Wharf consultancy builds on success story

Then to spread the wealth a little, the group, based at Marsh Wall, decided to start its own charitable foundation.

It has linked-up with Radio Lollipop, which operates at Great Ormond Street Hospital and EACG hopes plenty more good work will follow.

Managing director Steve Robson said: “Children respond well to distraction and that’s why Radio Lollipop is important.

“But the guy who runs it has 200 volunteers and wanted a way to manage those people which is where we can help. A lot of our consultants work long hours and spend much time in hotels but there was a rush to help.�

The group started in the Wharf in January 1998. Back then, without an office, Mr Robson spent four days on his phone in Pret a Manger building up a client list.

After the group left the Docklands, various locations followed, before EACG returned to its home 18 months ago at Marsh Wall.

It began business in the early days as Euro Associates, and its first customer was Credit Suisse, which it advised on the eventually doomed conversion of the UK from sterling to the euro.

Other phases of the business included helping dotcom entrepreneurs carry out corporate finance operations, as well as assisting major companies in tackling internal change, before ending up focusing on managerial consultancy.

The group now has 220 consultants working at sites across the capital, while 30 are back office staff.

It tries to differentiate itself from other consultancy groups by marketing its consultants as a helping hand rather than troubleshooters.

Director Derek Radcliffe said: “We want to be there for them in the long term.
“The companies who survive and progress are the ones who think about their customers.�

Mr Robson said: “The credit crunch is bad for everybody. But now it is about people looking at what they do and what changes they want. And we think that’s not a great problem for our industry.�