Specialist consultancy for ambitious UK firms
Cost scrutiny and a great deal of artificial intelligence noise have pushed specialist advice back under the microscope. The answer is not fewer advisers for their own sake, but a better brief, clearly assigned decision rights and a measure of what stays behind when the engagement ends.
A recognisable consultancy logo can feel like insurance in a difficult board decision. Too often, however, UK firms are buying reassurance rather than expertise — and paying for it in fees and slower, diluted decision-making. This piece sets out a more disciplined way to commission specialist advice.
Growth rarely breaks a firm's governance in one dramatic moment. It erodes decision-making quietly, through bottlenecks, meeting sprawl and unclear commercial ownership. This diagnostic sets out six signals UK leadership teams can watch for — and a practical remedy for each.