MCA AWARDS PRESENTER FOR 2025 ANNOUNCED AHEAD OF DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES

The Management Consultancies Association (MCA) has announced Clare Balding CBE as the presenter of this year’s MCA Awards which will be hosted later in the autumn. With less than a month before the deadline for 2025 entries, consulting firms are encouraged to take part in the biggest event in the UK consulting calendar which continues to recognise the transformational work the management consulting sector is delivering for society and the economy, as well as championing the exceptional talent that works across the industry. The deadline for entries for the awards in 2025 is Friday 7th February and already numerous firms have confirmed their participation this year.  

Each year the MCA awards continue to grow with record numbers of entries from small, medium and large sized consulting firms based in the UK. There are 25 award categories for 2025 with 10 individual awards and 12 project awards as well as an award for Best New Consultancy, The Times Consultant of the Year and Project of the Year. The MCA Awards celebrate the depth and diversity of talent working across the sector and there are also individual categories including Team Leader of the Year and Rising Star. To help those that enter this competitive process, the MCA hosts Awards Masterclasses throughout the year. These will be presented by a selection of judges and finalists who will give top tips and advice on how to prepare written submissions and, if successful, prepare for the finalist interview stage.  

Presenting the awards at the ceremony at The Grosvenor in November will be broadcaster and author, Clare Balding CBE. Clare has worked on every Olympic Games since 1996 and on every Paralympics since 2000. Clare won BAFTA’s Special Award for her work on London 2012 and continues to present major events in sport, factual documentaries, and Royal events. A passionate campaigner for equality and women’s sport, Clare is also a best-selling author of numerous books and children’s novels. In 2022, Clare was awarded a CBE for her services to Sport and Charity. 

Tamzen Isacsson, MCA Chief Executive, said:  

“The MCA Awards continue to grow and are a key opportunity for our industry to come together with clients and to highlight the results we deliver and the amazing talent working across our sector. We’re delighted that the Awards have become such a critical part of the industry’s calendar and a real opportunity for firms of all sizes to come together with clients and celebrate the achievements of our profession both in the UK and globally.  Clare Balding fittingly described the Awards as the Olympics of the consulting industry and we are pleased to announce that she’ll be back on stage with us in the autumn celebrating all the winners and finalists.” 

The MCA Awards are judged by over 55 independent judges drawn from academia, the media industry, government and the private sector. With every submission independently assessed, each judge has to sign a strict code of conduct and follow a marking and interview process with clear guidelines and criteria. Judges will include Lord Victor Adebowale, Chair of the NHS Confederation; Dan Figueiredo, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft and Tracey Boles, Deputy Business Editor of The Times. The MCA is not involved in the decision-making process regarding the MCA Awards; its role is limited to setting the categories, defining the judging criteria and recruiting the judges. The final decisions are made by the specially selected judges according to the established guidelines. 

For the MCA Awards 2025, the timeline is as follows: 

For more information on the awards, please go to www.mca.org.uk/mca-awards . Further details including how to apply as well as details of sponsorship packages can be obtained from Natalie Mendez.