The Future of the Firm

In the latest episode of The Future of the Firm podcast, Dr. Katharina Weghmann, Global ESG Leader within Forensic & Integrity Services at EY, and Nick Jones, Director of Client & Markets Engagement also within Forensic & Integrity Services at EY, sat down with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source to discuss why ESG integrity is at a crossroads. 

Nick and Katharina shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

Many organisations face challenges in clearly defining industry-relevant ESG targets and translating them into actionable initiatives. ESG efforts are often siloed from the organisation's core purpose and st...

Andrew Brothers, former CIO at Primark, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our Business Leader’s Voice podcast.  

Andrew shares his insights on the following matters and more:   

The CIO's primary agenda is to add business value by driving sales growth and increasing operational efficiency through technology.  

Prioritising tech investment involves balancing strategic initiatives, risk mitigation, and refreshing your technology. Decisions here involve healthy debate with the executive team. 

Technology roadmaps and investment priorities aren't static. It is important to emphasise the need for reg...

On our latest episode of The Future of the Firm podcast, Dr Jan van de Poll, MD and Founder of Praioritize, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source. 

Jan and Emma shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

According to Source’s latest quarterly client survey, 98% of consulting buyers believe that generative AI will replace consultants to some extent, with 55% expecting it to do so to a significant degree  

Virtual consulting is challenging the established consulting model: Jan argues that while traditional consultants typically only serve 1% of the organisati...

Sebastian Stoeckle, Global Head of Audit Innovation at KPMG, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

Sebastian and Emma shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

Audit today is as important as it’s always been, with its core mission still centred around generating trust in business entities. But the environment in which audit operates is transforming as a result of geopolitical, regulatory, and technological change.  

There has been a shift in clients’ attitudes to audit. Historically...

Kapish Vanvaria, EY Global and Americas Risk Consulting Leader, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

Kapish shared his insights on the following matters and more:    

There have been some big changes in risk services in recent years, including technology innovation, the impact of regulatory changes, and an evolution of client expectations—in particular, clients wanting more sector-specific and personalised solutions.  

The sweet spot for risk experts lies in offering strong domain expertise—for instance, top tier talent in regulatory co...

Source’s Natasha Campbell, Principal Thought Leadership Consultant, and Nicola Kostrzewska, Senior Consultant, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Natasha and Nicola shared the themes and findings from Source’s latest Quality Ratings of Though Leadership report, including: 

Lesley Uren, Global CEO of Consulting for Korn Ferry, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of The Future of the Firm podcast to discuss where the hot spots and challenges in human capital consulting are today, and where clients’ needs are set to shift in this space. 

Lesley shares her insight on the following matters and more: 

Volatility in the market for human capital consulting is being driven by large macro factors that are impacting clients’ appetite to invest. This uncertainty is likely to persist, and consulting firms ne...

Michael McMahon, Professor of Economics at University of Oxford, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast to debate the potential impact of President Trump’s policies on professional services via the four global megatrends of deglobalisation, decarbonisation, demographics, and digitalisation.  

Michael and Fiona shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

The new US government’s protectionist policies are the latest iteration of a global move towards deglobalisation. While clients may turn t...

Source’s CEO, Fiona Czerniawska, and Director of Market Trends, Catherine Anderson, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content, on the latest episode of The Future of the Firm to discuss trends and opportunities for consulting firms in 2025. 

Fiona and Catherine share their insights on the following matters and more: 

They predict increased demand for technology, risk, and HR & change work—although this may come from different areas of the business to where you might expect. 

Clients may initially be interested in AI for specific point solutions, but these will open their eyes to...

Wavestone’s Neil Sharp, Head of Proposition and Go to Market, and Uta Niendorf, ExCom Member and Partner for Digital Customer in Germany, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

 Uta and Neil shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

Data collection is central to producing seamlessly integrated touchpoints and creating a frictionless omnichannel experience. 

Businesses should not just focus on aspects that deliver immediate revenues like sales and marketing, but also on after-sales and service—and crucially o...

Ryan Piper, Global CEO at Morison Global, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

Ryan and Fiona shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

Ryan Piper, Global CEO at Morison Global, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

Ryan and Fiona shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

David Blowers, Co-President of the Financial Advisory Practice at Kroll, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

David and Fiona shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

While deals tend to drop off during more turbulent times, it all comes down the quality of the asset. If corporates are laser focused on a really good asset, it will get done despite market conditions—and this is something that will persist.  

...

Alison Grigg and Kerry Grigg, Managing Partners at Multiple Group, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.  

Alison, Kerry, and Fiona shared their insights on the following matters and more:   

The dangers of social washing and how demographic change is driving increased accountability, as the younger generations expect businesses to deliver on the ESG promises they’re making. 

The mistakes firms could be making, such as assuming that good leadership happens overnight and not doi...

Sam Samaratunga, Global Head of Risk Services at PwC, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Sam and Fiona shared their insights on the following matters and more:  

Many clients think their leaders aren’t quick enough to respond, but Sam stresses the importance of taking risks intelligently and making decisions with confidence.  

PwC’s annual risk survey found that 44% of CEOs believe their organisation won’t be economically viable if they carry on alo...

Fiona Czerniawska, Source’s CEO and Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, discuss innovation in professional services firms, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

They discussed the following and more:  

When clients think about the types of innovation they see from firms they talk about blue-sky thinking, best practices that they can apply in their organisation, and flexible ways of working.  

If firms want to convince clients that they are innovative then they need to prove it rather than talk about it. A concrete e...

Fiona Czerniawska, Source’s CEO, and Margaret Cameron-Waller, Associate at Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast to discuss the thorny issue of whether consulting should be regulated. 

Fiona and Margaret shared their insight on the following matters and more:  

If regulation is needed, then there is a decision to be made about whether firms or individual consultants would be the target. We think about what these options would involve.  

We consider what self-regulation looks like in the consul...

Marna Ricker, Global Vice Chair for Tax at EY, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Marna and Fiona shared their insight on the following matters and more:  

Clients say that choosing where to start implementing AI in their tax operations is tricky. Something simple and repeatable is a good first target. We look at concrete examples across three, increasing levels of maturity. 

Some of the big challenges that clients are facing inclu...

Greg Sarafin, Global Vice Chair, EY Partner Ecosystem, caught up with Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Greg and Fiona shared their insight on the following matters and more:  

Clients want firms to help them drive their business outcomes, and increasingly take joint responsibility for those outcomes. That includes bringing along the collective partners that are needed. 

Partnering is the route to an outcome-based commercial model vs. the traditional product and services-based one.  

The role of consulting firms is shift...

Fresh from the publication of Source’s latest Quality Ratings of Thought Leadership report, Natasha Cambell, Principal Thought Leadership Consultant; Nicola Kostrzewska, Thought Leadership Consultant; and Emma Carroll, Head of Content, get together to debate today’s big thought leadership trends.

They also discuss exactly how firms can improve the differentiation, appeal, resilience, and action-driving capability of their material. 

Natasha and Nicola discuss the following matters and more:  

Thought leadership has long been considered essential to driving awareness of a firm’s brand. However, Source’s research shows that it is also inte...

Jon Brewer, CMO of global law firm Orrick and European President of the Legal Marketing Association, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Jon shared his insight on the following topics and more:  

How the role of the CMO in legal services has evolved, including becoming an advisor to the CEO and being more campaign focused  

The importance of building up a support network of peers 

How CMOs can influence strategy if they don’t...

Ismail Amla, Global Practice Leader at Kyndryl, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Ismail and Fiona shared their insight on the following matters and more:  

Demand for support with AI, new regulation, innovation, and sector-specific digital transformation are all driving growth in this consulting sector.   

Clients are imagining new, cross-sector propositions. These will need new solutions from a technology point of view.  

Clients are becoming more realistic about making good use of...

Helen Tudor, MD of executive search organisation, Sheffield Haworth, and Fiona Czerniawska, CEO of Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.

Helen and Fiona shared their insight on the following matters and more:  

There has been a decline in the proportion of female partners appointed, from 29% in 2022 to 26% in 2023. This is against the trend we’ve seen over the past 10-15 years.  

Firms that hire female leaders from outside their direct competitors and similar organisations achieve greater diversity...

Richard Fleming, European Head of Restructuring at Alvarez & Marsal, and Margaret Cameron-Waller, Associate Consultant at Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast. 

Richard and Margaret shared their insight on the following matters and more:  

Alex Teytelboym, Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford and Director of their Business Economics Programme, and Fiona Czerniawska, Founder & CEO at Source, caught up with Emma Carroll, Source’s Head of Content, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast.

Alex and Fiona shared their insight on the following matters and more: 

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:  

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 an...

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 thei...

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 fol...

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: 

“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.

I...

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 tru...

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:

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 a...

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.

According to our research, 'sector knowledge and expertise' is now the second most important attribute to clients when choosing a firm to work with, having skyrocketed from 12th place just a couple of years ago. 

In this episode of The Future of the Firm, Ed Scott and Fiona Czerniawska are joined by Allan Platt, CEO of boutique consulting firm Clareo, to discuss the importance of sector-specific expertise in times of uncertainty.

Specialising in the natural resources, energy, and food industries, Clareo’s highly targeted approach is worlds away from the broad-brush strokes adopted by many lar...

The last few years have presented organisations with a seemingly endless series of new challenges to navigate. The big story in this regard was of course COVID-19, but with the situation in Ukraine, global market and geopolitical uncertainty, energy prices, and inflation to contend with, the plates of many businesses around the world are looking increasingly full. 

Chuck in the destabilising effects of new technologies like artificial intelligence, and it’s a wonder anybody is able to keep up at all.  How can consulting firms help clients to achieve resilience, then, when firms themselves are having to cont...

Transformation. It’s something that almost every client we speak to at the moment is talking about. 

In our most recent data, 52% of clients say that they’re either already making a significant investment in digital transformation or planning to do so in the next 18 months, and 41% say they’ll be investing in target operating model transformation.

But is something missing from this conversation? If transformation were just a matter of implementing new systems, models, or processes, it might be laborious, but not necessarily all that challenging. But of course, it’s so much more than that...

Artificial intelligence is the topic on everyone’s mind at the moment, but what does it actually mean for consulting firms? To find out, we've been delving into our own quant and qual research, in which we regularly ask clients about the impact of emerging technology on their use of consulting firms. 

Question: What do a father's mental health, a mother's chances of returning to full-time employment, and their newborn child's lifetime earnings have in common?

Answer: They would all be improved by an effective Equal Paid Parental Leave policy, according to PwC's 2023 Women in Work report. 

In this episode of The Future of the Firm, Jennifer Richards, Chief Strategy Officer at PwC, joins Ed Scott to discuss shifting attitudes to parental leave, and the opportunity for firms to demonstrate genuine leadership in this space.