About Us
Cowan & Associates is an independent management consulting firm with global blue-chip credentials. We have worked with over 850 consumer brands in 20 different countries, focused on creating growth strategies for clients to improve business performance & team capability.
With over 30 years of experience in brand building and revenue generating strategies and programmes across both direct to consumer (DTC) and business to business (B2B) sectors – we are regarded as one of the world’s leading growth strategy specialists.
We are your strategic growth partners.
“Cowan & Associates uniquely combines market expertise and operational experience, with the strategic rigour you’d expect from a top-tier consulting firm”
- CEO of Top 10 FMCG Company
Our History
Cowan & Associates was originally founded in 2007, when Michael H Cowan left The Nielsen Company (NIQ) to set up a different kind of management consulting firm; encouraged by client feedback that he brought a refreshing rigour and deep domain expertise to his brand consulting and market insights.
In 2009, at the height of the global financial crisis, Cowan pivoted to provide consulting services in-house to clients including Arnotts, GE, Mars, McDonald’s, Red Bull, United Biscuits, and KP Snacks, operating on an Interim or Fractional CMO basis.
Over the years, our consultants have worked alongside McKinsey & Co on Mars Chocolate strategy, advised Coca-Cola NWEN on their inaugural ‘Share A Coke’ campaign, spearheaded the ‘Right Choice’ programme for PepsiCo in Central Europe, and pioneered consumer segmentation studies for several multinational organisations.
Today, Cowan & Associates is fully resourced to provide a full suite of management consulting services to our clients internationally. Our team comprises highly skilled management consultants and business analysts with expertise spanning Commercial, Marketing, Planning, Operations, HR, and General Management. With diverse backgrounds across B2B and Direct-to-Consumer sectors, we’re equipped to tackle complex challenges.
MICHAEL H. COWAN
Leadership, Strategy, Execution: Built on Clarity & Integrity.
Michael H. Cowan is the founder and Managing Partner of Cowan & Associates. With over 25 years’ experience in brand, marketing, and commercial leadership, Michael has advised some of the world’s leading consumer businesses and built a reputation for simplifying complexity and creating organisational clarity. This approach—what Michael calls simplexity—is about cutting through noise to reveal what really drives growth. Combined with a strong belief in integrity, both in thinking and in action, this philosophy continues to shape how Cowan & Associates shows up for its clients: with integrity, clarity, and impact. To this day. Michael remains hands-on in guiding strategy and delivery across key engagements.
Michael H Cowan Founder & Managing Partner
PARTNER NETWORK
Our Network Is Nimble. It Travels At Light Speed.
It needs to be, to keep up with today's fast moving consumer world.
Our consulting model is built on assembling teams of teams; all highly skilled and experienced management consultants, business analysts, and consumer-centric practitioners, with functional expertise across Strategy, Planning, Commercial, Marketing, Operations, Finance, HR, and General Management.
With diverse backgrounds across Consumer, FMCG, Retail, and related industries, we’re equipped to tackle the most complex of DTC and B2B challenges. Additionally, we leverage our executive partnerships, such as Kaiser Associates, to bring even more capability and rigour to every project.
HOW WE WORK
Tailored Strategies. Tangible Results.
Off the peg has never been our style.
Our highly-experienced team of consultants & associates combine deep industry expertise, robust consulting processes, and an ‘executional-excellence’ mindset to drive growth and create sustainable profit. From strategic planning to measurable results, our focus is always on strategies that can be executed for maximum results.
Our proactive, results-driven approach enables us to deliver an average profit margin growth range of +3-8% for our clients. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf strategies, we tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs of each business. Most importantly, we strive for flawless execution of those solutions, by providing solutions and capabilities to put our strategies into action.
For that reason, we prefer to have a clear brief & deliverables before we take on a new project, to ensure we don’t overcommit our resources & partner network at the expense of project accuracy and effectiveness.
Our Values
Innovation & Adaptability
We think faster and more accurately than the market for optimal results.
Integrity & Transparency
Great projects come to us first because we are open-minded & trustworthy.
Collaboration & Support
We work relentlessly with our clients to put strategy into action, effectively.
Client Success Stories
We are proud of our track record and client satisfaction scores.
Managing for value, achieving annual operating plan targets, and winning industry awards and accolades is what our clients rely on us for. Our clients’ success is our motivating force.
“Cowan & Associates is a rare kind of strategy firm—one that not only advises at the highest level but works alongside clients to execute recommendations and deliver results in-market”.
- CEO of FMCG Muiltinational
