Lakeside Consulting Group

The Lakeside Consulting Group (LCG) is a student-run consulting group that engages with local organizations to provide consultation for solving operational and strategic problems. Membership occurs through a formal application process at the beginning of each semester. Students that meet the criteria to become a member go through an additional interview process for placement on teams.

Student consultants work in small groups to provide consulting work on two to three projects per semester. This figure is up from one project when the group first began merely a year ago. Their engagement has the potential to transform the client’s organization and culminates in a final presentation of an implementation plan for their client. LCG’s most recent project was with an audio/video firm.

Each semester, LCG is slowly growing its membership roster and reputation in the community. This bright and ambitious group is learning how to approach projects on a professional level. “The quality and support of Robins School professors and advisors serve as a catalyst for opportunity,” says Robin Kim, ’17, LCG president.  LCG members represent business school students and those from majors across the campus as they use this opportunity to bridge the gap between their studies and the business world. These non-business majors take advantage of business courses and of the Robins School and Careers Services programming as a complement to what they are learning in the classroom, including Q-camp and Spiders in Consulting road trips.  

Beyond the real-world experience, members receive preparation for case interviews, networking opportunities and numerous topical training programs. The organization also provides mentorship for students beginning their job search. In April, a team of four LCG members placed third in the University of Missouri, St. Louis case competition. The case question was “Enterprise Holding Inc.’s entry into Cuba”. Although they did not receive first place, the chief information officer of Enterprise Holding Inc. told the group that their solution was genius. The Robins School of Business sends members to two to three case competitions a semester.

LCG member Raymond Kanyo, ’18, cites the resources made available to the group as extremely helpful. Alethea Lin, ’18, looked at the opportunity from a different point of view. “The Robins School has helped introduce me to the business world and how the real-world works. I am also able to leverage my business knowledge to help with my other studies,” she expressed.

Many LCG members hope to work in strategy consulting and continue their education by pursuing an MBA degree.

These student consultants are making the most of their undergraduate experience and not wasting any time adjusting to real-world situations. The rate at which LCG has been growing is phenomenal and the momentum going into next semester is setting them up for another impressive year!

Photo: Jordan Shover, '18, Alethea Lin, '18, Nasheya Rahman, '18 and Raymond Kanyo, '18 at the University of Missouri, St. Louis case competition.