LEADERS IN CONSULTING

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Episodes

159

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The “LEADERS IN CONSULTING” show is dedicated to helping Partners and Managing Directors of Consultancies grow their business faster. If you want to learn best practices from other Leaders in Consulting, this show is for you. Each episode features an interview with a consultancy Partner, Managing Director or Thought Leader, discussing topics like: 1. How to set up a winning strategy for your consultancy 2. How to upsell and cross-sell more 3. How to win big whale leads and convert those to clients 4. Hiring and keeping valuable team members 5. How to become a thought leader by building your personal brand.

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60 recent

August 12, 2026Episode 1371 hr 18 min

Ep. 137 — 55% of Consulting Firms Run Negative EBITDA While the Top Performers Hit +27% — Here Is What Separates Them - with Connor Budden

Send us Fan Mail 55% of the professional services market is running negative EBITDA. Most blame the market. Top performers don’t. Connor Budden , Global Director at SPI Research, joins Sammy to unpack what nearly two decades of benchmark data reveal about performance in consulting and professional services. While many firms point to difficult market conditions, SPI’s data shows that top-performing firms continue to grow and protect profitability by operating differently. Connor explains the five performance pillars behind SPI’s maturity model, why leadership has the highest impact on firm performance, and how the best firms build stronger systems across talent, client relationships, AI adoption, and project focus. You’ll learn: 1. Why market conditions do not explain the full performance gap 2. What the top 5% do differently across leadership and operating maturity 3. How high performers use feedback, focus, and client outcome tracking 4. Why AI adoption works better through small, compounding improvements 5. Where to start if your firm wants to move toward higher performance ___________ Connor Budden is open to connecting about professional services performance, benchmarking, and operating maturity. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-budden/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

July 29, 2026Episode 13652 min

Ep. 136 — Hire for Mindset, Equip for the Tools, Augment at Every Level: How the Consulting Firm That Wins in the AI Era Is Actually Built - with Gianluca Barletta

Send us Fan Mail AI is not just changing consulting delivery. It is exposing how your firm is built. Gianluca Barletta , Partner and Global Head of Data Science at PA Consulting, explains why the consulting firms that win in the AI era will not simply be the ones with the most tools. They will be the firms that hire for learning ability and creative thinking, equip their people safely, build the data foundations needed for enterprise-scale AI, and make augmentation a leadership decision at every level. Gianluca shares why many AI pilots fail once they meet real organizational complexity, how client expectations are shifting toward faster business value, and why AI-native early-career talent may be one of the industry’s biggest opportunities. You’ll learn: 1. Why AI pilots often fail when they meet legacy systems and fragmented data 2. How hiring criteria are shifting from technical depth to learning ability 3. Why partner-level AI fluency matters for firm-wide adoption 4. How AI-native talent can accelerate the next consulting model 5. What separates volume-led firms from ingenuity-led firms in the AI era __________ Gianluca Barletta is open to connecting about AI augmentation, data foundations, and the future consulting model. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianluca-barletta-phd-44080910/ Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

July 15, 2026Episode 1351 hr 7 min

Ep. 135 – Der erste Hire entscheidet alles: Warum neue Standort-Teams trotz Nachfrage scheitern - mit Christoph Hinz

Send us Fan Mail Die wichtigste Entscheidung beim Teamaufbau ist nicht wo, sondern mit wem. Christoph Hinz , Co-Head Transaction Services bei RÖDL teilt seine Erfahrungen aus dem Aufbau von Teams an verschiedenen Standorten und zeigt, warum nicht Markt, Pipeline oder Geschwindigkeit über Erfolg entscheiden, sondern die erste Führungspersönlichkeit vor Ort. Im Gespräch wird deutlich, wie viel Disziplin es braucht, dem internen Druck standzuhalten und erst zu starten, wenn die richtige Person gefunden ist. Christoph erklärt, warum Kompromisse im Hiring langfristig teuer werden, welche Kriterien wirklich zählen und wie Integration statt Akquise in den ersten Monaten den Unterschied macht. Zudem geht es um die Rolle von Kultur, lokaler Passung und warum Führung im Teamaufbau eher Enabling als Kontrolle bedeutet. Dich erwarten folgende Learnings: 1) Warum der erste Hire den gesamten Standort strukturell prägt. 2) Woran falsche Hiring-Entscheidungen früh erkennbar sind. 3) Wie Integration schneller Wachstum ermöglicht als reine Akquise. 4) Welche Kriterien bei der Auswahl der Führungsperson entscheidend sind. 5) Warum zu frühes Starten langfristig teurer ist als Warten. ___________ Christoph Hinz freut sich über den Austausch zum Thema Team- und Standortaufbau in Beratungen. Vernetze dich mit ihm auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophhinz/?locale=en ___________ Über den Host Sammy: Sammy und SAWOO bieten einen B2B-Community-Building-Service, der Dich als Vordenker in Deiner Branche etabliert und Dir hilft, echte, zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen zu Deinen Wunschkunden aufzubauen. Schreibe Sammy einfach via E-Mail unter sammy.gebele@sawoo.io oder connecte Dich auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ Bisherige Gäste des LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcasts: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au und viele weitere!

June 29, 2026Episode 1341 hr 3 min

Ep. 134 — The Broken Mindset Behind Most AI Engagements (Why Clients Bear the Cost and How to Fix It) – Dr. Anja Konhaeuser

Send us Fan Mail AI projects fail because leadership assumes deploying the tool is the finish line. In this episode, Dr. Anja Konhaeuser , Co-Founder and Partner at OMMAX, explains why AI transformation cannot be treated like a traditional technology rollout. The real challenge starts once the solution is live: employees need to trust outputs, workflows need to change, roles need to be redefined, and leadership needs to actively model the new behavior. Drawing from OMMAX’s work with clients across AI, data, and digital transformation, Anja shows why the old 80/20 logic has flipped: AI may now be 20% technology and 80% organization. For consulting leaders, this episode offers a clear view of where AI projects really succeed or stall: not in the technical build, but in whether people, processes, and leadership behavior change after implementation. You’ll learn: 1. Why AI adoption requires more than technical deployment 2. How leaders misread AI when they treat it like an IT rollout 3. What employee groups need different adoption strategies 4. Why visible leadership behavior determines trust in AI 5. How consulting delivery changes when adoption becomes the real work ___________ Dr. Anja Konhaeuser is open to connecting about AI transformation, adoption, and organizational change. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anja-konh%C3%A4user-28282297/ ___________ Anja’s recommendations: You Are the Placebo | https://www.amazon.de/-/en/You-Are-Placebo-Making-Matter/dp/1781802572/r Why We Sleep | https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ For more perspectives on how leaders are navigating topics like this, follow the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadersinconsulting-en

June 17, 2026Episode 1331 hr 15 min

Ep. 133 — The Return of Real Advisory: Why AI Is Ending the Era of Scaled Delivery - with Olly Purnell

Send us Fan Mail When AI commoditizes delivery work, consulting firms have to prove where their real value lives. Olly Purnell , Managing Partner and co-founder of Q5, argues that consulting is being pushed back toward a more precise advisory model: specialist expertise, clear scope, and judgment clients cannot easily replicate. As AI makes research, benchmarking, reporting, and analysis faster and cheaper, firms built around scaled delivery and broad service portfolios face a harder question. What are they truly known for? Olly shares why Q5 has operated more like an architect’s practice since 2009, why fixed-fee, fixed-scope work can create sharper client value, and why future-ready consulting firms still need to invest in young talent. You’ll learn: 1. Why AI weakens the economics of large delivery teams 2. How specialist firms can create advantage in uncertain markets 3. What makes generalist positioning increasingly vulnerable 4. Why fixed-scope advisory changes the client relationship 5. How future talent keeps expertise from becoming outdated Olly Purnell is open to connecting about specialist advisory, AI, and the future consulting model. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-purnell-organization-health/ Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

June 10, 2026Episode 1321 hr 12 min

Ep. 132 — The Consulting Advantage AI Can’t Copy: Relationships Backed by Real Expertise – with Dr. Karsten Ballüder

Send us Fan Mail The next consulting advantage is not account-led or expert-led. It is a combination of the two. Dr. Karsten Ballüder , Partner at Deloitte and leader of the firm’s European Application Modernization practice, joins David to discuss how consulting firms can stay differentiated when AI makes generic knowledge and polished output easier to produce. Karsten argues that relationships still open doors, but they are no longer enough on their own. In complex, mission-critical work, clients need confidence that the people in the room have seen the problem before, know where it tends to break, and can bring expertise that is not simply available to everyone through AI. This conversation explores the tension between account-led growth and expert-led credibility, why internal incentives can block real collaboration, and what consulting leaders need to build if they want trust and expertise to reinforce each other. You’ll learn: 1. Why generic consulting output is becoming harder to defend 2. How account leaders and experts create value together 3. Why lived delivery experience matters more in the AI era 4. How internal incentives can keep the right expertise out of the room 5. What experts must do to become commercially visible inside the firm ___________ Dr. Karsten Ballüder is open to connecting about consulting growth, expert leadership, AI-driven commoditization, and the relationship between trust and expertise. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karsten-ballueder/ ___________ Karsten’s reading recommendation: Getting Things Done | https://www.amazon.de/dp/0143126563 ___________ David is a Partner at entero and has extensive experience in Salesforce consulting, particularly in advising consulting firms on the optimization and digitalization of their processes. Over the past ten years, he has led teams, managed complex client relationships, and implemented digital solutions that improve operational efficiency. His passion lies in helping companies use technology to drive growth and transformation, ensuring they remain competitive in an increasingly digital world. Simply write to David by email at david.anheier@entero.de or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danheier/ ___________ For more perspectives on how leaders are navigating topics like this, follow the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadersinconsulting-en/

May 19, 2026Episode 1311 hr 13 min

Ep. 131 — Sell the Outcome, Not the Work: The Only Way to Escape Consulting Commoditization — with Rob Ferrone

Send us Fan Mail Selling inputs led to price pressure. Selling outcomes delivered a 20:1 ROI. Most consulting firms don’t lose pricing power because of competition. They lose it in how they define their value. In this episode, Rob Ferrone , Founder of Quick Release, explains how his firm moved from selling person-days and deliverables to owning measurable business outcomes. After facing increasing commoditization, Rob and his team reframed their work around cost, speed, and quality impact. This shift unlocked significantly higher pricing, stronger client access, and scalable growth. Through real examples, including a $21M impact project with 20:1 ROI, Rob breaks down what actually changes when consulting firms move from execution to outcome ownership, and why this model is becoming critical in an AI-driven market. You’ll learn: 1. Why selling inputs like time and headcount leads to pricing pressure 2. How to reframe consulting work around measurable business outcomes 3. What it takes to access senior stakeholders and “the keys to the castle” 4. How to structure outcome-based pricing with upside potential 5. Why solving client problems creates more demand, not less ___________ Rob Ferrone is open to connecting about outcome-based consulting and pricing strategy. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ferrone/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/

May 6, 2026Episode 1301 hr 1 min

Ep. 130 — Why Mid-Sized Consulting Firms Are Structurally Fragile - And How Productized, IP-Led Models Win in the AI Era — with Amol Punekar

Send us Fan Mail The most dangerous place in consulting today isn’t the bottom… It’s the middle. Mid-sized consulting firms continue to grow, but many are becoming structurally fragile without realizing it. In this episode, Amol Punekar, Regional Director of Business for the UK and EU at Lyzr AI, explains why only service-led models create non-durable revenue and increasing pressure over time. He outlines how firms get squeezed between scaled incumbents and niche specialists—and why competing on effort is no longer viable. The conversation explores how productized, IP-led offerings change revenue quality, improve margins, and create long-term defensibility, along with what it actually takes to make that shift inside a consulting organization. You’ll learn: 1. Why service-led consulting creates fragile, reset-every-year revenue 2. How the “squeezed middle” makes mid-sized firms structurally vulnerable 3. What productized services change in margins, win rates, and positioning 4. How to identify what to productize using the “three-time rule” 5. Why most firms fail—and the leadership trade-offs required to succeed ___________ Amol Punekar is open to connecting on enterprise AI transformation and IP asset-led consulting models. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amol-punekar-3760671/ ___________ Amol’s book recommendations: The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio | https://www.amazon.de/dp/1471196690/ Visualize by Maya Raichoora | https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Visualise-Maya-Raichoora/dp/1846048524/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

April 22, 2026Episode 12953 min

Ep. 129 — Client Loyalty Drops to 37%: Why Strong Relationships No Longer Guarantee Future Work - with Matt Dixon

Send us Fan Mail Client loyalty is collapsing. This episode explores why you need more than a strong relationship to secure follow-on work. Matthew Dixon , co-founder of DCM Insights and co-author of The Activator Advantage, says consulting growth is breaking away from its traditional model. Despite strong delivery and trusted client relationships, firms are increasingly forced to compete for work they once would have won by default. Matthew unpacks the structural decline in client loyalty, the rise of broader and AI-driven buying processes, and why most partners are still operating with outdated assumptions. The conversation explores the shift from reactive selling to proactive demand creation, and what distinguishes high-performing “activators” from the rest. You’ll learn: 1. Why strong delivery no longer guarantees repeat consulting work 2. What’s driving the drop in client loyalty from 75% to 37% 3. How AI is reshaping how clients shortlist consulting firms 4. What top-performing partners do differently to create demand early 5. How to build momentum before the client defines the need ___________ Matt Dixon is open to connecting. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ For more episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

April 8, 2026Episode 1281 hr 2 min

Ep. 128 — From Dependency to Independence: The Rise of Autonomic Consulting - with James Cawthorne

Send us Fan Mail Clients don't want to be dependent anymore. They want self-sufficiency. James Cawthorne , CEO of FOIL, explains why consulting is undergoing a structural shift. As AI makes productivity widely accessible, differentiation through effort is eroding, while complexity and decision pressure continue to rise. James outlines why traditional consulting models built on dependency are increasingly misaligned with what clients now expect. Instead of delivering answers, firms must embed capability, encoding institutional knowledge into systems that enable faster, more consistent decision-making. The conversation explores system intelligence, the limits of standalone AI tools, and what it takes to redesign consulting around value rather than control. You’ll learn: 1. Why competing on productivity with AI leads to a race to the bottom 2. How system intelligence enables scalable decision-making inside organizations 3. What clients actually mean when they ask for “capability” instead of support 4. Why dependency-based consulting models are becoming structurally unstable 5. How to stay relevant when value replaces effort as the core driver ___________ Get in touch with James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmcawthorne/ ___________ About the host Sarah: Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ ___________ Past guests on the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcast include: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au, and many more! ___________ Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!