Financial services expert Kirk Saari has rejoined management consulting firm Oliver Wyman as a partner in its corporate and institutional banking practice. He is based in the firm’s New York headquarters.
Saari rejoins Oliver Wyman after a six-year tenure at Capital One, where he led the strategy and innovation function within the commercial banking segment. Saari worked with the company’s commercial banking leadership team to understand priorities and external market context and develop strategy to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. He also helped guide the segment’s direction on digital innovation, including strategy, product management and design, and data innovation.
Prior to Capital One, Saari spent 16 years at Oliver Wyman, where he was latterly a partner and a key member of the financial services practice group. He advised corporate and commercial banking clients primarily in North America on issues including tactical process optimization, product and segment strategy development, and organizational change.
Saari joined Oliver Wyman after completing a bachelor’s degree in economics at Princeton University.
“We’re excited to welcome Kirk back to Oliver Wyman,” said Anders Nemeth, managing partner and head of financial services for the Americas. “We look forward to Kirk’s expanding our Commercial Banking franchise by combining his extensive consulting and industry experience to help clients navigate a period of rapid and robust change.”
Saari added, “I am delighted to be back at Oliver Wyman. Given the distinct challenges that are unfolding in the current macroeconomic environment, it will be critical to support our clients in achieving not only short-term financial targets, but also sustainable longer-term goals.”
Oliver Wyman’s more than 5,000 global professionals deliver consulting services in strategy, operations, risk, restructuring, digital, organizational effectiveness, marketing, and sustainability to a wide range of industries. It is the management consulting arm of Marsh McLennan, which also owns HR and wealth advisory firm Mercer.
The company last year bolted on the life sciences strategy practice of Huron Consulting Group.