A small firm, on purpose
We started Keel in 2015 because the best work we’d done at large firms happened when a partner was in the room every week. So we built a firm where that’s the only way we work.
2015
Founded in Boston by two former Bain partners
12
People: three partners and nine consultants
140+
Engagements across North America
5
Engagements at a time, never more
The partners
One of them leads your engagement and is in the room every week, from the first interview to the board session.
Dana Whitlock
Founding partner
Dana spent 11 years at Bain in Boston and led the industrial goods practice’s private equity work. At Keel she runs most of our operating model and value creation engagements, and chairs our steering meetings.
Marcus Bell
Founding partner
Marcus was VP Strategy at a medical device company before nine years at Bain. He leads our strategy reviews and diligence work, and is the partner most likely to tell you the answer is “don’t”.
Priya Natarajan
Partner, joined 2019
Priya joined in 2019 from a mid-market private equity firm, where she was an operating partner. She leads our pricing and commercial work and the first 100 days after a deal closes.
The team
Nine consultants, two or three on each engagement, full-time. You’ll meet them before we start.
Owen Castillo
Principal. Pricing and go-to-market
Hannah Reyes
Principal. Operating models
Samuel Hart
Manager. Healthcare services
Leah Brandt
Manager. Commercial diligence
Tomás Ibarra
Consultant. Industrial companies
Grace Lindell
Consultant. Customer research
Daniel Moss
Consultant. Financial modeling
Anna Kerr
Analyst. Data and benchmarks
Ben Harlow
Analyst. Market sizing
What we won’t do
Three rules we’ve kept since the first engagement.
Staff your work with people you haven’t met
You meet the partner and every consultant before the engagement starts. The team doesn’t change halfway.
Sell you a second project before the first is done
If you need more help, you’ll ask. Most clients come back a year or two later, for a different decision.
Put our logo on your board deck
The recommendation is yours to present. We write it in your format, and we sit at the side of the room.
