Strategy Design

Design the Direction.

For when a business needs to think differently about where it is going.

The strategic leaders who step back, challenge assumptions, and set the course. From in-house strategy functions to PE-backed growth mandates, post-merger integration and commercial leadership for scale.

The situations we know →

Live Mandates

Open Strategy Mandates

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Strategy

Principal (Partner 1) – Strategy & Consulting (London)

Location
London, United Kingdom
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Strategy

Principal / Non-Equity Partner – Technology (TMT), Europe

Location
United Kingdom
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Strategy

Principal – Automotive Consulting

Location
Paris, France
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Strategy

Partner – Transactions

Location
London, United Kingdom
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Strategy

Partner – TMT (Technology, Media & Telecommunications)

Location
Madrid, Spain
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Strategy

Partner – Tech Consulting, People Advisory

Location
London, United Kingdom
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Strategy

Partner – FS Payments & Banking

Location
London, United Kingdom
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Strategy

Head of Revenue Management Strategy

Location
West London, United Kingdom
Package
£115,000 – £125,000
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The Advisory Perspective

Set the direction.
Architect the capability.

We work across the full strategy landscape, architecting capability for consulting firms and building in-house functions for corporates. That means we understand MBB capability landscapes and boutique strategy firm culture as well as we know what a corporate Head of Strategy should look like at FTSE 100 versus Series C.

Most firms in this space do one or the other. We do both, and the crossover is where we add most value. A consultant ready to go in-house. A corporate strategy director who came out of McKinsey and understands both worlds. A boutique that needs someone who bridges the gap.

The Situations We Know

Five moments where
strategy leadership is critical

01

Building an In-House Strategy Function

When consulting spend needs to become internal capability.

As businesses scale, strategy that once sat with external consultants must eventually live inside the organisation. Getting the foundational capability right determines whether the function ever carries real influence. We help design the leadership required to bring strategic execution in-house, from the right profile to the right reporting line and the right first hire.

02

Post-Merger Strategy

Making two businesses think as one.

After a merger, the strategy function is often where cracks appear first. The leadership put in place at this stage is critical, responsible for integrating teams, navigating cultural complexity, and translating the deal thesis into operational reality before the window closes.

03

PE-Backed Growth

Strategy leadership for businesses with a defined window to perform.

PE-backed businesses need leaders who understand the clock. We place the strategic leadership required to translate the investment thesis into a rigorous operating plan and work credibly alongside the investment team, analytically strong, commercially sharp, and comfortable operating under pressure.

04

Market Entry & Expansion

The commercial leadership that makes new markets work.

Entering a new geography or launching a vertical is a high-stakes execution test. The strategy that secured your current market share rarely translates perfectly to the next one. We place the commercial leadership and go-to-market capability required to de-risk expansion and establish a real presence in new territories.

05

Commercial Leadership for Scale

From founder-led to professionally run.

As high-growth businesses mature, they require institutional-grade strategic governance. We place the commercial leadership needed to professionalise the organisation, optimise structures, and scale sustainably without losing the pace that built the business.

The Approach

From brief
to transformation.

"They didn't just place the hire — they helped us see the shape of the team we needed."

— Managing Partner, PE-backed Strategy Consultancy
01

Diagnose

We start with the situation, not the spec. What is the business trying to do? What's the capability gap? What does the team around the hire look like? The answers shape everything that follows.

02

Recommend

We define the profile not just seniority and experience, but the specific disposition and working style that the situation demands. Sometimes that's different to what the client thinks they want.

03

Build

We architect and deploy the capability. Eleven years of embedded networks across MBB, Big 4 and boutique strategy mean we mobilise the exact strategic leadership the mandate requires without the noise of a volume process.

04

Stay

The deployed capability is the beginning of the relationship, not the end. We remain a long-term advisory partner, tracking performance, advising on the next stage, and architecting the capability the business will need six months from now.

The Capability Nexus

Where We Operate

FS

Financial Services

120+ FS engagements in 2025

Banking & Capital MarketsInsuranceAsset ManagementFinTechWealth Management

120+ FS engagements in 2025

TMT

Technology, Media & Telecoms

Fastest-growing practice, +45% YoY

Enterprise SoftwareAI & DataDigital InfrastructureMedia & EntertainmentTelecommunications

Fastest-growing practice, +45% YoY

C&R

Consumer & Retail

90+ senior mandates across big-4 & boutique

FMCG StrategyRetail TransformationE-commerceLuxury & Premium

90+ senior mandates across big-4 & boutique

HLS

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Specialist PE-backed HC practice

MedTechPharma StrategyHealthcare SystemsLife Sciences Consulting

Specialist PE-backed HC practice

E&I

Energy & Industrials

Key ESG & transition mandates

Energy TransitionESG StrategyRenewablesUtilities StrategyIndustrial Strategy

Key ESG & transition mandates

PE

Private Equity

28% of all mandates are PE-linked

Buyout FundsGrowth EquityInfrastructure PEReal AssetsPortfolio Operations

28% of all mandates are PE-linked

Sector Intelligence

Market Intelligence

Eleven years of market intelligence and capability mapping across every major sector. Hover any tile to explore our sub-sector depth.

FS

Financial Services

120 engagements +32%
Banking StrategyInsurance ConsultingAsset ManagementFinTech AdvisoryWealth & Private BankingCapital MarketsRestructuring Advisory

Our largest and most established practice

TMT

Technology, Media & Digital

95 engagements +45%
Enterprise SoftwareAI & Data StrategyDigital InfrastructureMedia & EntertainmentTelecommunicationsSaaS & Platforms

Fastest-growing practice across the estate

PE

Private Equity

88 engagements +28%
Buyout & Growth EquityOperating Partner MandatesPortfolio Company LeadershipInfrastructure & Real AssetsValue Creation Roles

28% of all mandates are PE-linked

HLS

Healthcare & Life Sciences

72 engagements +22%
MedTech StrategyPharma & BiotechHealthcare Systems & ProvidersLife Sciences ConsultingDigital Health

Specialist PE-backed HC practice

C&R

Consumer & Retail

68 engagements +18%
FMCG & CPG StrategyRetail TransformationE-commerce & MarketplaceLuxury & Premium BrandsConsumer PE Deals

90+ senior mandates across big-4 & boutique

E&S

Energy & Sustainability

54 engagements +38%
Energy Transition StrategyESG & Sustainability AdvisoryRenewables & Clean EnergyUtilities & Grid StrategyCarbon Markets

Key ESG & energy transition mandates

I&I

Industrials & Infrastructure

46 engagements +15%
Industrial StrategySupply Chain & OperationsInfrastructure AdvisoryAdvanced ManufacturingLogistics & Mobility

Cross-sector operational leadership

PS

Public Sector & Social Impact

32 engagements +20%
Government & Policy AdvisorySocial Impact StrategyNGO & Foundation LeadershipPublic Services TransformationEducation & Skills

Government, third sector & social enterprise

The Practice

Meet the team

Two practice leads across strategy — consulting-firm hires and corporate strategy. Deep relationships across MBB, boutique strategy and corporate in-house functions, at partner and senior level.

chris haywood

Chris Haywood

Director - Strategy & Consulting

Partner Hires at MBB & Big 4

Chris operates in the strategy consulting market across EMEA, specialising in senior hires within the MBB, Big 4 and leading boutique firms. With over a decade focused on this ecosystem, he understands both sides of the market, advising consulting firms building partner capability and corporates looking to bring high-calibre strategy talent in-house.

MBB & Big 4Partner HiresCorporate StrategyEMEA
TCG-Ed

Ed Parker-Cook

Head of Corporate Strategy

Corporate Strategy

Specilialist top line growth strategy — GTM, pricing and commercial transformation across high-growth, PE-backed and multinational businesses. Ed understands the difference between a consulting and a corporate strategy profile, and why it matters.

Corporate StrategyGTM & PricingValue CreationPE & FTSE

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