OC&C Strategy Consultants adds Adam Xu to partnership in China

The Greater China practice of global advisory OC&C Strategy Consultants has appointed Adam Xu to its partnership roster.

Formerly a partner with Strategy&’s Retail and Consumer practice based in Shanghai, Xu brings over 15 years of deep sector experience to OC&C Strategy Consultants’ Consumer practice, one of several of the firm’s primary areas of focus including the TMT (telecommunications, media & technology), Industrial Products (e.g. energy & utilities, mining, manufacturing) and Business Services (financial services, transport, government etc.) domains.

Prior to crossing to OC&C, Xu spent more than 12 years with Strategy& (PwC’s strategy consulting division) and its predecessor Booz & Company, and in addition to co-leading its Retail & Consumer practice was the head of the firm’s digital practice in Greater China. Earlier in his career, Xu served as an associate with A.T. Kearney, also based in Shanghai, and previously held roles with consumer research outfits AC Nielson and TMRC.

With an MBA from New York University and a BA in Economics/International Finance from Fudan University, Xu specialises in among other areas Chinese market entry and growth strategy (channel strategy, sales & marketing operating models, pilot design and market testing), including mergers & acquisition support and joint venture partnership assessment, along with digital strategy and digitally-focused business model transformations.

“The pace of change and growth in China’s retailing sector is not matched anywhere,” said Jack Chuang, a nine-year OC&C veteran and fellow partner based out of Shanghai, one of two Asia locations alongside Hong Kong (of ten OC&C offices worldwide spread across Asia, Europe and the Americas). “We are fortunate to have someone with Adam’s first-hand experience and high calibre joining our team to help spearhead our research and consulting in this important arena.”

Indeed, a stream of recent study reports from other global strategy and management firms such as McKinsey & Company, EY Parthenon, and Roland Berger continue to emphasise the rapid growth and global impact of the Chinese consumer and retail markets in everything from leading the world in electric vehicle sector development to featuring as the hottest growth market for luxury fashion to being the greatest adopters of various bicycle-sharing models.

Xu said in response to his appointment; “Records in China retail are being broken every year and creativity by retailers in the sector is unparalleled. I bring an in-depth first-hand experience of how China consumers are reinventing retailing, which I am looking forward to putting to work for the benefit of OC&C clients.”

Recently, OC&C added ex-EY Parthenon partner Matt Fish to its partnership ranks in the United States, who himself spent upwards of ten years in Shanghai as Head of Business Consulting for Synovate, Managing Partner of boutique firm New Pacific Consulting, and ultimately Head of China for Parthenon-EY. “The addition of Matt Fish strengthens our team and opens new doors for clients to increase their footprint in Asia, scale up operations and manage the unique challenges and opportunities in the market,” said the firm on his appointment.