Climb In Consulting

In the latest episode of Climb into Consulting, Nick is joined by James O’Sullivan, CEO of Project One. James' career demonstrates that you don't have to follow a traditional career path to succeed in our industry. After sending letters to all of the FTSE 100 and being rejected by 99 of them, James began his project management career at Tate and Lyle. After this, he developed his passion for change management and continued on to lead major change programmes for Lloyds Banking Group and NAB for the next 25 years. But, there is more to James' story than just contracting success. Since joining Project One in 2014, James has risen through the ranks to become CEO. With such a wealth of experience and a passion for doing things differently, Nick and James discuss a wide range of topics, including: - James' early career and how his time in ‘in house roles’ set him up for success leading Project One. - Project One’s unique approach and why they ignore many of the industry norms when it comes to running their business. - And, James’ transition to becoming CEO and his advice if you’re about to undertake a leadership change in your own firm. It doesn't matter whether you're on the path to becoming CEO or already there, James has some insider advice you'll benefit from. We hope you enjoy the show! Find out more about James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-o-sullivan-3a2596/ Learn more about Project One: https://projectone.com/ Books and podcasts mentioned by James: Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions by John Kotter https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Iceberg-Melting-Succeeding-Conditions/dp/0230014208 The High Performing Podcast: https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/

Ash Chapman, CEO of Inlumi, shares his journey from boutique to 'big four' and back again, highlighting the key differences between consultancies. He discusses the challenges of transitioning, the importance of networking and mentorship, and the strategies for maintaining company culture while expanding globally. The conversation also touches on the significance of strategic decision-making, building positive relationships, and seeking continuous growth in business.

This week Nick is joined by Heather Townsend, award- winning author and expert on what it takes to make partner in a professional services firm. The #ClimbInConsulting podcast is all about helping you to climb up the consulting ladder and who better to help you with that than someone who spends their days advising consultants on how to do just that! Making partner can often seem like a dark art and it’s something that many people chase for years, but never successfully reach. In Heather’s latest book, ‘Poised for Partnership’ she outlines a holistic 12 step approach that gives you the secrets you need to succeed and in this episode we dive deep into some of the key areas for you to think about, including: - What those 12 steps are and why you need to be deliberate in the order in which you approach them if you want to succeed. - Why most people get their Partner business case wrong and what you need to be doing in the run up to promotion to give you the best chance of success. - And what you should be thinking about when developing your Partner progression process in your firm and how to avoid the biggest mistake that boutiques make when it comes to partner promotion. Whether you’re on the cusp of partnership, or you’re earlier in your career and want to lay the foundations for success, Heather shares some fantastic insights in this one that you won’t want to miss. Enjoy the show! Reach out to Heather: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathertownsend/ The Partner Readiness Assessment: https://careerprogressionreadiness.scoreapp.com/ Books mentioned by Heather: Switch: How to Change Things When Things Are Hard by Dan and Chip Heath https://www.amazon.co.uk/Switch-change-things-when-hard/dp/1847940323 Heather’s own books: How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life: The Smart Way to Get to and Stay at the Top https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Partner-Still-Have-Life/dp/0749498366/ref=sr_1_1?keywords= Poised for Partnership: How to Successfully Move from Senior Associate and Senior Manager to Partner by Building a Cast-Iron Personal and Business Case for Partnership https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poised-Partnership-successfully-associate-partnership/dp/1913037088/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=poised+for+partnership&qid=1668698231&sr=8-1 The Accountant’s Millionaire Club: How to Build a Highly Profitable £1 Million Pound Practice While Working Fewer Hours With Less Stress https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082XG7LNZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking ePub: How to use the power of online and offline networking for business success https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M81LDJG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1 The Go-To Expert: How to Grow Your Reputation, Differentiate Yourself From the Competition and Win New Business https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JDDHZIK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2

In this episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick chats with Catherine Crump, Managing Director at Wired Consulting. Catherine’s had a hugely successful career and one that shows what you can achieve if you put in the work. Having joined Freshminds as one of the most junior members of the team, she worked her way up, becoming CEO of the spin out Decidedly, just a decade later. After 15 years there, she decided the time was right to think about her next challenge, and that’s when the role with Wired Consulting came up. The opportunity to launch a brand new consulting business doesn’t come up often, and to do that within an already hugely well regarded brand like Wired is something rarer still. For Catherine, it was an opportunity she couldn’t turn down and in 2019 she made the move to join Wired Consulting as their Managing Director. But her success hasn’t come without sacrifice. A topic that we dive deep into in today’s episode as Catherine shares her candid and refreshing perspective on the challenges of building a career while raising a family at the same time. In this conversation Nick and Catherine go deep in to some fascinating, and hugely important topics for anyone looking to climb in consulting, including: - The pros and cons of big firms and boutiques, and how these can vary depending where you are in your life and your career. - Catherine’s approach to balancing her work and family life, and her advice for others grappling with how to have a career and a family at the same time. - And her journey with Wired Consulting so far and how she’s successfully managed to build a consultancy from the ground up, in spite of the pandemic. Nick and Catherine cover so much ground in this episode that there really is something for everyone! Whether you’re a senior partner or an ambitious graduate, Catherine shares some fantastic insights and experiences that you’ll definitely find useful in your own career journey. Enjoy the show. Reach out to Catherine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-crump-4a50b51/ Find out more about Wired: https://www.wired.co.uk Specific Things Discussed in the Episode: The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Anniversary/dp/1471195201/ref=asc_df_1471195201/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=430989470045&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17193296444736582447&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-911500871715&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=97419294862&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=430989470045&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17193296444736582447&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-911500871715 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 tales of Extraordinary Women: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Night-Stories-Rebel-Girls/dp/014198600X/ref=asc_df_014198600X/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311004790924&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17892768586249841390&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006502&hvtargid=pla-364195443484&psc=1

Andrew Zimmerman, CEO of Journey, has had a fascinating career in consulting. He launched Accenture Interactive, turned around Frog design agency twice, and now focuses on customer experience in Web 3.0 with Journey. They explore his personal journey, success in turning around Frog, startup experience with Accenture, and the goals of his latest venture, Journey.

In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick is joined by Michael Simmonds and Manfred Abraham, who are both Co-CEOs at Yonder Consulting. We don’t often have two guests appearing at once, but this episode really does demand it! Their story, and that of Yonder, makes for a fascinating case study in how, by combining complementary skill sets and businesses with shared values, you're able to create something that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Having worked closely together in their previous businesses, Michael at Populus and Manfred at BrandCap, they decided to join forces to form Yonder back in 2020. Fast forward to 2022, and Yonder is thriving. Despite the challenges of bringing their businesses together during the pandemic, they’re now a growing firm of over 150 people, with offices across London, New York and Hong Kong. In this conversation, Nick chats with Michael and Manfred as they explore their journey to co-running Yonder. They discuss the lessons they’ve learnt along the way, including: - How they successfully merged their businesses and launched Yonder during the pandemic, the challenges both of these things caused for them and how they overcame them. - How Michael and Manfred are able to make co-running the business work, the structures they use, and their advice to others thinking of following a similar approach. - And how they’ve approached diversity and inclusion at Yonder. The practical steps they’ve taken and advice for others looking to create more of an open conversation about diversity and inclusion in their firm. If you want to understand how you can make a merger work - whether you’re merging firm, practice or team - the advice that Michael and Manfred share in this one will give you a lots to think about. Enjoy the show! Reach out to Michael: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simmondsmichael/ LinkedIn: michael.simmonds@yonderconsulting.com Reach out to Manfred: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manfredbrandcap/ Email: manfred.abraham@yonderconsulting.com Learn more about Yonder: https://yonderconsulting.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwm8WZBhBUEiwA178UnKZqrA0l7dGAX9vp1jwsR8ZFM_4GRqSrDy11rXHwXbj3zIk7UpATsxoCbxEQAvD_BwE Specific things discussed in the episode: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0141014598 Stolen Children by Michael Wood https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stolen-Children-gripping-addictive-thriller-ebook/dp/B084ZB444L Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Circle-Maggie-Shipstead-ebook/dp/B08CMLCFWM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IOXAFVFB8N6Q&keywords=the+great+circle+by+maggie+shipstead&qid=1665066034&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjMyIiwicXNhIjoiMi4xMiIsInFzcCI6IjIuMTYifQ%3D%3D&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+great+circle+by+Maggie%2Cdigital-text%2C59&sr=1-1

In the latest episode of Climb into Consulting, Nick is joined by Keith Burgess, Head of Management Consulting Development Curriculum at IBM consulting EMEA. Having spent the best part of two decades as a consultant himself, Keith moved into training and over the last 10 years has helped shape and deliver the full gamut of training for IBM - from basic consulting skills through to Partner level development. As someone who’s played a leading role in shaping the training for 1,000s of consultants across the globe, both internally at IBM and externally with the Chartered Management Consulting award, it’s fair to say Keith knows what it is that people like you need to focus on if they want to reach the top. In this conversation, Nick and Keith discuss a whole range of topics that will help you in your journey to Partner and beyond, including: - The important skills that consultants need to learn to set themselves on the path to success. - How to make the leap to Partner and what holds people back from getting there. - Why the industry has developed the The Chartered Management Consultant Award and how it could help you advance your career. - And why you need to be thinking about work-life balance if you want a long and successful career in consulting. Whether you’ve just started in consulting, or looking to make the step up to Partner, this episode offers tons of advice and insights to help you on your way. We hope you enjoy the show! Find out more about Keith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-burgess-22529a1/details/experience/ Specific things discussed in this episode: Heather Townsend: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/author/heather-townsend/ Arbinger Institute: https://arbinger.com/Landing/books.html Perry Holley: https://www.remarkablemanager.com/ Paul Maltby: https://www.paulmaltby.com/ Graham Allcott: https://www.grahamallcott.com/ Paul Crick: https://theelevatepartnership.com/team/ ChMC Framework: https://www.managers.org.uk/~/media/Files/Chartered-Management-Consultant/Competence-Framework.pdf Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument: https://www.thinkherrmann.com/hbdi “The New Leaders” by Daniel Goleman: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-new-leaders/daniel-goleman/richard-e-boyatzis/9780751533811

Professor Joe O'Mahoney and Rob Garner discuss the inner workings of consulting M&A and the factors involved in building, buying, or selling a consulting firm. They explore the value of a consulting business, common areas assessed in deals, and hidden benefits. Other topics include productizing consultancy services, building a strong leadership team, benefits of professional service automation software, and growth areas in a consulting business.

If you’re a regular listener, you’ll already know what this episode is about. But for those of you that are new or have only started listening recently, you might need a few more details. Now and again, we like to switch things up from our usual format to give you something a little different, and this episode is precisely that! Our guests provide so much great advice and nowhere is this truer than in their answers to one very important question. “What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in consulting, someone at Manager level and someone approaching Partner?” We love hearing the varied and insightful responses from our guests, and we know you do too. That’s why we’ve put them all in one place in a useful round-up episode! Today you’ll hear from some fantastic guests from the past eight months of Climb In Consulting. These guests come from a huge variety of backgrounds and a range of different consultancies, and they all have unique perspectives on what you can do to accelerate your career. In this episode, you’ll hear from: - Rob Chapman, CEO and Partner at Founders Intelligence - Hugo Walkinshaw, Business Transformation Leader and Client Partner - Alison Esse, Co-Founder and Director of The Storytellers - David Liddle, CEO of The TCM Group - Mark Campbell, Chair at Wondrous People and Business advisor at Winfo Solutions - Remco op den Kelder, CEO of Putnam Associates - John Howard, CEO of Channel 3 Consulting - Lawrence Hutter, Chairman of The Brand Experience Group and Senior Advisor for QR and A&M - Miriam Hall, Partner at Chartwell Consulting We really enjoyed listening back to these episodes as they remind us of just how much advice is on offer. We hope you find it as useful as we do!

In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick catches up with Miriam Hall, Partner at Chartwell Consulting. From an early age, Miriam knew she wanted to make an impact, and it was her early entrepreneurial venture – Awesome Storage – that gave her a taste of both the business world and the importance of process and efficiency. This is something that would go on to be a key theme throughout her career. Fast forward and having, in her words, ‘been made available to the job market’, Miriam took the opportunity to do something very few early-twenties consultants would do. She launched her own operational improvement consulting firm – a business that would see her packing up her life in the UK to take on a project at a laser manufacturing company in Estonia. While that may sound a little crazy, it was a period that was the making of Miriam’s early consulting career. It was her work with her own business that led to a friend introducing her to the founding team of Chartwell Consulting, which she joined as one of the most junior members of the team in 2014. Since then, Miriam has gone from strength to strength, climbing rapidly and becoming a Partner in 2020. In this conversation, Nick and Miriam explore her fascinating journey and talk about the many inflection points and crucial steps that have helped her get to where she is today, including: • Her decision to start her own consultancy, what she learnt from the experience, and her advice for others thinking of launching their own businesses • The secret sauce that Miriam uses with her clients to help them achieve productivity gains of up to 50% in less than 6 months, as well as the common issues she sees and how you can fix these in your own firm • Her candid take on the challenges that she faced being a new Partner during the pandemic, how she was able to overcome them, and her advice to other new Partners who may be struggling to fill their sales pipeline Nick and Miriam cover so much ground in this episode, and there really is something for everyone. Whether you’re still at university and considering your options, or you’re running your own consulting firm and want to know how you can make your operation more efficient, there’s tonnes of advice in this interview that you’ll be able to learn from. We hope you enjoy the show! Get in touch with Miriam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-hall-2930165a/ Learn more about Chartwell Consulting at: https://www.chartwell-consulting.com/en/