The Importance of Taking Time Out of the Industry

In this week’s episode, Nick chats with Chris Gant, Managing Partner at Wunderman Thompson Consulting. As successful consultancy careers go, Chris’s is up there with the very best of them! Having spent eighteen fast-paced years at KPMG, Chris decided he wanted to take some time out and in 2004, he left to go back to school, joining the Sloan programme at London Business School. It was his time at LBS that led him to joining EY as a senior partner in their Middle East and Africa business where he spent the best part of the next decade. Returning to the UK in 2020 to take on an EMEIA leadership role. Having retired from EY and after a short break, Chris decided to jump back into a new and exciting role - still in consulting, but this time with a difference. Joining Wunderman Thompson (part of the WPP marketing and communications group) to build their transformation consulting business. A relative start-up within the huge global brand that is Wunderman Thompson. Nick and Chris cover some fascinating areas in this conversation, including: - Why taking time out of the industry was one of the best career decisions he made. - Consulting in the Middle East and his advice if you’re thinking of making the move. - How Chris successfully managed to jump from a “big four” environment to a creative agency, and the biggest things he learnt along the way. If you’re looking to make a new career move in 2023, Chris’s advice will be hugely valuable to you. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgant/ Learn more about Wunderman Thompson: https://www.wundermanthompson.com/expertise/consulting Books mentioned in the show: How to Cheat at Chess by William R. Hartson https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Cheat-Chess-William-Hartston/dp/0091261112