AI is firmly on the agenda for professional services firms, but many leaders are still working out what it really means in practice – for delivery, governance, people, and trust with clients. 

In this episode of Unlocking Value, John Howard speaks with Dan Figueiredo, a senior leader at Microsoft whose career has sat at the intersection of technology, consulting, and commercial delivery. Dan shares a practical perspective shaped by working closely with professional services firms on how they are using AI without outsourcing judgement or creating unnecessary risk.

The conversation covers:

• Why many technology and AI initiatives struggle when firms start with tools rather than outcomes.
• How AI often acts as a force amplifier – strengthening good ways of working while exposing weak ones.
• How AI is already being used inside consulting teams to speed up analysis, documentation, and design work.
• Why experienced judgement still matters, and what can go wrong when AI output is relied on too heavily.
• The practical governance questions firms are grappling with, from data security to responsible use.
• Why training, adoption, and behaviour change matter more than simply rolling out new tools.
• How concerns about trust and credibility with clients are influencing how firms use AI.

This is a practical conversation for professional services leaders who want to understand where AI genuinely helps, where it creates new responsibilities, and what it means for leadership and judgement in a consulting business.

If you’d like to hear more conversations like this, follow the show for early access to future episodes.

Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Dan Figueiredo, senior leader, Microsoft