, based in Dubai. She has over 25 years of experience in providing regulatory and compliance advice to a wide range of clients across Europe and the Middle East.
Hannah assists banks, wealth managers, and asset managers with regulatory audits and inspections. She also develops and implements tailored compliance policies and procedures for financial services firms to ensure compliance with the national regulators’ doctrine and local law as well as with international best practice.
Hannah has a broad range of advisory and audit experience and acts as a testifying expert. Her experience includes:
Testifying as an expert witness in a dispute heard by the Dubai International Arbitration Centre relating to compliance and regulatory requirements that applied to an international bank’s DIFC branch.
Testifying as an expert witness in a Swiss tribunal in relation to a dispute between a UK wealth manager and an American investor. She opined on the best industry practices for due diligence conducted by hedge funds investing in illiquid assets.
Leading Kroll’s Skilled Person appointment team with the Central Bank of the U.A.E., supporting the Central Bank Examiner teams in their annual AML review exercise of Licensed Financial Institutions.
License application support under the EU Payment Services Provider Directive for a firm in France processing payment transactions associated with a payment account and card payments, structuring of compliance and risk functions for the payment services provider. Leading a large international AML review under an appointment from the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority of two Scandinavian banks.
Coordination and oversight of an independent review of the compliance & risk management function, across multiple jurisdictions, for one of the world’s largest investment firms, ensuring that local regulatory and compliance requirements relevant to risk management were fully and effectively addressed.
Cross-border review for an international investment firm headquartered in France to assess governance, organization, and resources within compliance and risk functions, assessing local regulatory requirements and mapping those to the Firm’s affiliate-based business model.
The design and conduct of a group-wide compliance risk assessment across EU and non-EU EMEA businesses, and conducting a number of compliance controls on an outsourced basis as part of a final “proof of concept” stage, demonstrating the efficiency of the newly designed monitoring plan.
Prior to joining Kroll, Hannah worked in the investment banking sector and began her career as a finance lawyer with Clifford Chance, working in both their London and Paris offices.
She holds an MBA in finance from HEC Paris, a master’s degree in law from The University of Law, and a bachelor’s degree from King’s College London. She also holds the CF21 Investment Adviser qualification from the UK Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) and the AMF Professional Certification from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.
11. Araya Solomon
Firm: Slalom
Title: Managing Director & Global Head of Capital Markets, Wealth, and Asset Management
Araya Solomon is a Managing Director and Global Head of Capital Markets, Wealth, and Asset Management at Slalom, with over 24 years of experience in management and technology consulting across the banking, capital markets, and technology sectors.
Prior to joining Slalom, he was a managing director at Accenture, a partner/principal with EY’s Financial Services practice, and the head of financial services Americas at DXC Luxoft. He has held regional (EMEIA, APAC, Americas) and global leadership roles, driving strategic transformation initiatives for top financial institutions.
Solomon's expertise spans trading and risk functions within banking and capital markets. His leadership experience includes practice leadership across global regions, overseeing large-scale transformation programs, advising senior leadership on operating models, strategy and target technology architecture, and serving as the overall program lead for major financial institutions.
12. Richard Winston
Firm: Slalom
Title: Financial Services Global Industry Lead
Richard Winston is a Managing Director and Global Financial Services Lead at Slalom. With extensive expertise in the financial services industry, he has driven innovation and transformation across various sectors, including banking, insurance, wealth management, and capital markets. Winston has led projects that leverage AI and machine learning to optimize risk management, improve customer experience, and modernize data architectures. Notably, his work has resulted in measurable outcomes, such as a 15% reduction in loan default rates and a 40% improvement in claims processing speed for insurers.
Winston is also a thought leader in the financial services sector, having authored over 70 industry perspective pieces across platforms like LinkedIn and Forbes. He has represented Slalom at several key industry conferences, including Money2020 and the AWS Financial Services Summit. As the global leader in Slalom's Financial Services practice, he continues to drive the firm’s commitment to helping clients navigate complexity and achieve sustainable growth through data-driven, AI-powered solutions.
13. Yann Rouveure
Firm: TALEO Consulting
Title: Group Managing Partner
Yann Rouveure created TALEO Consulting group, an international Management Consulting Group initiated in 2014, with his brother, Benjamin Rouveure. Now located in 10 countries in Europe and Asia and acting in many cities, the group now comprises more than 550 collaborators. Three business lines have been deployed: Finance (TALEO) remains the major one, along with Life Sciences (ELMEA) and Energy Transition (SAPIA).
TALEO has full coverage within the financial industry through its dedicated practices/excellence centers: Strategy & Governance, Risk & Compliance & Regulatory, Operational Excellence, Business & Operations, Digital Transformation, and Information System Management. Flexibility and reactivity combined with industry expertise, solution-oriented mindsets, and best-in-class transformation skills ensure TALEO’s clients a high level of delivery.
Having more than 60% of its turnover linked to Risk, Compliance & Regulatory services, TALEO is more and more recognized as a specialist in this field.
Rouveure began his career at Altran, which was later acquired by Capgemini. During his time there, he was responsible for business development in the BeNeLux region and later took on the role of operational director for the Luxembourg subsidiary. Following his time at Altran/Capgemini, Rouveure transitioned to lead an advisory firm in Luxembourg for one year.
Rouveure holds a master’s degree in global management from KEDGE Business School, with specializations in finance and marketing. He also earned a master’s degree in global management with the same specializations from the University of Hull. Additionally, he completed a diplomatura in business sciences and business management at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.
14. Heidi Deringer
Firm: Bain & Company
Title: Partner, Head of Americas Financial Services Practice
Heidi Deringer is the Head of Bain's Americas Financial Services practice, as well as a member in the firm's Performance Improvement and Mergers & Acquisitions practices. She has more than 20 years of consulting experience, working with client teams to develop actionable and sustainable results.
15. Anil Gopakumar
Firm: Wipro
Title: Business Head of Payments
In his present role as Business Head for Payments, Wipro North America, Anil Gopakumar is responsible for end-to-end P&L encompassing delivery, sales, solutions, and market expansion. Within Wipro, Anil has forged strategic partnerships with advisors and leading analysts to devise innovative solutions that address industry challenges.
Anil is an ardent advocate for creative solutions, leveraging his three decades of leadership experience to catalyze digital transformation for over 20 major financial clients. He has assumed pivotal leadership in nurturing new client relationships, expanding market share, and advising clients on business transformation, resiliency, and innovation. Anil has championed industry solutions across the banking and payments value chain. Anil earned a master’s degree in software systems from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, and an engineering degree from NIT Calicut, India.
16. Arpan Dasgupta
Firm: Tredence Inc.
Title: Chief Business Officer & Head of Financial Services & Insurance
Arpan Dasgupta is the Chief Business Officer & Head of Financial Services & Insurance for Tredence Inc. He first joined the company in 2023. Tredence is a global data science solutions provider focused on solving the last-mile problem in AI. In his role, Dasgupta focuses on business growth through digital, care, customer experience, and sales and marketing capabilities, with an emphasis on scalability and automation.
Previously, Dasgupta was a chief practice officer at Fractal and before that a management consultant at Booz & Company. Earlier in his career, he worked with American Express as a risk and marketing analyst.
Dasgupta earned an MBA in finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
17. Joffrey Martinez
Firm: ARTEFACT
Title: Managing Partner - Global Financial Services Lead
Joffrey Martinez oversees all of Artefact's global activities in the financial sector (bank, insurance, asset management, fintech, and payment), which is now one of the company's Top 3 industries. He is responsible for the overall vision and strategy for this key sector, including investment priorities and the development of client offerings. He advises leading financial institutions and their executives on their (Gen) AI & Data transformation.
Joffrey joined Artefact, a global leader in artificial intelligence and data consulting, in 2022, with an ambitious mission to launch, structure, and develop the Financial Sector practice. Before joining Artefact, Joffrey began his career in finance, working in private equity, before turning to strategic consulting at BearingPoint. Aware of the power of technology to transform the financial sector, he joined IBM Consulting France to head up the brand's AI consulting business. Joffrey graduated from KEDGE Business School and the Executive Education program at Ecole Polytechnique. He is also a member of an advisory board.
18. Gordon Smith
Firm: Prophet
Title: Senior Partner
Gordon Smith is a Senior Partner and Global Lead of the Financial Services practice at Prophet, where he focuses on driving growth and transformation for banks, asset managers, and fintechs through customer-led brand strategy, experience design, product architecture and development, and innovation. Under his leadership, the global financial services practice at Prophet has achieved a CAGR of over 16%. Gordon also co-leads the Global Strategy Solutions and Private Capital Portfolio Value Creation teams at Prophet.
With over 25 years of experience as both an advisor and 3x entrepreneur, Gordon brings a unique perspective to his clients, having launched industry-shaping businesses and advised leaders of global brands in bringing new and award-winning products, services, and experiences to market.
Prior to joining Prophet, Gordon was a Partner and U.S. Digital Wealth Management Leader at Deloitte Digital, while also leading the U.S. Financial Services practice for Deloitte Studios, a full-service creative consultancy. He began his career at Accenture, where he helped architect and launch the banking industry's premier managed content services provider. Gordon was later a founding team member of an investment management firm that was spun out of Morgan Stanley and subsequently acquired by PIMCO. Gordon earned an MBA in entrepreneurship from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech.
19. Paul Schaus
Firm: CCG Catalyst Consulting
Title: Managing Partner & Founder
Paul Schaus is the Managing Partner and Founder of CCG Catalyst. CCG Catalyst is a trusted and respected consulting firm in the banking sector, serving more than 600 clients across the United States and internationally. With a team of consultants, researchers, analysts, and subject matter experts from diverse backgrounds, the firm brings a wide range of perspectives and skills to each engagement, helping banks of all sizes navigate the complexities of the financial services landscape.
Schaus has over 30 years of experience in the banking sector, including roles as a banker, management consultant, and strategist. With 15 years dedicated to consulting and more than 20 years in executive management, Schaus brings extensive expertise in bank consulting.
With Schaus leading CCG Catalyst, the firm has advised hundreds of clients and led major engagements globally, including business planning, core modernization, payments, digital experience, de novo banking, mergers and acquisitions, bank products and services, board and management development, tactical performance, business process and profitability improvement, and technology utilization.
Schaus graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, and operations and studied at the PCBS Graduate School of Banking, specializing in corporate banking.
20. Stella Mendes
Firm: FTI Consulting
Title: Senior Managing Director
Stella Mendes is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting. Mendes leads FTI Consulting’s Financial Services practice, focusing on financial institutions, bank governance, and regulations. She has more than 25 years of diverse banking industry experience.
21. Jarek Golebiowski
Firm: Teneo
Title: Senior Managing Director
Jarek Golebiowski is a Senior Managing Director and the Head of Strategy, Financial Advisory at Teneo, a global CEO advisory firm. Golebiowski focuses on providing advice to companies facing financial and operational challenges that need to restructure their finances and turnaround performance. He has over 20 years of restructuring experience, gained across different sectors and geographies.
22. Deepak Kollali
Firm: Oliver Wyman
Title: Partner
Deepak Kollali is a Partner in Oliver Wyman’s Finance, Risk and Public Policy practice, based in the New York office. Kollali's primary focus is capital markets and treasury risk management, leading work across several large North American banks, broker-dealers, clearinghouses, crypto-native disruptors, and regulators. Over his 18 years at Oliver Wyman, Kollali has aimed to create a lasting impact for his clients, the broader financial markets ecosystem, and the people at the firm.
23. Alan Martinovich
Firm: Arthur D. Little
Title: Partner
Alan Martinovich is a Partner in the Boston office of Arthur D. Little, where he heads the North American Strategy & Organization practice. He has over twenty years of experience advising management on issues related to corporate competitiveness, business strategy, strategic marketing, and new product development. He has served both in an external advisory role to C-level executives and as an operating member of senior management teams.
24. Anthony Ferguson
Firm: BDO USA
Title: Assurance Principal
Anthony Ferguson is an Assurance Principal and the National Fintech Industry Group Leader at BDO USA. He is also active in the firm’s Technology, Life Sciences, and Financial Institutions and Specialty Finance industry groups. Ferguson has extensive experience with a number of different industry-specific business models and technical matters, and has worked with the management of domestic and international companies to address their accounting, regulatory, and capital market needs.
25. Michelle Gauchat
Firm: Deloitte
Title: Principal
Michelle Gauchat is a Principal at Deloitte. Gauchat is the leader of Deloitte’s U.S. Consulting Banking and Capital Markets sector and is responsible for leading the strategy and bringing together the right offerings to serve Deloitte’s portfolio of banking and capital markets clients.