One day, Trepel, contemplating his love for science, his allergies, and his other options, attended a presentation at UCSF by the management-consulting firm McKinsey & Co. The talk piqued his interest. So he brushed up on economics and interviewing techniques and eventually got a job. In the past decade, many talented scientists like Trepel have left labs for consulting firms, where some draw six-figure incomes. This research-to-riches migration intensified in 1998, 1999, and 2000. That's when M.B.A. holders headed for dot-com startups and consulting firms increasingly turned to academia for able applicants, says Betsy Kovacs, president of the Association of Management Consulting Firms in New York.
Global consulting-firm revenues swelled as the U.S. economy expanded, averaging 19 percent annual growth from 1995 to 1999, according to Kennedy Information Research Group (KIRG) in Fitzwilliam, N.H. Revenues topped $114 billion in 2000 and are expected to reach $130 billion this year. With ...
