Climb In Consulting

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/

Lawrence Hutter, a seasoned consultant, shares the secrets of growing a $6 billion consulting business. He discusses launching his own consultancy and scaling Deloitte's global consumer practice. The conversation delves into building successful consultancies, strategic leadership, and aligning global teams through narrative storytelling.

In this episode, John Howard, CEO of Channel 3 Consulting, joins Nick to share his journey from junior IT project manager to the CEO of a rapidly growing boutique consultancy. After starting out in teaching, John moved in to sales, where a chance encounter with consultants that were working with his business exposed him to the industry he’d go on to work in for over two decades. With over 25 years’ experience that’s spanned Big 4, boutique firms and a few industry roles in between, John’s journey is packed full of lessons and advice to help you if you’re looking to climb in consulting. In his current role as CEO of Channel 3 he’s led the management buyout from the firm’s founders and is now leading the team through a period of rapid growth, a journey that that John and Nick go into detail on in today’s episode. In this wide ranging conversation John shares many of the lessons and pivot points that have helped him get to where he is today, including: - How John got his start in the industry and his advice to others looking to break into consulting. - The invaluable lessons John learnt as a salesman, and his advice on how to overcome many of the barriers that hold consultants back when it comes to selling. - And the vital piece of career advice that ultimately led to John becoming the CEO of Channel 3. Regardless of where you are in your consulting career, John’s advice will help you take your career to the next level. We hope you enjoy the show! Find out more about John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-howard-b7b11215/ Get to know Channel 3: https://channel3consulting.co.uk/

In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick is joined by Remco op den Kelder, CEO at Putnam Associates. Remco’s journey in consulting started with a temporary relocation to America, with a view to staying for 3 or 4 years, and over 20 years later, he’s still there, now as CEO of the firm he joined as a graduate. In a world where people move firm every few years, Remco’s story is something of a rarity. Even though he’s stayed at one firm his whole career, his journey from Analyst to CEO has been a rich, rewarding, and varied one. And proof that there’s many different ways to climb to the top in our industry. Over the time Remco’s been at Putnam, it’s seen significant growth, particularly over the few years, scaling from just over 100 consultants to over 400, in less than 36 months. During this conversation, Nick and Remco discuss his fascinating career journey, and talk about many of the challenges that come with scaling a rapidly growing consultancy including: - How to manage growth at the Partner level, and the important change to their leadership approach that has helped Putnam scale as fast as they have. - The challenges of recruiting into a growing business, and why growing talent within your firm is crucial to your success. - And the role of the office in the post-Covid world, how Putnam are changing their physical environment to respond, and what you should be thinking about for your own consultancy to ensure your office gives your team what they need to be effective. When you’re mapping out your career in consulting, the idea of staying with one organisation doesn’t always appeal to many. But Remco is proof that you don’t need to hop from one firm to another to achieve career success. Whether you’re on the path to CEO and what to learn the secrets to reaching the top, or you’re already there and want to hear the advice of a peer who’s achieved the growth that many firms are looking for, this conversation is going to be one that you’ll really enjoy. We hope you enjoy the show! Find out more about Remco here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/remco-op-den-kelder-a7341b/ And discover more about Putnam Associates here: https://www.putassoc.com Specific things discussed in the show: Gorillas Can Dance by Shameen Prashantham: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorillas-Can-Dance-Corporations-Partnering/dp/1119823587

The latest episode of Climb In Consulting is taken from our very first Bristol and Bath Marketing Mixer, where Kevin Matthews, global head of marketing at Deminor, topped the bill. What should you do now that in person events are an option? Should you run them, should you not, and if you do, how can you make the most of them? Now you may not expect this as a digital marketing agency, but we are big fans of in-person events. When they’re done properly. Sadly, too often they’re treated as a one off and not considered as part of a consultancy’s broader marketing strategy. If you take this approach they become hugely expensive and ultimately limit the ROI that you can generate. So what should you do instead? Well this episode is an example of exactly what you should be doing if you are choosing to run in person events and how you can repurpose these events as part of your broader digital marketing activity. This presentation was recorded at our recent Bristol and Bath marketing mixer, and we’re bringing it to you here as a podcast. With decades of experience building marketing functions for boutique professional services business with global ambitions, Kevin knows exactly what to focus on to deliver maximum return for investment. In this conversation you’ll hear Kevin’s brilliant step by step guide to building the marketing function for your consultancy, what you should be focusing on, and the pitfalls to look out for on that journey, including: - Where to start and the common mistakes that new Heads of Marketing make when they go in to a professional services business - How he engages colleagues internally to help drive his firm’s marketing and generate the great content he needs to grow their reach. - And why CSR is a key focus for him and how he’s been able to maximise its marketing benefits for both the firms he’s worked for and the communities he’s worked in. Whether you’re a Head of Marketing who needs to create an impact on a limited budget, or you’re a partner, responsible for marketing in your firm, Kevin’s talk will give you plenty of food for thought. Get to know Kevin a little better: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrmatthews/ Find out more about Deminor: www.deminor.com/en Mic for reference: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B093L9GJG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick talks to senior consulting leader and business advisor Mark Campbell. Over the course of his career Mark has ticked pretty much every consulting box. Becoming a Partner at KPMG, leading the boutique consulting firm, Hedra, through their growth journey and navigating the complex world of M&A to achieve a successful sale of the firm to Mouchel. If that wasn’t enough he’s also held senior leadership roles at industry stalwarts Hitatchi consulting and RGP, and since 2019 has moved into a portfolio career, working with a range of consulting firms as a board member and advisor. With so much experience, and his unique perspective having held leadership roles across a range of different sized firms, he seemed like the ideal guest for the show and we’re so pleased he said yes. In this conversation Mark and Nick discuss a range of topics that have been critical to Mark’s career success, and talk about how you can apply them to your own career or business to help you achieve your goals, including: • Why Mark decide to leave his role as a Partner at the global player KPMG to join the leadership team of boutique firm, Hedra, and the importance happiness played in his decision making. • Why culture is critical to any consultancy’s success and what you need to think about to ensure that the values on the wall of your office match the behaviours your team live day to day. • And the importance of brand when working for a boutique consultancy, and how being small can actually be an advantage when competing against the bigger players. Whether you’re just starting out, have recently made partner or you’re leading your firm. Mark’s advice is going to help you accelerate what you’re doing and avoid the pitfalls that you can only see with hindsight. It's a brilliant conversation, which we’re sure you’ll find really useful. So enjoy the show! Get in touch with Mark at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-campbell-61b7462b/ Find out more about Wondrous at: https://www.wondrouspeople.com/ And check out Winfo Solutions at: https://winfosolutions.com/ Specific things discussed in the show: Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep https://www.waterstones.com/book/why-we-sleep/matthew-walker/9780141983769 Spencer Johnson - Who Moved My Cheese https://www.waterstones.com/book/who-moved-my-cheese/dr-spencer-johnson/9780091816971 Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman https://www.waterstones.com/book/thinking-fast-and-slow/daniel-kahneman/9780141033570 Beginners: The Joy And Transformative Power Of Lifelong Learning - Tom Vanderbilt https://www.waterstones.com/book/beginners/tom-vanderbilt/9781786493118 The Score Takes Care of Itself – Bill Walsh https://www.waterstones.com/book/score-takes-care-of-itself/bill-walsh/steve-jamison/9781591843474

In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick talks to David Liddle - the founder and CEO of The TCM Group. An award-winning provider of mediation, investigation, culture change and leadership development services to companies around the world. David has always been driven by the power of dialogue to bring people together. An award-winning mediation, investigation, culture change and leadership development consultancy. It was a huge success attracting Lottery funding and national media coverage. This eye-opening experience proved to him that people from all backgrounds, with competing goals, have the capacity to come together and create something positive. He has taken this approach into the corporate world with The TCM Group to support companies in achieving change compassionately and fairly. During their discussion Nick and David explore his fascinating career and the numerous insights he has learned along the way, including: • The power of restorative justice and how it can be used in the workplace to unlock benefits for businesses and individuals. • How listening to and understanding opposing views is the key to effective leadership and collaborative working. • And his journey building the TCM Group over the last 20 years. The ups, the downs and his advice for anyone thinking of following a similar path. At every stage of your consulting career, dispute resolution and overcoming disagreements is a crucial part of the job. David shares knowledge, insights and inspiring experiences that will strike a chord with everyone who is eager to turn these potentially challenging situations into positive moments. We hope you enjoy the show! Get in touch with David at: david.liddle@thetcmgroup.com Find out more about The TCM Group at: https://thetcmgroup.com/ Specific things discussed in the show: David Liddle’s books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Liddle/e/B076QC7YBT%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Amy Edmondson – The Fearless Organization https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fearless-Organization-Psychological-Workplace-Innovation/dp/1119477247 Roger Fisher – Getting to Yes https://www.waterstones.com/book/getting-to-yes/roger-fisher/william-ury/9781847940933 Intercom - https://www.intercom.com/

In the latest episode of Climb in Consulting, Nick talks to Alison Esse, the Co-founder and Director of business transformation specialists The Storytellers. Having begun her career in communications, and later in big show production, Alison has been no stranger to captivating people through the power of storytelling. But when the events industry went into freefall in the early 2000s, she decided to switch focus from telling stories on stages, and into helping businesses create emotionally-compelling narratives that allow leaders to navigate their people through periods of change. 19 years later, and The Storytellers have worked with over 200 of the world’s biggest brands, including HSBC, Coca-Cola, Deloitte and BP. In this conversation Alison and Nick discuss a range of fascinating topics around storytelling, including: • Why stories cut through the noise to help make dense and complex information much more digestible. • How to use the traditional Hero’s Journey framework to tell an engaging story for your own firm that your team will buy into. • And the origins of The Storytellers, the challenges they’ve faced on their own Hero’s journey, and how Alison and her fellow co-founders turned something often considered fluffy and intangible into a toolkit to inspire people, shift mindsets, and build trust that even the most sceptical CEOs buy in to. Wherever you are in your career, Alison shares some brilliant advice on how to be a good listener, how to take knocks and learn from them, the importance of always staying in tune with what your customers actually want, and why it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to take the back seat from time to time. You’ll get so much from this conversation, and we hope you enjoy the show! Get in touch with Alison at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-esse-ab2bb91 Find out more about The Storytellers at: https://thestorytellers.com/ Specific things discussed in the show: Dan and Chip Heath – Switch https://www.waterstones.com/book/switch/dan-heath/chip-heath/9781847940322 Will Storr – The Science of Storytelling https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-science-of-storytelling/will-storr/9780008276973