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Organisational Health as a Growth Engine: The Q5 Approach | Olly Purnell & Prof. Joe O'Mahoney
What does it take to scale a consulting firm internationally without external capital?
In this episode, Joe O’Mahoney speaks with Olly Purnell, Managing Partner and co-founder of Q5, about how the firm grew from a five-person partnership to a global consultancy. With nearly 30 years of consulting experience, he leads client engagements across sectors while also focusing on attracting top talent to support Q5’s growth in the UK, US, and Australia.
Olly explains why Q5 moved away from an associate-heavy model, how they built a culture around organisational health, and how their internal tool—Org Maps—supports operating model work by analysing spans, layers, and resource allocation directly from client ERP data.
They also discuss Q5’s shift from a traditional partnership to a broader shareholder structure, the targeted mergers that helped them enter new markets, and the leadership decisions that preserved the team during COVID-19.
Olly closes with insights into the future of consulting, the impact of AI, and Q5’s focus on strengthening their tools and international footprint.
In this episode, you will learn:
- How Q5 scaled from a small founding team to an international consultancy
- Why the firm shifted from an associate-led model to full-time hiring
- What “organisational health” means in practice and how Q5 delivers it
- How Org Maps supports operating model and workforce decisions
- Why Q5 moved from a partnership to a broader shareholder structure
- The leadership decision that protected the firm during COVID-19
- How Q5 approaches growth, culture, and the future of consulting in an AI-driven era
This conversation offers a clear look into how Q5 has grown, adapted, and defined its approach to organisational health. Olly’s reflections on culture, structure, and leadership provide practical insights for any consultancy thinking about scale. We hope you found the discussion valuable and thought-provoking.
Connect with Olly:
Website: q5partners.com
LinkedIn: Olly Purnell
Send us a text
Prof. Joe O'Mahoney helps boutique consultancies scale and exit. Joe's research, writing, speaking and insights can be found at https://equitysherpa.com.
View all episodes
By Prof. Joe O'MahoneyWhat does it take to scale a consulting firm internationally without external capital?
In this episode, Joe O’Mahoney speaks with Olly Purnell, Managing Partner and co-founder of Q5, about how the firm grew from a five-person partnership to a global consultancy. With nearly 30 years of consulting experience, he leads client engagements across sectors while also focusing on attracting top talent to support Q5’s growth in the UK, US, and Australia.
Olly explains why Q5 moved away from an associate-heavy model, how they built a culture around organisational health, and how their internal tool—Org Maps—supports operating model work by analysing spans, layers, and resource allocation directly from client ERP data.
They also discuss Q5’s shift from a traditional partnership to a broader shareholder structure, the targeted mergers that helped them enter new markets, and the leadership decisions that preserved the team during COVID-19.
Olly closes with insights into the future of consulting, the impact of AI, and Q5’s focus on strengthening their tools and international footprint.
In this episode, you will learn:
- How Q5 scaled from a small founding team to an international consultancy
- Why the firm shifted from an associate-led model to full-time hiring
- What “organisational health” means in practice and how Q5 delivers it
- How Org Maps supports operating model and workforce decisions
- Why Q5 moved from a partnership to a broader shareholder structure
- The leadership decision that protected the firm during COVID-19
- How Q5 approaches growth, culture, and the future of consulting in an AI-driven era
This conversation offers a clear look into how Q5 has grown, adapted, and defined its approach to organisational health. Olly’s reflections on culture, structure, and leadership provide practical insights for any consultancy thinking about scale. We hope you found the discussion valuable and thought-provoking.
Connect with Olly:
Website: q5partners.com
LinkedIn: Olly Purnell
Send us a text
Prof. Joe O'Mahoney helps boutique consultancies scale and exit. Joe's research, writing, speaking and insights can be found at https://equitysherpa.com.