Strategy, management and technology consultancies — global and home-grown — are partner-led businesses competing fiercely for talent, and increasingly for the leadership to run themselves at scale.
The consulting market spans global strategy firms, the large management and technology consultancies, the advisory arms of the accounting networks, and a vibrant layer of Indian boutiques. The work has broadened from strategy into implementation, technology, operations and, increasingly, AI-led transformation.
These are partner-led businesses where the model is built on selling and delivering the expertise of its people. Growth depends on attracting and developing partners and principals, and on building the practice and sector groups that win the largest mandates. The pyramid beneath them — and how well it is led — determines the economics.
As the firms scale, they are investing in running themselves like the businesses they advise. Operations, finance, talent, marketing and technology leadership inside a consultancy are now substantial roles, and the firms that build this layer well are pulling ahead of those that rely on partners to do everything.
Our work here covers global and home-grown consultancies at managing-partner and country-head level, and across the firm-management and support functions. We are retained when a firm is scaling, professionalising, or building the leadership to match its ambitions.
Technology and AI are reshaping what consulting is. The firms that win are rebuilding their capabilities — and their leadership benches — around digital and data, creating demand for leaders who can bridge traditional consulting and technology.
Firm management has become a competitive advantage. The COOs, CFOs and people leaders who run a consultancy well free the partners to do what they do best. The strongest of these leaders understand the partnership model intimately, and they are scarce.
Talent is the entire strategy, and the market for it is brutal. Consultancies compete for the same people as industry, technology and finance. The people leaders who can attract, develop and retain at scale are among the most valuable executives in the sector.