Alvarez & Marsal Interview Questions and Answers

Q1. Tell me about yourself.
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Q2. Why Consulting? Why A&M?
Ans. 
Consulting offers diverse challenges and opportunities for growth. A&M stands out for its expertise and collaborative culture.
• Consulting provides the opportunity to work on diverse projects and industries, constantly learning and growing.

• A&M is known for its deep expertise in various areas such as restructuring, performance improvement, and operational excellence.

• A&M has a collaborative and inclusive culture, where tea...read more
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Q3. Why do you think you are a good fit?
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Q4. What are your interests outside of work?
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I enjoy playing sports, exploring new places, and reading books.
• Playing sports: I am an avid basketball player and enjoy participating in local leagues.

• Exploring new places: I love traveling and discovering new cultures. Some of my favorite destinations include Japan, Italy, and Iceland.

• Reading books: I find solace in reading and enjoy a wide range of genres, from fiction to self-help books.
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Q5. Tell me about your work with EY.
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I worked at EY as a consultant, specializing in financial advisory services.
• Worked as a consultant at EY

• Specialized in financial advisory services

• Assisted clients in making strategic financial decisions

• Conducted financial analysis and provided recommendations

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver projects

• Developed financial models and performed valuation analysis

• Presented findings and recommendations to cl...read more
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Q6. What are the projects you have loved the most?
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Q7. How has your day been?
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My day has been productive and filled with interesting challenges.
• I started the day by reviewing client documents and preparing for meetings.

• I had a productive meeting with a client where we discussed their business challenges and potential solutions.

• In the afternoon, I worked on analyzing data and creating a presentation for a client presentation tomorrow.

• I also had a brainstorming session with my team to come up with...read more
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Q8. Who all have you interacted with today (From A&M)? How have your interactions been so far?
Ans. 
I have interacted with several individuals from A&M today.
• I have interacted with my team members during our morning meeting.

• I had a discussion with my manager about the progress of a project.

• I collaborated with a colleague from A&M on a client presentation.

• I had a phone call with a senior consultant from A&M to discuss a potential engagement.

• I attended a virtual training session conducted by an A&M expert.
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Q9. Tell me about your interests.
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I have a wide range of interests including technology, business strategy, and personal development.
• Technology: I enjoy staying up to date with the latest advancements in technology and how they can be applied to solve business problems.

• Business strategy: I am fascinated by the strategic decisions that organizations make to achieve their goals and thrive in competitive markets.

• Personal development: I believe in continuo...read more
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Q10. What do you understand about consulting and A&M? What is the job like? Have you or anybody else in your family travelled for work?
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Consulting involves providing expert advice and solutions to businesses. A&M is a global consulting firm known for its turnaround and restructuring expertise.
• Consulting is a profession where professionals provide expert advice and solutions to businesses.

• A&M is a global consulting firm known for its expertise in turnaround and restructuring.

• The job of a consultant involves analyzing business problems, developing strate...read more
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Suppose you have a PE firm as your client, looking to invest in a company into packaging business. The client has 2 options.

• Company A: 200Cr in revenues, 15 Cr EBITDA, Growth rate 10%
• Company B: 150 Cr in revenues, 18 Cr EBITDA, Growth rate 15%

You have to assess the options. However, you cannot ask for more than two data points from me/client.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: I would ask for the following two data points:

1. Purpose of the investment? I want to understand if the investment has a larger strategic motive or if it is being done purely from an investment perspective.

2. Considering we are looking at EBITDA numbers right now and not the net profit, I would want to know the capital structure of the two companies - debt/equity split and financial costs, if any.

I: The client is PE firm. They are only motive is to maximize their profits. (I do not remember him mentioning that the client was a PE firm initially. If he did, this was a blunder on my part.) Gave me numbers for capital structure, interest costs.

C: Based on the limited information available, Company B appears to be the better option. Do you want me to explore the two options further?

I: Yes, maybe we can dig deeper. What are some other factors that would affect the decision?

C: Listed factors like - revenue current and future, interest burden, volatility of revenue (risks), diversity of revenue streams (to hedge against risks), environmental factors, increasing costs, etc.

I: Asked me to think more. What would be that one piece of information that would change your decision altogether?

C: ROI to the firm (How much would I need to invest to earn x% return) - this should have been mentioned before (ideally) - defended myself by saying that I had asked for the capital structure and as per his reply capital investment was comparable.

I: Gave me feedback. You could have thought about the total capital requirement of the firm. Did not consider whether the companies would need to raise additional capital to grow at the projected rates - apart from the money they would be raising from our client.

Your client is an EPC company (construction business). They work in construction of roads, buildings, water tanks, etc. The client has heard from a friend that there are growing opportunities in water sector. The client has reached out for your help to figure out whether they should pursue this.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Started with CPCC to understand the context. Asked questions on the motives.

I: Gave me facts about the company, competition, market scenario for EPC players.

C: You initially mentioned that the client has a presence in water tanks - you mentioned projects like construction of water tanks. What are these new opportunities that we are exploring now? Are they different from the kind of work we already do?

I: Gave me a detailed description of water sector projects - different categories.

C: Asked a few questions related to each category - customer profiles, market size, growth rates, competition.

C: I believe I have got a good sense of the overall business and the opportunity we are analyzing right now. I would now proceed to analyze the factors that could have an impact on the decision.

Started with PESTLE, Porter's 5 forces. However, he asked me to quickly list all the factors - did not give a lot of information.

I: From our discussion so far, can you list the top 3-4 factors that will be relevant to the decision?

C: Listed 3 factors.

I: Alright. So, let us assume after all the discussion, we have narrowed down on XX opportunity and it requires an investment of INR 1000 Cr. The project would give the client INR 100 Cr in cash inflows for the next 15 years. Should the client go ahead with this?

C: Asked questions about equity/debt split, cost of capital, cost of debt. He gave me the numbers.

I started with the calculation at this point. I was 30-40 seconds into the calculation when he realized that the calculation had become a little complicated (because of the additional information he had just given me).

I: Let us not get into the entire calculation. That may take too much time. Tell me the approach you were following.

C: Explained IRR calculation. IF IRR> Weighted cost of capital - profitable investment. If not, the client should not invest.

Q1. 1. Guesstimate on estimating the number of trees in Gurgaon.
Ans. 
There are approximately 1.5 million trees in Gurgaon.
• Assuming an average of 10 trees per acre of land

• Gurgaon has approximately 150,000 acres of land

• Therefore, there are approximately 1.5 million trees in Gurgaon
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Q2. 2. Suppose you have $ 1mn to invest and 3-4 stocks to choose from, what are the factors you would consider for selecting any stock?
Ans. 
Factors to consider when selecting stocks to invest $1mn in
• Market trends and performance of the company

• Financial health and stability of the company

• Industry competition and growth potential

• Management team and their track record

• Diversification of the portfolio

• Risk tolerance and investment goals
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Q3. 3. Suppose your client is establishing a hospital on a highway in India. What are the factors that need to be considered?
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Q1. Tell me about yourself
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Q2. The interviewer asked about my exposure to the retail industry based on my workex.
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Q3. What motivates you to work?
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Q4. Why do you want to join A&M?
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Suppose you are a consultant at A&M and your client is the Mumbai International Airport Authority. The CEO has approached you to suggest ways to increase earnings per passenger.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: I would like to start by splitting the revenue into aero and non-aero revenue. Would you like me to focus on any particular revenue stream first?

I: Yes, let us focus on non-aero revenue sources only.

C: I would like to map the customer journey here and identify key factors impacting the non-aero revenue. Passenger Mix, Placement of Retail outlets and Retail Mix are the three critical parameters.

At this point, data for Retail spend per passenger, Retail Area and Passenger Mix (International: Domestic) was provided.

C: Calculated the current numbers and what incremental revenue would the airport be able to generate through changes at various steps.

I: Could you please go ahead and compare these parameters with four major airports - Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore?

C: Differentiated the airports based on available data. Provided final recommendations for increasing the revenue.

I: Assume that there is an option to place a Subway or an Apparel shop near the boarding gates. What would you recommend?

C: Calculated the monthly revenue for both options using footfalls and average bill value, splitting into the peak, non-peak, non-operational hours and came up with a final recommendation.

Our client is a PE firm, looking to invest in a mid-market player in the Cement industry. How would you form a view on its pricing growth?
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Before I move on to pricing, I would like to understand a bit more about the cement company, its customers and current competition in the market.

I: Interviewer provides details of the company.

C: I now have a fair understanding of the company and would now like to move on to the macroeconomic factors impacting the industry and then would like to understand the cement industry scenario in terms of buyer, suppliers, and competition.

I: Interviewer provides details on the questions asked. How do you now approach the pricing growth?

C: Discussed the three main ways of pricing - Cost, Competition and Value based.

I: Talked about relevant concepts including asset turnover and RoI.

Q1. Estimate the number of pressure cookers sold in a year in India.
Ans. 
Estimating the number of pressure cookers sold in a year in India.
• Research the population of India and estimate the average household size.

• Determine the percentage of households that own a pressure cooker.

• Find the average lifespan of a pressure cooker and estimate the replacement rate.

• Consider factors like urbanization, income levels, and cultural preferences.

• Consult industry reports and market research data for more a...read more
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Q2. List down the factors to be considered while setting up a hospital on a highway.
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Q3. How many cricket balls are used in an IPL series?
Ans. 
The number of cricket balls used in an IPL series varies depending on factors such as match duration, weather conditions, and ball condition.
• The number of cricket balls used in an IPL series can range from a few hundred to over a thousand.

• Each match in an IPL series typically uses multiple balls due to wear and tear during the game.

• The number of balls used can also be affected by factors such as rain interruptions or b...read more
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Q1. Introduce yourself.
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Q2. Why do you want to do consulting?
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Q3. What does a consultant need to do so that a client can really see their value?
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Q4. What are you good at? (Data crunching, presenting, or talking to client) What are the sectors you like to track?
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Q5. How do you approach projects under a deadline?
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Q6. When do you perform the best (under pressure or in a well-planned assignment)?
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Q7. How would you deal with situations when you are in a completely new environment/region and have to accomplish a task?
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[Some questions from Round 1 were asked again followed by a case:]


Foreign auto manufacturer made an entry in the mid-level segment (5-7 lacs) cars with Maruti Suzuki Swift as the main competitor. Swift sells 50k cars a month but the client is only selling 4k cars a month. The client has very deep pockets and has 2 years to take the sales from 4k cars per month to 10k cars per month. The client sells their car at 10lac in India, while Swift is 5-7 lacs. The customers like the client’s car but due to the price, they buy Swift. How would you try and help the client achieve their goal?
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Looking at the case facts, the customers like our client's car but they are not willing to pay such a high price for a car. We could try to use our client's deep pockets to undercut prices, but it may not be a sustainable approach. I think that our client's costs may be too high which is pushing the price up. If we can manage to lower our costs, we may be able to lower prices. I would like to ask about our client's supply chain and business model. Do they import any parts? Where is the manufacturing/assembling units located? Where does our client sell cars in India?

I: Okay, we import our parts from Europe and assemble those parts in India. Our plant is located on the outskirts of Bombay. We sell our cars pan India.

C: We could try to reduce some of these costs. In terms of importing, can we try and change our import source to a cheaper country, maybe China?

I: That would lead to quality issues. Our factory is located on the outskirts of Bombay, near the Bombay Pune belt.

C: Yes, the costs in that region might be high. We can also look to shift our manufacturing locations where labor and rent are cheaper.

I: Alright fair enough. Can you think of some promotion strategies (ATL/BTL) that our client may use?

C: We could also try to target a different market segment or promote our car as a premium and prestigious model highlighting its quality and safety to differentiate from Swift.

I: Okay. Are there any sectors that you like to track?

C: Answered with a sector (Follow up question on that sector).

Guesstimate: Estimate the number of footballs required for a tournament at IIML?
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

I: Since you like football, can you estimate the number of footballs you would need for a tournament at IIML? You can only order once, and you have 15-20 minutes to decide. I want you to give me a number.

C: I would like to ask some questions before I jump into the calculations. How many teams are participating and what is the tournament format? How many pitches are available for a match (since we may be able to reuse some footballs if matches are held sequentially)? What is the number of balls used per match?

I: The tournament has a group stage, followed by the semifinals and finals. There are two groups with five teams per group. Each team plays one match with the other in their own group. The top two teams advance. Two fresh balls are used per match.

C: Alright, that means there are 23 total matches and 46 balls required. We would also need to order extra balls in case a ball is lost or becomes unusable.

I: How would you decide the number of extra balls?

C: We could set a limit to the minutes in play every ball can be used for before replacement.

I: You have 5 minutes remaining and you need to quickly give a number.

C: We could take a rough estimate of the average number of balls that are lost in matches.

I: How would you get that number; it will be difficult to calculate. Is there someone you can ask?

C: We can ask someone who has done this kind of tournament before and adjust the number of balls required.

I: Good. Now tell me how do you separate a needle from a haystack?

C: We can use a magnet.

I: What else?

C: We can put the haystack in water and the needle would sink.

I: Okay, what else? Think about the chemical properties of the two.

C: If we do not need the haystack later, we can burn it.

Walk me through your CV.
Gave my intro with a focus on describing some of the CV sections.

Cement prices fell during lockdown but have rebounded. We are building a pricing model for rupees/tonne for the manufacturer. What are the factors you would consider for that model? Think from a general industry independent perspective (what would affect the price charged by someone).
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: I would evaluate the demand for cement and the supply of the raw materials required for producing cement.

I: Forget cement. I and my competitor sell a pen. Our product is exactly the same with the same cost per pen. I charge Rs10 from my customer while the competitor charges Rs. 8 and the cost per pen is Rs. 5. My competitor enjoys a much larger market share than me. Should I reduce my price to Rs8? Think from a considerably basic financial perspective. What are the questions that you would ask me?

C: What is the increase in quantity sold if we drop the price by 2 rupees? It may not make sense to drop the price if an increase in quantity sold is not sufficient to sustain revenues.

I: Think from your finance courses at MBA. There is an equation you can use.

C: Is our pen more premium than the competitors?

I: No, they are in the same segment. Think from a layman's perspective. Tell me what does a company need to do business?

C: Capital?

I: Yes, now you are on the right track. Can you ask me the right question now?

C: What are the debt and equity levels of the firm?

I: You should ask about return on capital, should you not?

C: Yes, ROCE should be more than returns on alternate investments for the manufacturer or it may not make sense to be in this business.

Q1. Tell me something about yourself.
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Q2. Asked to walk through all the projects in work experience. Some cross questions on the same lines.
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Q3. Why I chose biotechnology and now an MBA and how I see the biotech space growing in near future with some new findings in that area.
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Started with interviewer telling me about him and his work area in A&M.

Tell me about yourself?
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Presented the prepared answer but modulated it more towards work experience and internships done in same area as the interviewer (Pharma).

I: Walk me through your CV and major projects done?

C: Started from work experience and explained all projects with an addition of projects done in internships at the end.

I: Your client is a big hospital looking to improve its operations. Come up with main 3 problems you would consider improving on by applying analytics-based methods.

C: Took a min to note down certain points. Followed the problems a normal person would face in the hospital after entering and effectively communicated my thinking for the problem with the interviewer.

Addressed problems relating to scheduling for a patient in attending a doctor consultation or lab, self-registration after entering hospital and report collection etc. and applied analytics-based solutions for the same.

You are conducting a cricket tournament in IIM Lucknow. How many cricket balls would be used in it if you want to order all at once?
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

I: Tell me about your projects in dashboarding?

C: Walked him through all the projects done in that domain with all the technologies used. Some cross questioning on hygiene check of dashboards and things to consider while developing them.

I: As you mentioned you have a liking for sports, let's do a guesstimate. You are conducting a cricket tournament in IIM Lucknow. How many cricket balls would be used in it if you want to order all at once?

C: Asked preliminary questions about the tournament pattern and number of teams involved. Calculated the number of matches that would be played and then the number of balls that would be required. Added a buffer stock at the end as a random percentage but gave reasoning on the basis of loss and wear & tear of the balls.

The Interview was basically a last round just to know me more and about my background. Asked questions on why I chose biotechnology and now an MBA and how I see the biotech space growing in near future with some new findings in that area.

Some questions were about my work experience and internships and also about the life at IIM Lucknow so far.

Q1. Introduction and quick review of CV.
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Q2. Why MBA after almost 3 years of procurement consulting experience at GEP?
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Q3. Why shift to consulting after engineering?
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Q4. Questions about my work-experience (projects, clients, domains)?
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Estimate the number of 2-Wheeler Electric Vehicles for last-mile delivery of e-commerce packages in a township near Mumbai.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate] 

C: Could you please tell me a bit more about the township and the demographics?

I: You can assume a township close to Mumbai: Approximately 1000 acres with around 1 million population who belong to the middle-income group.

C: Understood. In this case, I would first like to estimate the demand for online orders and the delivery schedule (no. of last-mile deliveries per day).

(Calculated the number of orders using the demand-side approach)

As the population falls in the middle-income group, we can assume that they order online regularly. 1 M population -> 250 K households -> 3 orders/ month -> 750 orders per month -> Lead time per order (~3 days) -> Calculate number of deliveries per month.

Now, I would like to calculate the electric bike requirement based on the number of deliveries per day.

Considering an electric bike can deliver up to 30 packages per day in a closed township, we estimate the requirement for the electric two-wheelers.

I: Sure, this approach works, but do you think you could have used the e-commerce penetration rate to estimate the demand?

C: Yes, we could explore alternate approaches to arrive at a more accurate figure. Would you like me to look into it?

(This was a small guesstimate and was largely conversational as an extension of the earlier
HR discussion.)

Q1. Give me an example of a restructuring case they've worked on
Ans. 
Restructured a struggling retail chain to improve profitability and streamline operations.
• Conducted a thorough analysis of financial statements to identify areas of loss.

• Implemented cost-cutting measures, such as reducing overhead and renegotiating supplier contracts.

• Restructured the management team to enhance decision-making and accountability.

• Introduced a new marketing strategy to attract customers and increase sales...read more
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