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 33: Andrew Laird – Where values lead, growth follows: Rethinking how consultancies scale
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In this episode, John is joined by Andrew Laird, Chief Executive of Mutual Ventures, a specialist consultancy focused on public service reform and local transformation.
Andrew co-founded Mutual Ventures over 15 years ago with a clear but unconventional ambition: not to build a large consulting firm, but to create a vehicle for doing meaningful, impactful work in public services. Since then, the firm has grown steadily, building a strong reputation for combining central government policy insight with practical, on-the-ground delivery.
Now, as the business enters a more deliberate phase of growth, Andrew reflects on what has changed, what has stayed constant and what it really takes to scale a consultancy without losing the culture and values that made it successful in the first place.
A central theme throughout the conversation is the idea that growth should be a consequence of value, not the objective itself. Andrew shares a candid perspective on the consulting industry, highlighting where it adds real value and the areas where he thinks it falls short, particularly in public services.
Andrew and John discuss:
- Why Mutual Ventures was never built for growth in the traditional sense and what has prompted a more intentional shift towards scaling the business
- How culture, team structure and internal investment underpin sustainable growth, even in smaller consultancies
- What it takes to embed business development across a team and why consulting “sales” is fundamentally about relationships, not selling
- The role of thought leadership in building credibility, creating demand and differentiating in a crowded market
- Andrew’s perspective on the legitimate role of the consulting industry, including the importance of delivering real value and knowing when to step away
If you lead a consulting or professional services firm and are thinking about how to grow without compromising what makes your business distinctive, this discussion offers a thoughtful and practical perspective on what to prioritise and what to avoid.
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Host: John Howard, Partner at Garwood Growth
Guest: Andrew Laird, Chief Executive of Mutual Ventures