The Future of the Firm

James Byles, Partner & UK AI Service Delivery Transformation Leader at Deloitte, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  James shared his insight on the following matters and more:   Clients are asking questions about how firms are using AI themselves, including how they are dealing with risk, data, and adoption of this technology.  Use-case themes include search capability, data scanning, autonomous coding, and how to generate, analyse & report on data.  How the use cases in firms are set to translate into client services.   Tricky questions around the appropriate use of data.  How to empower people in your business to innovate around AI.  Thinking about the areas where AI is set to disrupt the professional services market.  Working out what the analyst of the future will look like and how that will impact pathways into the profession.   Identifying non-traditional competitors and how they may disrupt the market.  If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss our sister podcast, Business Leader’s Voice. In our latest episode, we set out the big business challenges that clients say they’ll be facing in the year ahead. 

As the age of the ubiquitous, AI-enabled organisation draws closer, leaders need to think differently about talent. New roles are emerging, existing ones becoming broader, and people across the board will need to be reskilled. We discuss how all this can be achieved by firms and their clients alike.    Dr Gianluca Barletta, Global Head of Data Science at PA Consulting, and Fiona Czerniawska, Source’s CEO and Founder, join Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, for the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.   They share their insight into the following issues and more:   Nobody knows exactly what the future will bring, so, when it comes to talent, organisations need to focus on resilience, readiness, and agility It is crucial to have your data foundation in place, to allow you to move beyond ‘proof of concept’, embrace AI, and scale at pace People will need to be reskilled. We discuss solutions, including AI academies and cultural change Fear can be a big barrier to delivering the talent piece around AI Everyone in an organisation now needs to be a data custodian. We examine what this looks like in practice What are the new roles we need as we ramp up AI? Clue: Beyond data scientists, there is a role for linguists, designers, and user experience experts How the concept of the T-shaped consultant is evolving, as knowledge needs to become broader, but clients are demanding more specialists If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss our sister podcast, Business Leader’s Voice. In our latest episode, we set out the big business challenges that clients say they’ll be facing in 2024.   

As we head into 2024, revenue growth is coming under pressure in professional services firms. In this podcast, experts at Source discuss the trends and challenges that will really matter in the year ahead, including which markets are set to grow, what clients are looking for from pricing, and how firms can’t risk letting customer experience fall off the leadership agenda.   Fiona Czerniawska, Source’s CEO and Founder, and Margaret Cameron-Waller, Associate at Source, join Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, for the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.   They share their insight into the following issues and more:  Revenue growth for professional services firms came under pressure in Q3 2023, and this has continued into 2024.   Today’s market is patchy, and firms will have to select where they want to focus carefully. Technology, cybersecurity, and data & analytics will remain important.   Pricing is coming under pressure. There is some discounting taking place to allow firms to maintain their market share.   There are tentative signs that outcomes-based pricing is becoming more interesting to clients.   AI remains top of mind for clients in 2024, and work will centre on areas like strategic reviews, pilots, and advice on regulation. However, clients aren’t yet spending on larger-scale projects.  There is a danger that ESG work may get absorbed into business as usual, and this risks it failing to get the attention and investment it deserves.  It’s crucial that customer experience doesn’t suffer in 2024, and expertise will be a crucial attribute for firms.   If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss our sister podcast, Business Leader’s Voice. In our latest episode, we set out the big business challenges that clients say they’ll be facing in 2024.

Emma Carroll, Source’s Managing Editor, is joined by Fiona Czerniawska, Founder & CEO at Source, and Paul English, Strategy Director at Source, for a special edition of our Future of the Firm Podcast.  AI is set to have a significant impact on the professional services market. At Source’s recent flagship event, leaders and experts shared how they are adapting their business models in response to the opportunities and risks this provides.  In this podcast, Fiona, Paul, and Emma discuss the big learnings coming out of the event.  They share their insight into the following issues and more:   How strategy is changing   The ways firms are reshaping their business models with the help of AI   The opportunities and risks of tech ecosystems   How firms can use their own ways of working to showcase AI in action  What Source’s research is telling us about the market in this space  Plus, a sneak peek into our new report on the role of AI in thought leadership 

Successful transformation programmes need clear goals that are set and communicated upfront, honesty and openness from everyone involved, and sponsorship from an organisation’s top team. In this podcast, we talk to Melanie Lindsay, Partner at Vici Partners, and Fiona Czerniawska, Founder & CEO at Source, about what else they would add to this recipe for success, including how to navigate the emotional timeline of any change.  They share their insight into the following issues and more:  The key components of a successful transformation programme Drawing on the knowledge of people within a business to inform change Balancing the quality of change initiatives and the strength of buy in Empowering clients to challenge themselves Building agency and accountability within an organisation The emotional timeline of a transformation How tech can play a role in addressing emotional challenges Balancing strategy and implementation If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss our sister podcast, Business Leader’s Voice. In our latest episode, we discuss reducing complexity in your business, with Beth Butterwick, CEO at Jigsaw.   

“In the public sector, where we have a wealth of data, I think AI is going to be one of those tools that is a game changer,” Hilary Robertson Emma Carroll, Source’s Managing Editor, is joined by Hilary Robertson, Strategy Director at Sopra Steria UK, and Fiona Czerniawska, Founder & CEO at Source, for the latest episode of our Future of the Firm Podcast.  The outsourcing market has shifted rapidly over recent years, and work done in the public sector is no exception. The pandemic, business failures, and digital developments have all played their part. In this podcast, we talk to Hilary and Fiona about what’s new in the public sector outsourcing market, and where they see things heading next. They share their insight into the following issues and more:  How the public sector procurement process has improved and why, including the introduction of the UK government’s outsourcing playbook. The importance of technology, including AI, and the risk of obsolescence and skills shortages. The search for agility and how clients saw outsourcing as a solution during the pandemic. This appears to be a trend that has stuck. How the pandemic has caused clients to reconsider organisational boundaries and consider outsourcing core parts of their businesses. How clients are balancing investment in resilience versus investment in change. Addressing low-cost-bid bias amid macroeconomic uncertainty. The governance challenges faced by organisations that are juggling multiple external consulting providers. What’s new in measuring value in public sector outsourcing: This includes the importance of social value measures. Mindset change as part of outsourcing and whether this can or even should be measured. If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss our sister podcast, Business Leader’s Voice. In our latest episode, we discuss reducing complexity in your business, with Beth Butterwick, CEO at Jigsaw. 

Emma Carroll, Source’s Managing Editor, is joined by Per Breuer, Head of Global HR at Roland Berger, and Fiona Czerniawska, Founder & CEO at Source, for the latest episode of our Future of the Firm Podcast.   A firm’s talent is by far its greatest asset, and managing this resource for success, in both the short and medium-term, is complex at the best of times. In today’s uncertain environment—when clients’ needs are unpredictable—balancing supply and demand requires both creativity and a practical approach.   In this podcast, we talk to Per and Fiona about what a truly successful approach to talent looks like.  They share their insight into the following issues and more:   Leading on talent in a VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous)  Getting expertise in the right places, at the right time, in the best way  The real opportunities AI is offering today—and what it promises for tomorrow  Using multidisciplinary teams to support your clients and your people  Driving individual accountability for creating client value  The risk of neglecting the mid-term talent agenda.  

A firm’s brand is one of its most important assets, but is yours still delivering? Shifting services, new tech competitors, and a more complex ecosystem of buyers may mean it needs attention.   In this podcast, we talk to Ed and Alison about how to make your professional services brand work harder.  They share their experiences of the following issues and more:  The big challenge of differentiation in the professional services market today  Balancing a master brand with a firm’s specialisms  Leveraging your brand to help you move into new spaces  Understanding buyers’ emotional responses in a B2B setting  What’s new in brand measurement?  If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t miss our sister podcast, Business Leader’s Voice. In our latest episode, we discuss reducing complexity in your business, with Beth Butterwick, CEO at Jigsaw. 

It may seem like a long time since the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and the sudden pivot to working from home, but our research on the buying habits of consulting clients confirms a lasting legacy of the pandemic on the significance of thought leadership. In December 2022, our global study of more than 3,500 executives in major markets found that over 90% of the C-suite across all regions and industries said thought leadership had at least some impact on their decision making when purchasing professional services.  With levels of thought leadership consumption growing strongly over the last couple of years, firms are thinking more strategically than ever about how to build a thought leadership function that drives brand awareness and reputation. One such firm is Oliver Wyman, whose flagship thought leadership wing, the Oliver Wyman Forum, reaches across industries and geographies, convening senior leaders from business, public policy, academia, and social enterprise to help solve the world’s toughest problems.  Today we are delighted to be joined by John Romeo, Managing Partner and Head of the Oliver Wyman Forum, and Paul English, Director of Marketing Advisory here at Source, to discuss the changing needs of thought leadership consumers, and the Oliver Wyman Forum’s unique approach. 

In a crisis-dominated world, clients are increasingly looking to transform their tax function. With more ambitious goals than pre-pandemic, they are now trying to adapt to a far more challenging and unpredictable world. On this episode of The Future of the Firm, Fiona Czerniawska is joined by Marna Ricker, Global Vice Chair of Tax, EY to discuss the way clients are changing their thinking and what this means for professional advisors in this space.