In this episode of the Future of the Firm podcast, Andy Baldwin, Global Managing Partner & SVP Offerings & Growth at IBM Consulting, joins Fiona Czerniawska, CEO at Source, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of asset-based consulting.

Andy shares insights that challenge the industry to rethink how traditional human consultants integrate with digital software assets and autonomous agents.

We address questions including:

• What is "asset-based consulting" and how do productivity-based assets differ from business-value assets?

• How will consulting firms transition away from the traditional time-and-materials pricing model to consumption-based plans?

• Why is it essential for consulting firms to build software-style product management capabilities?

• How are predefined agents and fully autonomous systems fundamentally changing client experience and delivery models?

• In a complex IT landscape packed with overlapping tools, why is the demand for a centralised "agent management platform" becoming critical for clients?

• How will delivery models change over the next 5 to 10 years, and what will separate the winners from the losers?

If you are interested in how generative AI and autonomous agents could reshape the consulting profession, this conversation is for you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In this series, we talk directly to business leaders about what is disrupting their industries, what occupies their headspace.

In this episode of the Future of the Firm podcast, Geert van den Goor, CEO at Valcon, joins Emma Carroll, Head of Client Voice at Source, to talk about the new competitive advantage of regional firms.

Geert takes us through Valcon's growth journey towards a "European powerhouse" model that balances regional expertise with the scale necessary to deliver tangible, AI-driven business transformation.

In this episode, we explore the following questions and more:

• Given the rapid pace of political and economic change, will transformation work itself need to change?

• How is client behaviour evolving in Europe, and how does this differ to in the US?

• What are the advantages of a firm that acts as a "regional powerhouse"?

• What will be critical to success of regional firms in the next five years?

If you enjoyed this podcast, then you won't want to miss our recent Emerging Trends report, The new consulting frontier: Adapting to global economic change. It dives into clients' attitudes towards globalisation for their own businesses and what they want from firms' geographic delivery models. To buy the report or for more information, get in touch.

In this episode of the Future of the Firm podcast, Jo Rhoden, Executive Director at Tapestry Networks, joins Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, for a creative journey to rethink the audit profession.

Speaking in her personal capacity, Jo shares insights from her recent series of blogs on the future of audit, challenging the industry to look beyond compliance and standardisation to innovation and creativity.

We address questions including:

• Beyond the obvious impact of technology, what are the other major drivers of change in the audit market today?

• How can technology and human creativity intersect to deliver the best outcomes?

• Can technology ever truly exercise professional judgment, or will this always require human oversight?

• Why do "soft skills" like storytelling, imagination, and relationship-building remain the strength of humans in this field?

• In a world of "noise" and deep fakes, how can audit evolve to become a primary enabler of trust?

• What practical steps can firms take right now to prepare their workforce for this new world of audit?

If you are interested in how human creativity could reshape audit, this conversation is for you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In this series, we talk directly to business leaders about what is disrupting their industries, what occupies their headspace, and what it is really like for them to work with professional services firms.

In this episode of the Future of the Firm podcast, Nicki Wakefield, Global Clients and Industries Leader at PwC, joins Emma Carroll, Head of Client Voice at Source, to talk about how client needs are changing and the opportunities this creates for firms.

Nicki shares her insights on the shift towards long-term partnerships that focus on deeply understanding the client's unique context, working towards measurable outcomes, and building solid foundations in data and strategy to effectively scale AI.

In this episode, we explore the following questions and more:

• How are clients' priorities and the services they'll need changing?

• How are clients responding to industry convergence?

• What is changing about how clients want to work with consulting firms?

• How are new client needs creating opportunities for consulting firms?

• Where do firms go wrong when it comes to understanding their clients?

In this ever-shifting professional services landscape, it's crucial to be on top of how clients' needs and priorities are changing as the world does. This conversation provides crucial insight and expertise to help turn client pain points into opportunities for your firm.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In this series, we talk directly to business leaders about what is disrupting their industries, what occupies their headspace, and what it is really like for them to work with professional services firms.

In this episode of our Future of the Firm podcast, Alison Huntington, Global Commercial Strategy and Insights Leader at Russell Reynolds, sits down with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, to discuss how firms can create true commercial value from their research—both now and in the future.

We consider the following questions and more:

• Beyond the traditional white paper, what content falls under the category of "insights" today?

• In what ways do successful firms use research to create value for themselves and their clients?

• What examples are there of this being done well?

• How do the marketing funnel and mapping the customer journey come into play?

• What are the biggest mistakes firms make when trying to commercialise their research?

• With AI changing the game, how will the role of insights and research evolve in the coming years?

If you are a professional services leader looking to ensure your insights are not static but instead drive revenue, this conversation is for you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In a recent episode, we talked to Ahmed Abdel Wahab, General Manager for India at Mars, about what it takes to be a truly authentic leader today, particularly in a time of volatility.

In this episode of our Future of the Firm podcast, Fiona Czerniawska, Source CEO, sits down with Head of Content, Emma Carroll, to tackle one of the most pressing issues on firm agendas today: the impact of AI on the pricing of professional services.

We consider the following questions and more:

• What's worrying firms about the use of AI in their operating models and the impact on pricing in particular?
• Will the efficiency gains of AI shrink the market and result in a catastrophe for firms?
• How does Source's new AI impact model work, what does it deliver for firms, and why is this insight needed now?
• What does our data tell us about how the size of the tax market (for example) could change?
• Is focusing solely on efficiency the biggest mistake a firm can make in the age of AI?

If you are a consulting leader thinking about how to price your AI-enabled services and how to model future market sizes then this conversation provides the insight you need to plan effectively.

If you'd like to discover more about how AI could reshape your own firm, contact us. We'd be happy to share our research into the impact AI might have on the tax market. Or we could explore a custom study to understand how other capabilities and lines of business may be set to change along with the implications for your firm.

In this special New Year edition of our Future of the Firm podcast, Fiona Czerniawska, CEO at Source, and Nick Jotischky, our Head of Market Trends, sit down with Head of Content Emma Carroll to dissect the big trends, challenges, and opportunities awaiting professional services firms in the year ahead.

We consider the following questions and more:

• Will 2026 see a return to higher growth norms, or are firms facing another rollercoaster year?

• What will the hotspots of client demand be in the year ahead?

• How can firms move beyond traditional industry segmentation to better understand and serve their clients?

• How will firms secure the capital they need to invest where it really matters in 2026?

• Are your alliances providing true differentiation, and how can you talk about them in a compelling way?

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In a recent episode, we talked to Ahmed Abdel Wahab, General Manager for India at Mars, about what it takes to be a truly authentic leader today, particularly in a time of volatility.

The rise of AI may well be the most urgent topic facing the consulting industry today. But beyond the hype, how can firms successfully use AI to transform their operating model?

In this episode of the Future of the Firm podcast, Dan Diasio, Global consulting AI Leader at EY, and Colm Sparks-Austin, Americas Tech Consulting Leader at EY, join our Head of Content, Emma Carroll, to re-imagine consulting through the prism of AI.

We address the following questions and more:

• How can firms move past retrofitting AI into old processes and instead rethink how they operate from first principles?
• How are firms managing the major challenges around pricing AI-enabled services?
• What are the limits of using AI in professional services? (If there are any).
• What will the professional services workforce look like in 2030?
• What are clients buying in the AI space?
• What is the single biggest pitfall firms must avoid when trying to get the best results out of AI?

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In a recent episode, we talked to Ahmed Abdel Wahab, General Manager for India at Mars, about what it takes to be a truly authentic leader today, particularly in a time of volatility.

Marissa Thomas, CEO and Co-founder of Unity Advisory, joined Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our The Future of the Firm podcast to discuss the learnings and challenges of combining deep expertise with AI-enabled delivery to create a new advisory firm that's fit for the modern market.

Marissa shared her insights on the following matters and more:

• How co-founders Thomas and Steve Varley saw a disruptive opportunity from three angles—AI and other exciting technologies, what experts want from their careers, and what clients really need—to launch Unity Advisory in March 2025.

• One benefit of launching a firm in today's landscape is being able to take a comprehensive AI approach: Unity Advisory is "AI born, not AI-retrofitted".

• Unity strives to focus on the service areas where clients want more choice, feel there is a supply shortage, or are inconsistently served.

• Having found that the traditional hours and rates model is not well-loved by clients, Unity is using a combination of fixed and outcomes-based fees, including fees linked to metrics like satisfaction and cost savings.

• The combination of engineering or coding skills and deep technical knowledge in areas like finance or tax is becoming an increasingly valuable asset when forming a team of experts.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In a recent episode, we talked to Ahmed Abdel Wahab, General Manager for India at Mars, about how to be a truly authentic leader in a time of volatility like today.

In this episode of the Business Leader's Voice podcast, Antonia Wade, Global Chief Marketing Officer for PwC, joins our Head of Content, Emma Carroll, to share her experience of PwC's recent rebrand.

Antonia shares insights on these matters and more:

• Rather than focusing solely on demand generation, it is important that firms strategically invest at the broader brand level to increase awareness, perception, and consideration, especially as modern business requires reaching a broader set of C-suite executives than before.

• Define distinctiveness through how work is done: Consulting firms should differentiate themselves by focusing on how they execute their services, rather than just what services they offer. A core component of brand strategy should be identifying and amplifying the distinctive ways your firm operates, which also aids in winning work as well as attracting and retaining top talent.

• It's important not to treat a brand transformation solely as a marketing exercise; instead, firms can establish co-ownership of the programme with other senior stakeholders and colleagues, including those from Human Resources, Account Management, and Client Experience, to achieve greater impact, relevance, and longevity.

• Prioritise internal training for people. The workforce is the ultimate expression of you brand, so don't neglect internal buy-in. Provide compelling training on the brand's value and their ambassadorial role. Think about giving local teams the flexibility to adapt core materials and use other ways to secure commitment across regions.

• To ensure brand efficacy, firms must establish a continuous client feedback loop. This process allows for constant refinement of the brand system, media spend, and service offerings. Effectiveness can be validated using tangible metrics like advertising recall, share of search, and proprietary brand consideration data.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't miss our sister podcast, Business Leader's Voice. In a recent episode, we talked to Ahmed Abdel Wahab, General Manager for India at Mars, about what it takes to be a truly authentic leader today, particularly in a time of volatility.