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Unlocking Value
Unlocking Value is designed to give founders and owners of professional services firms more confidence when they're working toward an exit or thinking about taking on investment.
Across six episodes, our host John Howard speaks with founders, investors and advisors about the moments that define the transaction journey - how to get ready, what to expect and how to succeed.
We cover everything from value drivers and team alignment to investor expectations and life after the deal. You’ll hear from people who’ve sold their firms, taken minority investments, stayed on, exited and started again – and from those who advise or invest in firms like yours every day.
Unlocking Value
Episode 22: Dan Figueiredo - A Microsoft Insider’s View on AI in Consulting
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AI is firmly on the agenda for professional services firms, but many leaders are still working out what it really means in practice – for delivery, governance, people, and trust with clients.
In this episode of Unlocking Value, John Howard speaks with Dan Figueiredo, a senior leader at Microsoft whose career has sat at the intersection of technology, consulting, and commercial delivery. Dan shares a practical perspective shaped by working closely with professional services firms on how they are using AI without outsourcing judgement or creating unnecessary risk.
The conversation covers:
- Why many technology and AI initiatives struggle when firms start with tools rather than outcomes.
- How AI often acts as a force amplifier – strengthening good ways of working while exposing weak ones.
- How AI is already being used inside consulting teams to speed up analysis, documentation, and design work.
- Why experienced judgement still matters, and what can go wrong when AI output is relied on too heavily.
- The practical governance questions firms are grappling with, from data security to responsible use.
- Why training, adoption, and behaviour change matter more than simply rolling out new tools.
- How concerns about trust and credibility with clients are influencing how firms use AI.
This is a practical conversation for professional services leaders who want to understand where AI genuinely helps, where it creates new responsibilities, and what it means for leadership and judgement in a consulting business.
If you’d like to hear more conversations like this, follow the show for early access to future episodes.
Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Dan Figueiredo, senior leader, Microsoft