The consulting world is packed with brilliant minds who’ve shaped how businesses operate today. From century-old strategy frameworks that still guide Fortune 500 companies to modern consultants revolutionizing entire industries, there’s no shortage of inspiration in this field.
Whether you’re already consulting or thinking about making the leap, learning from the best can help you level up your own practice. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the most influential consultants of all time — the legends who’ve worked behind the scenes with top CEOs and politicians, plus today’s innovators who are redefining what it means to be a consultant.
All-Time Famous Consultants
1. Peter Drucker
Peter Ferdinand Drucker was an Austrian-American management consultant, educator, and author who started his consulting career as early as the 1940s. His writings contributed a great deal to the practical foundations of modern business.
He worked with numerous major brands such as General Electric, Coca-Cola, Citicorp, IBM, and Intel, and advised governmental as well as non-governmental organizations from around the globe. His theories were centered around management. In fact, he was the first to define management as we know it today, as a distinct function and responsibility in companies.
2. Philip Kotler
Philip Kotler’s name most likely rings a bell because he’s the one who came up with the marketing mix, one of the most popularized consulting frameworks and strategy tools in the world. He’s an author, consultant, and a professor emeritus at Kellogg School of Management, voted as the Best Business School for six years in a row by Business Week magazine.
He’s the author of 57 books, including Marketing Management, the most widely used marketing book in graduate business schools worldwide. He’s published over 150 articles in leading journals, several of which have received best-article awards. As a consultant, he worked with companies like IBM, General Electric, AT&T, Honeywell, and Bank of America, to name a few.
3. Michael Porter
Michael Eugene Porter is an academic as well as one of the most known authors and researchers in the field of business. He is a professor at Harvard Business School, and he was one of the founders of the consulting firm The Monitor Group and FSG.
His research has received numerous awards, and it’s widely recognized by corporations, governments, and NGOs. In fact, he’s one of the most cited scholars in economics and business through to today. He created economic theories and strategic concepts that helped solve some of the biggest challenges, not just in the corporate world but in society as well. His legacy mainly revolves around the areas of market competition, economic development, the environment, and health care.
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Famous Political Consultants
4. Donna Brazile
Donna Lease Brazile is a political strategist, campaign manager, political analyst, author, and political contributor for Fox News. She’s known as the first African American woman to direct a major presidential campaign while working as a campaign manager for Al Gore in 2000. She also worked on several presidential campaigns for other candidates, including Jesse Jackson, Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro, and Dick Gephardt. She was previously a CNN contributor, and now she’s a member of the Democratic Party, where she’s served as an interim chair of the Democratic National Committee multiple times.
5. Margaret Hoover
Margaret Hoover is an American conservative political commentator, political strategist, media personality, feminist, gay rights activist, and author. She’s also known as the great-granddaughter of Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States. She was previously a political contributor at both Fox News and CNN.
6. David Plouffe
David Plouffe became known as a political strategist while he was a campaign manager for Barack Obama’s successful 2008 presidential campaign. He was a partner at the consulting firm AKPD Message and Media when he started working with the Democratic Party, and he worked as an outside senior advisor to Obama since the president’s first day in office. Later, he was appointed as a Senior Advisor inside the White House and also consulted brands like Uber and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Famous Business Consultants
7. Jim Collins
Jim Collins is a researcher, author, speaker, and consultant whose work mainly revolves around business management, company sustainability, and business growth. He co-authored a series of books, selling 10 million copies worldwide, including the #1 international bestseller Good to Great.
Jim sees himself as a student just as much as a teacher, which is likely the source of his relentless curiosity about what makes great companies tick. As a teacher and researcher at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 2017, Forbes selected him as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.
[ Read: What a Day in the Life of a Top Consultant Really Looks Like ]
8. Mike Arauz
Mike Arauz is a speaker, advisor, and Founding Member at August, a New York-based consulting firm building high-performing teams. During his career as a consultant, he worked with organizations such as GE, Pearson, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He’s also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
As he states on his personal website, Mike declines opportunities to speak on stages and panels that don’t include women, as a way to stand up for equality in the business world. On his 11,000+ strong Twitter account, he’s actively sharing his messages as a thought leader and independent consultant.
9. Barbara Minto
Barbara Minto is a consultant and author specializing in executive communication. She’s known as a real trailblazer: She graduated from the second Harvard Business School class ever to admit women. In 1963, she joined the international management consulting firm McKinsey & Company as their first female consultant.
She developed The Pyramid Principle during her early years as a consultant at McKinsey, and later published it in her 1987 international bestseller, which is, to this day, one of the most read books about consulting.
Today, she runs her own consultancy firm, International Inc., which specializes in teaching the pyramid principle to business leaders. During her career, she’s trained professionals at most major consulting firms, the world’s largest corporations, and numerous government organizations.
10. Roger Martin
Roger Martin is a writer and strategy advisor who was named the #1 management thinker in the world in 2017 by Thinkers50. He’s consulted CEOs of some of the most well-known brands on the planet, such as Procter & Gamble, Lego, and Ford. He is also a former Dean at the University of Toronto, for which he was named Global Dean of the Year by Poets & Quants.
He’s written 30 Harvard Business Review articles and over a dozen books, including Playing to Win, which won the award for Best Book by the Thinkers50.
[ Read: How to Start a Consulting Business: The 7 Key Steps (+ 5 Must-read Books!)]
Consultants to Follow in 2025
11. Quay Kester
Quay Kester is the Founder of Evoke Research and Consulting, a firm with a mission-centric approach. She designs in-depth learning experiences to navigate cultural dynamics, including equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Her consulting work primarily focuses on initiatives aimed at combating anti-discrimination.
Besides her background in consulting, she’s also an ICF-certified executive coach, curriculum designer, and learning experience mentor. She’s a facilitator of the initiatives Powerful Conversations About Race (PCR) and Corona Dialogues For Spirit & Place, supporting future thinking about community changes.
12. Amy Gilliland
Amy Gilliland is the President of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a global technology enterprise with operations in 30 countries and 30,000 technologists. Her team is responsible for delivering critical mission capabilities across defense, civilian, and intelligence agencies.
Amy has over 25 years of experience in the public sector and has also served in the U.S. Navy. She has worked in a series of leadership positions at General Dynamics, where she developed growth strategies for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. As the president of the firm, she has established an employee-focused culture that prioritizes accountability and efficiency. She’s been recognized as one of Virginia Business Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Virginians and is a four-time Wash100 Award Winner.
13. David C. Baker
David C. Baker is a management consultant specializing in helping small businesses improve their business decisions. He has worked with more than 900 organizations, most of which operate in the digital marketing and creative industries.
He has written five books and regularly appears on podcasts and TV shows worldwide. His work has been discussed in the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, USA Today, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Forbes, MarketingProfs, BusinessWeek, and CBS.
14. Tara Gentile
Tara Gentile is the founder and creator of the Quiet Power Strategy, as well as a podcast host at What Works and a community builder. As a consultant, she helps business leaders and entrepreneurs find their strengths and grow their influence. She has written several books on business strategy and was named one of the top 24 female podcast hosts for business owners by Entrepreneur magazine. Her website was named one of the 10 sites every entrepreneur should bookmark by The Muse, and she’s spoken on the stages of SXSW, Pioneer Nation, Digital Commerce Summit, and Blogher.
15. Brené Brown
While she’s not a traditional consultant, Brené Brown has transformed organizational consulting by bringing vulnerability and courage into the boardroom. Her research on shame, vulnerability, and leadership has influenced Fortune 500 companies and government organizations worldwide.
Brown’s consulting work focuses on building cultures of trust and psychological safety. Her TED Talks have been viewed millions of times, and companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Nike have engaged her to help transform their organizational cultures.
16. Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek became a household name with his “Start With Why” philosophy, which has reshaped how organizations think about purpose and leadership. His consulting firm helps companies discover and communicate their core purpose.
Sinek has advised military leaders, Fortune 500 CEOs, and government officials. His approach focuses on inspiring leadership and creating organizations where people feel safe and motivated to do their best work.
FAQs about Famous Consultants
Who is considered the father of modern consulting?
Peter Drucker is widely considered the father of modern management consulting. He was the first to define management as a distinct function and responsibility in companies, laying the groundwork for how we understand business consulting today.
What makes a consultant famous in the industry?
Famous consultants typically create lasting frameworks or theories that continue to influence business practices, work with major corporations or government organizations, publish influential books or research, and mentor the next generation of business leaders.
How do I become a successful consultant like these industry legends?
Start by developing deep expertise in a specific area, create proven frameworks or methodologies, build a strong reputation through results, and consider writing or speaking to share your knowledge. Most importantly, focus on delivering real value and measurable outcomes for your clients.
What’s the difference between a consultant and a coach?
Consultants typically provide expert advice and solutions based on their specialized knowledge, while coaches help clients discover their own answers through questioning and guidance. Many successful consultants combine both approaches depending on their clients’ needs.
Do I need advanced degrees to become a famous consultant?
While many famous consultants have advanced degrees, success ultimately comes down to your ability to solve problems and deliver results. Focus on building expertise, developing your own methodologies, and consistently helping clients achieve their goals.
