Looking Back On A Year At Fairgrove

Joshua Marienfeld

Associate

Josh reflects on his first-year at Fairgrove, exploring how his role has changed and the emphasis placed on a healthy work-life balance.

Favourite film:
Luc Besson’s gritty ‘La Femme Nikita’, which features Victor, a character so striking that Besson and Jean Reno felt compelled to create ‘Léon’.

Top three books to read:
Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’, Hilary Mantel’s ‘Wolf Hall’, and Jane Austen’s ‘Pride & Prejudice’.

Tell us a bit about your background, and how you have found your first year at Fairgrove?

After living in Germany for study and internships with two banks and Deloitte’s M&A team, I pursued a Masters in Management at London Business School to build a career in M&A consulting. I received multiple offers from renowned international professional service firms, but chose Fairgrove for the people I met during the process and the chance to take on responsibilities and opportunities rarely given so early in a career. It’s been every bit as rewarding as I hoped, and I’ve never looked back.

How has your role evolved over the first year?

At Fairgrove, you’re given the space to grow and prove yourself from day one. Each project builds on the last, and with every new deal you’re trusted to take more ownership, contribute your own ideas, and operate with greater independence. Even as a junior, you’re given meaningful responsibility and the confidence to deliver (always supported, but never micromanaged).

In your view, what sets Fairgrove apart from larger consultancies?

The firm buy-in. At Fairgrove you’re involved in every part of company life, creating a sense of ownership you’d normally only experience much later in your career. In my first year alone, I played a key role in Fairgrove’s modern rebrand, not just contributing to projects, but helping to build the firm itself.

In a lean team, your input truly counts, and you have the chance to learn directly from senior leaders, many of whom joined from larger consultancies like EY-Parthenon, Deloitte, KPMG, and L.E.K., now choosing a boutique for its culture and way of working.

What is the work-life balance like at Fairgrove, particularly for more junior members of staff?

At Fairgrove you’re never burning the midnight oil just to align a margin. Instead, the hard work comes from genuine learning, passion for delivering, and real ownership of your projects. And when you do put in the extra hours, it’s recognised and rewarded with TOIL (time-off-in-lieu) as well as a great team spirit and plenty of after work events.