C&C Pod - Scott Mager, CMO of Deloitte U.S. - The future of consulting in the age of AI

This week Bill and I are joined by Scott Mager, CMO of Deloitte U.S. to mix something up - ostensibly some Margarita riffs, though Scott had his own ideas - and talk about the world of consulting and systems integration and how all that is evolving in the face of AI.

Scott is now CMO of Deloitte U.S., but brings a deep background in commerce and digital experience to our conversation, having led these practices at Deloitte for many years before moving into marketing leadership in 2022.

Bill and I have both known Scott for many years, and wanted to reconnect and pick his brain on how the world of consulting is changing with Generative AI, agents, and agentic systems.

Please pour yourself something to sip along and enjoy this fascinating conversation with Scott.

¡Salud!

Episode Chapters:

* Rosalita vs. Ranch Water, plus a bit of the history of Amaro Montenegro

* Hey Kai, understanding Deloitte and consulting

* The evolution of consulting in the face of changing customer challenges

* The impact of AI on consulting, and the evolving role of consultants in the AI era

* Deloitte's investment in agents - blurring the lines between product and service

* The key tactics Scott focuses on as CMO of Deloitte

* Marketing strategies for services firms competing in today’s market

* The future of consulting: Predictions and insights

* Personal passions: Cycling and running

* The next cocktail…

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This week’s cocktail: The Rosalita

The Rosalita is best summed up as a thoughtful riff on the classic Tommy’s Margarita we featured in the podcast episode with Vickie Cantrell.

Created in 2015 by Dylan O’Brien at Prizefighter in Emeryville, California, this variation on the Tommy takes the clean, agave-forward foundation of Julio Bermejo’s now-iconic Tommy’s Margarita and veers it gently into bittersweet terrain. By introducing Amaro Montenegro into the mix - alongside the classic trio of tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup - O’Brien layered in a soft, herbal complexity that transforms the Margarita’s sunny brightness into something more dusky and contemplative. Its name is borrowed from the Springsteen anthem by the same name, adds a touch of swagger and romance to the glass.

Where the Tommy’s Margarita is a balance of sharp citrus and agave sweetness - the Rosalita is a cocktail that lingers a bit more on the tongue. Montenegro adds subtle orange peel, rose petal, and spice notes temper the lime’s acidity, drawing out the mellow warmth of reposado tequila. A dash of saline solution (a much better way to control the salt than a salted rim) emphasizes the flavors, giving the drink lift and clarity.

The Rosalita is perfect for those who love the classic Margarita but are ready to slow things down a bit and add an aperitivo twist. It feels at home in a well-worn leather chair with records spinning in the background, or clinked across a table with good friends and family over fresh guacamole.

Spec: Rosalita Cocktail

2 oz. (~60 ml) - Reposado Tequila

1/2 oz (~15 ml) - Amaro Montenegro

3/4 oz (~22.5 ml) - Fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. (~22.5 ml) - Agave syrup

1 dash - 20% saline solution (optional but encouraged, see note)

Garnish - Salted tim (optional)

Steps:

Salt the rim of a rocks glass (optional). Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice until well chilled. Strain into the glass.

Notes:

* A 20% saline solution is pretty easy to make, especially if you have a gram scale. Make 20% saline by dissolving 20 grams of salt (sodium chloride, preferably a quality sea-salt) in 80 grams of water (or 80 milliliters, since water's density is roughly 1 gram per milliliter). No need to heat it up, just stir until salt is fully dissolved. Should last indefinitely in a clean glass container.

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