The Consulting Pulse by CMap

AI is reshaping consulting - but not in the way most people think. Micheline El Housseini Timbrell, CEO and Founder of Phi Management, shares how AI, leadership, and cultural agility intersect when scaling a firm across the Middle East and Europe.

Visit Phi Management: https://phimanagement.com/

Follow Micheline on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheline-el-housseini-timbrell-16659ab/

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Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/⁠

Consulting is under pressure. AI, price wars, and shifting client expectations are changing the game faster than many firms can respond to.

In this special live episode, I'm joined by Prof. Joe O'Mahoney, who unpacks what’s really happening beneath the headlines, where the risks are real, and where smart firms are finding opportunity. 

Visit Prof. Joe's website: https://joeomahoney.com/

Visit Equity Sherpa: https://equitysherpa.com/

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Follow Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeomahoney/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

We sit down with the "Father of PSA" and Managing Director of Service Performance Insight (SPI), Dave Hofferberth, to go through nearly two decades of PS research & benchmarks. We'll find out what separates good firms from great firms and unpack the data every PS firm should be measuring themselves against.

Visit SPI: https://spiresearch.com/

Follow Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hofferberth/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Most boutique firms don’t fail because of competition. They fail because they refuse to evolve. In this episode, Jeff Klaumann, COO of Collective 54, breaks down the future of boutique professional services firms in what he calls “Era 3”: shift from human-only delivery to AI-enabled, technology-driven firms.

Jeff shares insights from working with hundreds of ambitious founders, revealing the patterns behind fast growth, efficient operations, and successful exits... and why the next era belongs to firms that embrace both community and technology.

Visit Collective 54: https://www.collective54.com/

Follow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffklaumann/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Founder and author Jessica Rimmer shares how she’s grown her boutique firm, Solomon Strategic Advisors, through clear methodology, strong culture, and a team-driven approach - all while avoiding the classic founder bottleneck.

Visit Solomon: https://solomonsa.com/

Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rimmer-ph-d-916b4354/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

If you want to grow revenue without relying on 'rainmakers', you'll need to develop your talent and build a high-impact team.

In this episode, Deri Hughes and Colin Mann join us from Honeycomb, a leading consulting skills training firm, to share the strategies and mindset required to empower your experts, upskill your teams, and cascade effective sales and leadership behaviors across your firm.

Visit Honeycomb: https://www.honeycombps.co.uk/

Follow Deri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derihughes/

Follow Colin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-mann/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

This week's guest left behind the big logos to run his own boutique firm. I'm joined by Dane Callow, founder of Spinnaker, a North American life sciences strategy consulting firm. With real domain expertise, you'll hear from Dane's unique perspective as both a founder and investor.

Visit Spinnaker: https://www.spinnakerls.com/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

What truly drives sustainable growth for consulting firms? This week, we speak to Brian Albers, CEO & founder of Pemmerations, to hear his strategies and insights for firms who want to unlock both profitability & scalability.

Visit Pemmerations: https://pemmerations.com/

Follow Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balbers/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

Selling complex services is becoming more and more difficult & competitive - so how do consulting firms stand out? The answer is proof, and this week's guest knows all about it.

James De Roche founded Lead Comet, which helps professional services firms create proof that closes deals. Find out exactly why testimonials and case studies hold so much power, why yours might not be working, and how to transform them into pipeline-boosting assets.

Visit Lead Comet: https://leadcometdigital.com/

Follow James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesleadcomet/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/

How can boutique consulting firms selling into complex markets like life sciences move beyond founder-led growth? In this episode, SBR Consulting’s George Clarke explains how to align marketing, sales, and delivery to build a go-to-market engine that scales... without losing authenticity or trust.

Visit SBR: https://sbrconsulting.com/

Follow George on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeeclarke33/

Visit CMap: https://www.cmap.io/

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmedwards/