Pros
Global network of offices, attracts smart people from diverse backgrounds at the junior and mid level. Some real capabilities in a few areas of the business (security mainly). If you like binge drinking with your colleagues, this place is for you.
Cons
As a business it sells a brand that clients can trust when they most need support - CR claims they will give you experienced consultants, some of the best on the market. In real life that's far from true and as a manager I had to deliver on that brand promise, while extracting maximum leverage from people with zero experience, because we did not want to pay for the real deal. We tried so hard but always had a weird feeling that it was more about putting on a show than actually giving clients access to real experts. It worked out most of the time, but if clients really knew what happens in the "kitchen", many would walk away or ask to pay half the price. On a similar note the company's use of the word "expert" is abusive. They take someone with superficial knowledge and good presentation skills and here you go he is a "Control Risks expert" on something. The company maybe has 100 real experts globally. Out of 2,000 employees. You won't see them often because most of them want to leave anyways. The company has a really strong culture and it prides itself of being unique, doing things right, honest, etc...Actually that is only the case when it serves senior management. I've seen some very unethical career and pay management decisions that were not only condoned but supported by the top brass. It's generally around the idea of "give them the absolute least possible we can, they'll leave, we will find new bodies to suck their life out. " So if you ever want to be failry rewarded for your work and committement: Walk Away! Control Risks will give you experience but never a fair deal. Unless you are a white british ex military or, more recently part of the happy few high power female group crushing every body else in the name of "diversity" (it's not).
