BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/17/13 -- The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world's leading management-consulting firms, has extended its remarkable streak near the top of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. Ranking number four this year, it has made the top five for three years in a row and is one of only two companies to make the top dozen every year since it began participating in 2006.

The firm also continued to enjoy the highest ranking among consultancies by a wide margin.

An emphasis on investment in its people, career flexibility and mobility, extensive training, high-impact client work, a collaborative culture, progressive benefits, and a commitment to social-impact work have all contributed to the consistently strong showing. "The elite management consulting firm maintains work-life balance by issuing a 'red zone report' to flag when individuals are working too many long weeks. New consultants can delay their start date by six months and receive $10,000 to volunteer at a nonprofit," Fortune noted this year.

In addition, BCG is one of 12 companies on the list this year to pay 100 percent of employees' health-care premiums, one of 20 to offer fully paid sabbaticals, and one of many providing LGBT-friendly benefits and policies.

"We are honored to be ranked so high on the Fortune Best Companies list," said Tom Reichert, BCG's chairman of North America. "The fact that we've stayed in the top dozen for eight straight years and in the top five for three years is a testament to our relentless focus on making BCG a great place to work."

Added Reichert: "Attracting top talent and maintaining an environment in which employees can rapidly develop have been essential to our success and our ability to deliver enormous value to clients. Recognitions like this are a nice acknowledgment that our efforts are highly unusual and, based on our growth and client retention, highly effective."

Fortune also spotlighted BCG this year as one of 25 Best Companies to Work For that have at least 750 job openings.

News of the continued high ranking comes at a propitious time for the firm. BCG has a new President and CEO, Rich Lesser, and is kicking off a year-long program to help mark its fiftieth anniversary in 2013. The program will celebrate its leadership in the consulting industry and renew its pledge to help clients build lasting competitive advantage.

This year's 100 Best Companies list and related stories will appear in the February 4 issue of Fortune, available on newsstands on Monday, January 21, and now online at fortune.com/bestcompanies.

To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Alexandra Corriveau at +1 212 446 3261 or corriveau.alexandra@bcg.com.

About Fortune's Best Companies Methodology
To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America: 259 firms participated in this year's survey. More than 277,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees' faith in management, we may exclude it from the list. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible. For more information on how to apply, visit: http://bit.ly/n8bVJ3.

About The Boston Consulting Group
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world's leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 78 offices in 43 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com.

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