Understanding Industry Trends for Consulting

This isn't just another corporate restructuring. It's different this time: → These aren't juniors - they're cutting SENIOR roles → Many have 5+ years of experience → This is happening during peak consulting season Why?: → AI does in minutes what took analysts weeks → Clients now have their own data teams → SaaS platforms replaced implementation work → Premium fees are compressing as analysis gets commoditized The future of consulting: → Small, elite teams replace massive pyramids → On-demand talent replaces fixed benches → Only truly strategic work survives For the Big 4 firms holding onto the old model? EY just showed us their future. The question isn't whether consulting will change. It's whether they can change fast enough.

Many accountants email the balance sheet and income statement to their CEOs and think,   “Job done.”  But here’s the problem: Your CEO is not necessarily trained in reading financial statements. Even if they were, you've just given them an assignment to "figure it out" If your boss doesn’t understand the numbers, then you haven’t communicated. You’ve just forwarded a report.  🚨 A financial statement without context is just data.   📊 Your job is to turn that data into insights.  How to Present Financials the Right Way  📌 1️⃣ Give a One-Page Summary 🔹 Highlight key figures—Revenue, Profit, Cash Flow, and Key Ratios.   🔹 Include clear takeaways (e.g., “Revenue grew 10%, but margins dropped due to rising costs.”).   🔹 Avoid technical jargon—simplify complex metrics.  📌 2️⃣ Answer the Big Questions   Your CEO doesn’t want numbers—they want meaning. Help them understand:   🔹 What changed? (“Profit dropped 5% due to higher shipping costs.”)   🔹 Why did it happen? (“Fuel prices increased 20% this quarter.”)   🔹 What should we do next? (“We should renegotiate supplier contracts.”)  📌 3️⃣ Use Visuals   🔹 Graphs > Tables—a well-designed chart can explain in seconds.   🔹 Use color-coded trends (e.g., 🔴 Negative, 🟢 Positive).   🔹 Keep it clean—no clutter, no distractions. 📌 4️⃣ Speak the CEO’s Language   🔹 Skip the accounting terminology—focus on impact.   🔹 Tie financials to business goals:     - Sales grew 15% → “We’re expanding market share.”     - Cash flow dipped → “We need to tighten collections.” ✅ Financial statements don’t speak for themselves—you do.   ✅ Numbers are useless without insights.  If your CEO isn’t making better decisions because of your reports, then your job isn’t done.  💡 Don’t just report numbers—explain them. That's how you add value and impact.

Consulting isn’t dying—it’s evolving. The traditional "finder, minder, grinder" framework that has defined the industry for decades is being disrupted. As client expectations shift and technology advances, the reliance on junior-heavy teams and leverage-based profit models is under significant pressure. The future of consulting lies in a new model where hands-on leadership is paramount. Corporate and Private Equity clients expect senior-level Partners to actively drive strategy execution. They want seasoned professionals with deep expertise to lead from the front, ensuring that solutions are not just designed but delivered with measurable impact. Successful consulting firms will focus on outcomes rather than hours. By integrating AI and other technologies, they will accelerate efficiency and enable senior leaders to focus on delivering real value. Clients are increasingly drawn to results-driven approaches that prioritise entrepreneurial thinking and experimentation over time-based billing. As technology advances over analytical tasks, human consultants must excel in areas machines cannot replicate: creativity, emotional intelligence, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Coaching clients on how to leverage technology effectively will become a core skill, alongside curiosity and adaptability.

The Cannabis Chamber of Commerce global market check-in today had a very clear message: This industry is DONE with hypotheticals. It’s entering its execution era. Key takeaway: Our industry is growing up globally, just not evenly. 5 points to call-out: 1) The U.S. is stuck in limbo (obvies). Rescheduling is still a waiting game and the final DOJ rule keeps getting pushed, so litigation's expected & everyone’s planning around uncertainty. A Sched. III outcome would be a real unlock globally for imports/exports, R&D, and global trade. If U.S. rescheduling happens, we’re lookin' at a dual-system shift: State-based #cannabis dispensaries on one side -- federally compliant, pharma-focused Schedule III lane for R&D + international trade on the other. 2) Europe's where the momentum is. Germany’s medical market is moving fast and not always cleanly. Prices dropped hard, now ~€2–3 per gram in just a few months. Recreational clubs are scaling, with hundreds approved. A recent court ruling blocking clone sales just created a whole new lane for tissue culture and genetics services. Switzerland is moving toward adult-use by 2027, but Austria remains tight. 3) Latin America (my fave) is no longer “emerging,” it’s investable. Already a $440M market and growing. Colombia now has medical flower in pharmacies. Costa Rica and Uruguay are opening regulated pathways, including #CBD in medical systems. Low production costs, real farmland & massive patient populations make LatAm impossible to ignore for long-term global operators. 4) Canada is steady, not sexy: a mature market in a slow grind phase. No CBD reclassification miracle. Companies are specializing, tightening ops, and looking outward for growth. International expansion is the strategy, not scale-for-scale’s-sake (sound familiar?). 5) The real shift no one should miss: “GMP washing” is getting exposed. Now, execution beats storytelling. Regulators everywhere are moving from capacity-building to enforcement. (that means inspections, audits, accountability). Paper compliance without real systems won’t hold up anymore. Capital knows this. Investors want fewer platforms with real inspection resilience, not just certificate logos. On the ecosystem side, it was good to see real investment in community & infrastructure, new leadership, strong member tools, job boards that actually help, and event organizers getting smarter about curated connections vs chaos. The lesson: The winners won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the ones who can pass inspections, move across borders & execute under pressure. What are YOU seeing on the ground in the US, #Europe + #LatAm? . . Shout out to members: Hirsh, Ian, VERDANT Strategies, Chris, Jeanne, Amna, Joshua S., Gina, Robert, Jenny, Kandice, Beard Bros Pharms, Emilie (MJBiz), Patrick (IgniteIt Inc. IgniteIt Cannabis), Mike, Laura, K.C., Guinevere, Vanessa, Neal, Peter, Canopy HR, Dutchie, Armanino, Grass Goddess Consulting LLC, Joseph, ePropel Digital, Rachel Scheri

McKinsey has 40,000 employees and 25,000 AI agents. Now it is adjusting remuneration to AI. An entire industry is being disrupted by AI. And it is not the only one. Less than 2 years ago McKinsey had just 3,000 AI agents. Its CEO originally expected to reach one AI agent per employee by 2030. Now it might be months away. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴? • Consulting is full of work that is structured, repeatable, research-heavy, and analysis-driven. Exactly the type AI can replace. • Agents can help consultants search internal knowledge, summarize documents, compare markets, draft first versions, structure analyses, test hypotheses, build models, prepare client materials, and accelerate the kind of linear problem-solving that used to consume large amounts of junior consultant time. This does not mean McKinsey no longer needs consultants. It means consulting is changing. If AI can produce the first draft, the benchmark, the synthesis, the model, or the analysis, humans have to become better at the parts AI cannot reliably do: • setting the right ambition • applying judgment • challenging answers • managing the client • connecting politics with strategy • turning analysis into decisions This is much bigger than automation. Consulting firms are now redesigning the economics of consulting around a new execution layer. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. For decades, the consulting model was built around senior partners selling the work, large teams delivering it, and clients paying for expertise, time, and execution capacity. If now AI agents are doing an increasing part of this work, clients will ask why they should pay the same way for work that now takes less human effort. That means consulting firms need to adjust their business model: from selling hours and advice to selling outcomes. Savings, cost reduction, productivity improvement, revenue increase, real transformation. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄: Partners will receive a smaller share of profits in cash and a larger share in equity. In practice, part of the money that would have been paid out immediately stays inside the firm. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? • Because consulting cash flows may become more volatile. If more projects are tied to savings or performance improvements, the firm may only get fully paid once the client actually delivers the result. • McKinsey needs more capital inside the business: to absorb delayed payments, take more outcome risk, and invest in the technology needed to deliver work differently. Consulting companies are adopting 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴. Any industry built on expensive expert work, repeatable analysis, and billable hours will face the same pressure: to move from selling activity to selling outcomes. Opinions: my own, Graphic source: CB Insights Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

The AI Boom Isn’t Saving Big Consulting — It’s Exposing It Video link: https://lnkd.in/e54q-zhz The AI boom was supposed to be a golden era for big consulting firms. Instead, it’s exposing a structural weakness in the traditional consulting model. For years, large firms thrived by selling complexity: long transformation roadmaps, massive teams, multi-phase engagements, and endless strategy decks. That model worked when companies felt they needed outside guidance to navigate uncertainty. But AI is changing what clients value. Businesses don’t want more slides. They want working systems. They don’t want 18-month transformation plans. They want measurable results in weeks. They don’t want general advice at premium rates. They want technical depth, speed, and execution. That’s the real shift. AI reduces the value of labor-heavy consulting work and increases the value of small, highly capable teams that can actually build, deploy, and improve solutions. The firms that win in this environment won’t be the ones with the biggest brands. They’ll be the ones that can connect strategy to outcomes without hiding behind complexity. The old consulting pitch was: “We’ll help you figure it out.” The new market is asking: “Can you actually deliver?” That’s why this conversation matters. The issue isn’t whether consulting disappears. It’s whether traditional consulting can adapt fast enough to remain relevant in an AI-first economy. The firms that survive will likely be leaner, more technical, and far more accountable for results. Source video: The Consulting Collapse: Why Big Firms Are Failing in the AI Boom #AI #Consulting #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI #Leadership #Innovation #BusinessStrategy #FutureOfWork

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰? As of 2024, the medical cannabis industry continues to expand globally, with growth driven by innovation, patient access, and regulatory advancements. While earlier waves focused on cultivation and initial market entries, today's growth centres on more sophisticated areas. Here’s where the real expansion is happening: 1. Emerging Markets Taking Off Countries like Mexico, Thailand, and South Africa are driving growth with formalised regulations allowing cultivation and export. This is unlocking new markets, creating investment opportunities and positioning these regions as key global suppliers. 2. Surge in Patient Numbers Established markets in Europe, North America, and Australia are seeing patient numbers rise. Growing awareness and better insurance coverage are making medical cannabis more accessible, especially in Germany and the UK, pushing manufacturers to scale production. 3. Pharmaceutical Development Pharmaceutical research is advancing rapidly, with clinical trials exploring cannabinoids for chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and neurological disorders. More cannabis-based medicines are moving towards regulatory approval, integrating into mainstream healthcare and unlocking significant growth. 4. Product Diversification Growth is also driven by the shift from traditional flowers and oils to more advanced products like tablets, sprays, and patches. These innovative offerings appeal to new patient demographics and healthcare providers seeking precise dosing and familiar formats. 5. Regulatory Compliance Regulatory compliance remains crucial. Companies with EU GMP certification can export to markets like the EU, securing long-term contracts with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies. Countries with strong compliance frameworks are leading global exports. 6. Telemedicine and E-Commerce Digital health platforms are helping patients access prescriptions more easily, boosting the role of telemedicine in medical cannabis. E-commerce is also driving growth, offering greater convenience for patients and expanding online services. 7. Mergers and Acquisitions M&A activity is enabling rapid growth, with larger firms acquiring innovative startups, particularly those specialising in pharmaceutical products or genetics. This consolidation is accelerating R&D and market expansion. In summary, as of 2024, the medical cannabis industry’s growth is fuelled by emerging global markets, increasing patient access, pharmaceutical advancements, product diversification, regulatory compliance, and digital health solutions. Companies that align with these trends will lead the industry into its next phase of growth. #MedicalCannabis2024 #GlobalCannabis #CannabisInnovation #CannabisPharma #CannabisRegulation #TelemedicineCannabis

During one of my early consulting engagements, I was staffed on a project where the client had extremely high expectations. Every meeting felt intense. Every deliverable felt urgent. As a new consultant, I constantly worried about making mistakes. One day, during a late-night working session, my manager looked at me stressing over a slide and said something I still remember clearly: "Clients do not expect perfection. They expect progress." The next morning, we presented a draft that was not flawless but moved the conversation forward. And the client was happy. Not because it was perfect, but because it gave them clarity on what to do next. Over the years, I have seen this pattern repeatedly. 1. Clients want direction more than decoration. 2. They want clarity more than complexity. 3. They want someone who can take messy problems and give them a path, even if it is not fully polished yet. Because the polishing can happen later. Consulting teaches you that going ahead matters more than perfect preparation. The goal is not to create the perfect slide. The goal is to help the client make the next decision. And once you internalize that, the work becomes clearer, calmer, and far more impactful.

Every sales leader I talk to at the moment is struggling with some version of the same issue. The symptoms are different, but the underlying cause is the same. - Sales cycles elongating - Deal slippage - Prospects not showing up to meetings - An uptick in ghosting - Poor forecast accuracy - A drop in deal volumes - A drop in conversion rates What's actually happening out there in Buyer land? I've been delivering win-loss reviews for B2B companies around the world since 2011 and I'm seeing buyer behaviours I've never observed before... Let me break down some of them quickly for you and share some guidance on how to use these lessons to your advantage: Trend #1: Risk has jumped up the decision tree in order of importance, to the very top of the list for many clients, even more so when it's a new vendor. Action: Go deeper on risk in your discovery conversations, recognise that risk is both organisational and personal...find ways to better manage, mitigate and share risk with your clients...Be the low risk option. Trend #2: Value for Money, Responsiveness and Cost are consistently selected as the most important decision criteria by many clients. Action: Responsiveness should be an easy one to get right, but many sellers are stretched too thin right now...do less, but do it better. Trend #3: Change in Strategic Direction is the most frequently cited reason for customers coming to market for a new solution at the moment. Action: Try to reverse engineer this reason, to understanding what caused this change in direction and what it actually means for the business. These are your keys to the kingdom, when building a rock solid business case. Trend #4: Feedback from Peers and Colleagues has emerged as the most trusted information source for almost all respondents. Action: Case studies and customer references are losing their luster...find ways to tap into the trust which prospective clients have in their own peer network, as a way to unlock deeper connections and build trust. Trend #5: Customers are demanding more detail in the proposal documents, tender responses and business cases which they are receiving. Action: Put in the work, avoid the cookie-cutter responses, find your win themes and weave them in, share the detail they need to make an informed decision. I haven't got a crystal ball, so I can't tell you if/when the pendulum will swing back the other way, from a buyer behaviour perspective. What I can tell you with a high degree of certainty is that prospective customers have raised the bar, in terms of their expectations from their vendor partners. It's our job now to to elevate the preparation, patience and professionalism of B2B sellers everywhere, to meet these changing needs and maintain our relevance to the customers we serve.

The best consultancy engagement is the one that ends. Because you no longer need us. This isn't the obvious business model. Creating dependency is more profitable. Holding the keys ensures clients keep coming back. But it's the wrong approach for government delivery. Real success is defined by what happens after we leave. Our mission is building the client's own capability, not securing long term contracts for ourselves. This shows up in how we structure delivery: → We rebuilt a critical monitoring estate covering thousands of devices whilst authoring detailed run books and automating processes so the internal team could take full ownership. → We built a data platform and delivered the foundational data understanding and governance that empowered teams to make informed decisions independently. The work isn't finished until the client no longer needs us for it. This means transferring knowledge systematically, not just completing tasks. It means documenting not just what systems do but how to operate them. It means automating manual toil so small internal teams can manage what would have required consultant armies. The best consultancy relationships are the ones that end because you've genuinely built capability that stays with the client. What's the biggest barrier to building internal capability in your organisation? #GovTech #DigitalTransformation #ProgrammeDelivery