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Send us Fan Mail Jill Foley, Founder and Chair of On3 Partners, built a licence-based revenue line that now makes up 40% to 50% of her business, without growing headcount to do it. Her diagnosis: most firms trying to build recurring revenue start with the technology. Jill started by identifying the unmet business need and building a methodology to tackle it. Only then did she invest in technology enablement. She began that journey with clear investment parameters (at worst, how much she was prepared to lose; at best, the timescales for ROI). She split her business into two companies to ensure clear and focused performance management. In this episode, she explains why she made the technology side the answer to the consulting business rather than the other way round, what that discipline cost her, no profit in the technology business until year 3, limited scale until year 4 or 5, and what it eventually bought her. You'll learn: 1. Why starting with a technology instead of a client problem is the most common way to fail at productisation 2. How to structure a product bet so a failure can't spread into the rest of your business 3. Why the order you build in, method first or technology first, decides which side makes the money 4. What a realistic timeline to profit actually looks like when you're building recurring revenue 5. How Jill decided in advance what she was willing to lose before she risked anything Jill is open to connecting about building recurring revenue in consulting without losing control of the risk. If you'd like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-foley-9a6100/ Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

Send us Fan Mail Was passiert, wenn dein Geschäftsmodell auf Zeit basiert, aber Zeit keine Rolle mehr spielt? Michael Nenninger, CEO von Voycer Digital und ehemaliger EVP Digital Consulting bei MSG, beschreibt, warum das klassische Consulting-Modell strukturell unter Druck gerät. Sobald AI Methoden reproduzierbar macht und Projekte von Wochen auf Tage schrumpfen, beginnt sich die Logik hinter Auslastung, Pyramidenstruktur und zeitbasierter Abrechnung aufzulösen. Im Gespräch zeigt Michael, wie sich Beratung von projektbasierter Arbeit hin zu systematischer, skalierbarer Wertschöpfung verschiebt und warum es für Führungskräfte nicht mehr um Effizienz, sondern um eine bewusste Neuausrichtung ihres Geschäftsmodells geht. In dieser Episode erfährst du: 1. Warum AI den Wert von Beratungsleistung neu definiert. 2. Wie Agentic AI die klassische Pyramidenstruktur auflöst. 3. Warum schnellere Delivery dein Pricing-Modell unter Druck setzt. 4. Wie sich Beratung von Projekten zu skalierbaren Systemen verschiebt. 5. Welche neuen Wettbewerber durch AI im Consulting entstehen. ___________ Michael Nenninger ist offen für den Austausch zum Thema Geschäftsmodell-Transformation im Consulting. Wenn du Perspektiven teilen möchtest, vernetze dich auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-nenninger/ Michaels Buchempfehlung: Die Logik des Misslingens | https://amzn.eu/d/04awGcZJ ___________ Über den Host Sammy: Sammy und SAWOO bieten einen B2B-Community-Building-Service, der Dich als Vordenker in Deiner Branche etabliert und Dir hilft, echte, zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen zu Deinen Wunschkunden aufzubauen. Schreibe Sammy einfach via E-Mail unter [email protected] oder connecte Dich auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ Bisherige Gäste des LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcasts: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au und viele weitere! ___________ Wenn Du mehr darüber erfahren möchtest, wie Führungskräfte im Consulting mit aktuellen Themen der Branche umgehen, folge der LEADERS IN CONSULTING Community auf LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/leaders-in-consulting-dach

Send us Fan Mail KI ersetzt den Projektleiter nicht. Sie macht ihn unverzichtbar. Dominik Steffani, Partner bei H&Z Management Consulting, beschreibt im Gespräch mit David Anheier eine Verschiebung, die viele Beratungsführungen unterschätzen: Projektteams bestehen künftig auch aus Agenten, nicht nur aus Menschen. Für Dominik bedeutet das mehr statt weniger Verantwortung für den Projektleiter, der ein "bionisches Team" aus Mensch und Maschine führen muss. Er erklärt, warum viele Beratungen gerade jetzt beim Junior-Hiring auf die Bremse treten, welches Risiko das für die Führungspipeline der nächsten drei bis fünf Jahre erzeugt, und warum Neugier und Fragenstellen wichtiger werden als reine Geschwindigkeit. Dich erwarten folgende Learnings: 1) Was Beratungen übersehen, wenn sie auf "Digital Natives" setzen. 2) Wie Junior-Ausbildung heute die Führungsfähigkeit von morgen bestimmt. 3) Wie sich die Rolle des Projektleiters durch Agenten im Team verändert. 4) Wie Neugier verhindert, dass Beratung zum Durchschnitt wird. 5) Wie sich Teamstruktur und Vergütungsmodelle in Beratungen durch KI verändern. ___________ Dominik freut sich über Austausch zum Thema KI, Führung und Talententwicklung in der Beratung. Vernetze Dich mit ihm auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-a-steffani/ ___________ David ist Partner bei entero und verfügt über umfangreiche Erfahrung in der Salesforce-Beratung, insbesondere im Consulting von Beratungsunternehmen bei der Optimierung und Digitalisierung ihrer Prozesse. In den letzten zehn Jahren hat er Teams geleitet, komplexe Kundenbeziehungen verwaltet und digitale Lösungen implementiert, die die betriebliche Effizienz verbessern. Seine Leidenschaft gilt der Unterstützung von Unternehmen bei der Nutzung von Technologien zur Förderung von Wachstum und Transformation, um sicherzustellen, dass sie in einer zunehmend digitalen Welt wettbewerbsfähig bleiben. Schreibe David einfach via E-Mail unter [email protected] oder connecte Dich auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danheier/

Send us Fan Mail 55% of the professional services market is running negative EBITDA. Most blame the market. Top performers don’t. Connor Budden, Global Director at SPI Research, joins Sammy to unpack what nearly two decades of benchmark data reveal about performance in consulting and professional services. While many firms point to difficult market conditions, SPI’s data shows that top-performing firms continue to grow and protect profitability by operating differently. Connor explains the five performance pillars behind SPI’s maturity model, why leadership has the highest impact on firm performance, and how the best firms build stronger systems across talent, client relationships, AI adoption, and project focus. You’ll learn: 1. Why market conditions do not explain the full performance gap 2. What the top 5% do differently across leadership and operating maturity 3. How high performers use feedback, focus, and client outcome tracking 4. Why AI adoption works better through small, compounding improvements 5. Where to start if your firm wants to move toward higher performance ___________ Connor Budden is open to connecting about professional services performance, benchmarking, and operating maturity. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-budden/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

Send us Fan Mail AI is not just changing consulting delivery. It is exposing how your firm is built. Gianluca Barletta, Partner and Global Head of Data Science at PA Consulting, explains why the consulting firms that win in the AI era will not simply be the ones with the most tools. They will be the firms that hire for learning ability and creative thinking, equip their people safely, build the data foundations needed for enterprise-scale AI, and make augmentation a leadership decision at every level. Gianluca shares why many AI pilots fail once they meet real organizational complexity, how client expectations are shifting toward faster business value, and why AI-native early-career talent may be one of the industry’s biggest opportunities. You’ll learn: 1. Why AI pilots often fail when they meet legacy systems and fragmented data 2. How hiring criteria are shifting from technical depth to learning ability 3. Why partner-level AI fluency matters for firm-wide adoption 4. How AI-native talent can accelerate the next consulting model 5. What separates volume-led firms from ingenuity-led firms in the AI era __________ Gianluca Barletta is open to connecting about AI augmentation, data foundations, and the future consulting model. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianluca-barletta-phd-44080910/ Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

Send us Fan Mail Die wichtigste Entscheidung beim Teamaufbau ist nicht wo, sondern mit wem. Christoph Hinz, Co-Head Transaction Services bei RÖDL teilt seine Erfahrungen aus dem Aufbau von Teams an verschiedenen Standorten und zeigt, warum nicht Markt, Pipeline oder Geschwindigkeit über Erfolg entscheiden, sondern die erste Führungspersönlichkeit vor Ort. Im Gespräch wird deutlich, wie viel Disziplin es braucht, dem internen Druck standzuhalten und erst zu starten, wenn die richtige Person gefunden ist. Christoph erklärt, warum Kompromisse im Hiring langfristig teuer werden, welche Kriterien wirklich zählen und wie Integration statt Akquise in den ersten Monaten den Unterschied macht. Zudem geht es um die Rolle von Kultur, lokaler Passung und warum Führung im Teamaufbau eher Enabling als Kontrolle bedeutet. Dich erwarten folgende Learnings: 1) Warum der erste Hire den gesamten Standort strukturell prägt. 2) Woran falsche Hiring-Entscheidungen früh erkennbar sind. 3) Wie Integration schneller Wachstum ermöglicht als reine Akquise. 4) Welche Kriterien bei der Auswahl der Führungsperson entscheidend sind. 5) Warum zu frühes Starten langfristig teurer ist als Warten. ___________ Christoph Hinz freut sich über den Austausch zum Thema Team- und Standortaufbau in Beratungen. Vernetze dich mit ihm auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophhinz/?locale=en ___________ Über den Host Sammy: Sammy und SAWOO bieten einen B2B-Community-Building-Service, der Dich als Vordenker in Deiner Branche etabliert und Dir hilft, echte, zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen zu Deinen Wunschkunden aufzubauen. Schreibe Sammy einfach via E-Mail unter [email protected] oder connecte Dich auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ Bisherige Gäste des LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcasts: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au und viele weitere!

Send us Fan Mail AI projects fail because leadership assumes deploying the tool is the finish line. In this episode, Dr. Anja Konhaeuser, Co-Founder and Partner at OMMAX, explains why AI transformation cannot be treated like a traditional technology rollout. The real challenge starts once the solution is live: employees need to trust outputs, workflows need to change, roles need to be redefined, and leadership needs to actively model the new behavior. Drawing from OMMAX’s work with clients across AI, data, and digital transformation, Anja shows why the old 80/20 logic has flipped: AI may now be 20% technology and 80% organization. For consulting leaders, this episode offers a clear view of where AI projects really succeed or stall: not in the technical build, but in whether people, processes, and leadership behavior change after implementation. You’ll learn: 1. Why AI adoption requires more than technical deployment 2. How leaders misread AI when they treat it like an IT rollout 3. What employee groups need different adoption strategies 4. Why visible leadership behavior determines trust in AI 5. How consulting delivery changes when adoption becomes the real work ___________ Dr. Anja Konhaeuser is open to connecting about AI transformation, adoption, and organizational change. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-anja-konh%C3%A4user-28282297/ ___________ Anja’s recommendations: You Are the Placebo | https://www.amazon.de/-/en/You-Are-Placebo-Making-Matter/dp/1781802572/r Why We Sleep | https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ For more perspectives on how leaders are navigating topics like this, follow the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadersinconsulting-en

Send us Fan Mail When AI commoditizes delivery work, consulting firms have to prove where their real value lives. Olly Purnell, Managing Partner and co-founder of Q5, argues that consulting is being pushed back toward a more precise advisory model: specialist expertise, clear scope, and judgment clients cannot easily replicate. As AI makes research, benchmarking, reporting, and analysis faster and cheaper, firms built around scaled delivery and broad service portfolios face a harder question. What are they truly known for? Olly shares why Q5 has operated more like an architect’s practice since 2009, why fixed-fee, fixed-scope work can create sharper client value, and why future-ready consulting firms still need to invest in young talent. You’ll learn: 1. Why AI weakens the economics of large delivery teams 2. How specialist firms can create advantage in uncertain markets 3. What makes generalist positioning increasingly vulnerable 4. Why fixed-scope advisory changes the client relationship 5. How future talent keeps expertise from becoming outdated Olly Purnell is open to connecting about specialist advisory, AI, and the future consulting model. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olly-purnell-organization-health/ Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

Send us Fan Mail The next consulting advantage is not account-led or expert-led. It is a combination of the two. Dr. Karsten Ballüder, Partner at Deloitte and leader of the firm’s European Application Modernization practice, joins David to discuss how consulting firms can stay differentiated when AI makes generic knowledge and polished output easier to produce. Karsten argues that relationships still open doors, but they are no longer enough on their own. In complex, mission-critical work, clients need confidence that the people in the room have seen the problem before, know where it tends to break, and can bring expertise that is not simply available to everyone through AI. This conversation explores the tension between account-led growth and expert-led credibility, why internal incentives can block real collaboration, and what consulting leaders need to build if they want trust and expertise to reinforce each other. You’ll learn: 1. Why generic consulting output is becoming harder to defend 2. How account leaders and experts create value together 3. Why lived delivery experience matters more in the AI era 4. How internal incentives can keep the right expertise out of the room 5. What experts must do to become commercially visible inside the firm ___________ Dr. Karsten Ballüder is open to connecting about consulting growth, expert leadership, AI-driven commoditization, and the relationship between trust and expertise. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karsten-ballueder/ ___________ Karsten’s reading recommendation: Getting Things Done | https://www.amazon.de/dp/0143126563 ___________ David is a Partner at entero and has extensive experience in Salesforce consulting, particularly in advising consulting firms on the optimization and digitalization of their processes. Over the past ten years, he has led teams, managed complex client relationships, and implemented digital solutions that improve operational efficiency. His passion lies in helping companies use technology to drive growth and transformation, ensuring they remain competitive in an increasingly digital world. Simply write to David by email at [email protected] or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danheier/ ___________ For more perspectives on how leaders are navigating topics like this, follow the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadersinconsulting-en/

Send us Fan Mail Selling inputs led to price pressure. Selling outcomes delivered a 20:1 ROI. Most consulting firms don’t lose pricing power because of competition. They lose it in how they define their value. In this episode, Rob Ferrone, Founder of Quick Release, explains how his firm moved from selling person-days and deliverables to owning measurable business outcomes. After facing increasing commoditization, Rob and his team reframed their work around cost, speed, and quality impact. This shift unlocked significantly higher pricing, stronger client access, and scalable growth. Through real examples, including a $21M impact project with 20:1 ROI, Rob breaks down what actually changes when consulting firms move from execution to outcome ownership, and why this model is becoming critical in an AI-driven market. You’ll learn: 1. Why selling inputs like time and headcount leads to pricing pressure 2. How to reframe consulting work around measurable business outcomes 3. What it takes to access senior stakeholders and “the keys to the castle” 4. How to structure outcome-based pricing with upside potential 5. Why solving client problems creates more demand, not less ___________ Rob Ferrone is open to connecting about outcome-based consulting and pricing strategy. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ferrone/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/

Send us Fan Mail The most dangerous place in consulting today isn’t the bottom… It’s the middle. Mid-sized consulting firms continue to grow, but many are becoming structurally fragile without realizing it. In this episode, Amol Punekar, Regional Director of Business for the UK and EU at Lyzr AI, explains why only service-led models create non-durable revenue and increasing pressure over time. He outlines how firms get squeezed between scaled incumbents and niche specialists—and why competing on effort is no longer viable. The conversation explores how productized, IP-led offerings change revenue quality, improve margins, and create long-term defensibility, along with what it actually takes to make that shift inside a consulting organization. You’ll learn: 1. Why service-led consulting creates fragile, reset-every-year revenue 2. How the “squeezed middle” makes mid-sized firms structurally vulnerable 3. What productized services change in margins, win rates, and positioning 4. How to identify what to productize using the “three-time rule” 5. Why most firms fail—and the leadership trade-offs required to succeed ___________ Amol Punekar is open to connecting on enterprise AI transformation and IP asset-led consulting models. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amol-punekar-3760671/ ___________ Amol’s book recommendations: The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio | https://www.amazon.de/dp/1471196690/ Visualize by Maya Raichoora | https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Visualise-Maya-Raichoora/dp/1846048524/ ___________ Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ More episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

Send us Fan Mail Client loyalty is collapsing. This episode explores why you need more than a strong relationship to secure follow-on work. Matthew Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights and co-author of The Activator Advantage, says consulting growth is breaking away from its traditional model. Despite strong delivery and trusted client relationships, firms are increasingly forced to compete for work they once would have won by default. Matthew unpacks the structural decline in client loyalty, the rise of broader and AI-driven buying processes, and why most partners are still operating with outdated assumptions. The conversation explores the shift from reactive selling to proactive demand creation, and what distinguishes high-performing “activators” from the rest. You’ll learn: 1. Why strong delivery no longer guarantees repeat consulting work 2. What’s driving the drop in client loyalty from 75% to 37% 3. How AI is reshaping how clients shortlist consulting firms 4. What top-performing partners do differently to create demand early 5. How to build momentum before the client defines the need ___________ Matt Dixon is open to connecting. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/ ___________  Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________  For more episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast

Send us Fan Mail Clients don't want to be dependent anymore. They want self-sufficiency. James Cawthorne, CEO of FOIL, explains why consulting is undergoing a structural shift. As AI makes productivity widely accessible, differentiation through effort is eroding, while complexity and decision pressure continue to rise. James outlines why traditional consulting models built on dependency are increasingly misaligned with what clients now expect. Instead of delivering answers, firms must embed capability, encoding institutional knowledge into systems that enable faster, more consistent decision-making. The conversation explores system intelligence, the limits of standalone AI tools, and what it takes to redesign consulting around value rather than control. You’ll learn: 1. Why competing on productivity with AI leads to a race to the bottom 2. How system intelligence enables scalable decision-making inside organizations 3. What clients actually mean when they ask for “capability” instead of support 4. Why dependency-based consulting models are becoming structurally unstable 5. How to stay relevant when value replaces effort as the core driver ___________ Get in touch with James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmcawthorne/ ___________ About the host Sarah: Sarah Edwards is Chief Product Strategy Officer at Kantata and has spent over 30 years helping professional services firms scale, transform, and deliver measurable business value across the US and Europe. She is passionate about how AI is reshaping the consulting industry, from how firms win work and deliver outcomes to how they empower talent and strengthen client relationships. Get in touch with Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahedwards3/ ___________ Past guests on the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcast include: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au, and many more! ___________ Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!

Send us Fan Mail Berater sind gedanklich oft einen Schritt weiter. Umso wichtiger, dass sie ihre Kunden auf diesem Weg mitnehmen. Florian Warring ist Managing Director bei FTI-Andersch, Teil von FTI Consulting mit weltweit über 8.100 Mitarbeitenden. In der DACH-Region begleitet er Unternehmen bei ganzheitlichen Transformations- und Performance-Improvement-Programmen. Neben der Projektverantwortung ist er außerdem verstärkt im Business Development und bei der Akquise aktiv. Seine Überzeugung: Die beste Lösung wirkt nur, wenn sie die Akzeptanz des Kunden findet. Im Gespräch mit Host David Anheier erklärt Florian, warum zu frühes Vorpreschen Akzeptanz kosten kann, weshalb vermeintliche Einigkeit im Meeting trügerisch sein kann, und wie Paraphrasieren zum strategischen Führungsinstrument wird. Er spricht über Authentizität als USP im Consulting, über die „Bringschuld“ von Beratern in der Interaktion mit Kunden und darüber, warum Massenmails keine belastbaren Beziehungen schaffen. Freue dich auf folgende Learnings: 1) Warum aktives Zuhören oftmals wirkungsvoller ist als Argumentieren. 2) Wie man echte Akzeptanz schafft, statt nur Lösungen auf dem Papier. 3) Weshalb Authentizität die Basis für langfristige Mandantenbeziehungen ist. 4) Warum weniger Folien in der Akquise mehr Wirkung entfalten. 5) Wie KI die Rolle junger Berater verändert, aber nicht ersetzt. ___________ Vernetze Dich mit Florian Warring auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-warring-45a855104/ Florians Leseempfehlung: Never Split the Difference  von Chris Voss |   https://amzn.eu/d/0glqCDPq ___________ Über den Host David: David ist Partner bei entero und verfügt über umfangreiche Erfahrung in der Salesforce-Beratung, insbesondere im Consulting von Beratungsunternehmen bei der Optimierung und Digitalisierung ihrer Prozesse. In den letzten zehn Jahren hat er Teams geleitet, komplexe Kundenbeziehungen verwaltet und digitale Lösungen implementiert, die die betriebliche Effizienz verbessern. Seine Leidenschaft gilt der Unterstützung von Unternehmen bei der Nutzung von Technologien zur Förderung von Wachstum und Transformation, um sicherzustellen, dass sie in einer zunehmend digitalen Welt wettbewerbsfähig bleiben. Schreibe David einfach via E-Mail unter [email protected] oder connecte Dich auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danheier/ ___________ Bisherige Gäste des LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcasts: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au und viele weitere!

Send us Fan Mail If a buyer looked at your firm today, would they see focus or fragmentation? Daniel Schwartmann, Managing Director at ServTeq Capital Advisors, has spent decades on the buyer side of the table, including leading 150+ acquisitions during his time at Accenture. In this conversation with host Sammy Gebele, he breaks down what strategic buyers and private equity investors actually pay for and what they label as “distraction.” You’ll hear why differentiation is rarely about having more capabilities and almost always about owning a specific swim lane, building a story the market can instantly understand, and making growth decisions with the end in mind. Daniel has seen how growth without a defined endgame leads to diluted positioning and a lower valuation, and he insists that the years leading up to a capital event must be treated as a deliberate value-creation phase. He also explains how private equity can serve as a strategic "booster" rather than a final exit, and what investors actually look for before committing capital. You'll learn: 1. Why unclear positioning quietly erodes valuation and how to build a niche buyers will pay a premium for. 2. How to grow with the end in mind by aligning your equity story, operating model, and leadership bench years before a transaction. 3. When private equity acts as a growth accelerator and when it becomes a strategic mismatch. 4. How to expand into adjacencies, technology, or new markets without diluting the positioning that drives your valuation. 5. How buyers assess founder retention risk and the subtle signals that can lower deal confidence. ___________ Get in touch with Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-schwartmann-820a0/ ___________ About the host Sammy Gebele: Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients. Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/ ___________ Past guests on the LEADERS IN CONSULTING Podcast include: Friederich von Hurter, Melanie Tobler, Tilman Au, and many more! ___________ Thanks to our friends at SAWOO for producing this episode with us!