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5 min read
Bringing a refreshing approach to hiring in the US: An interview with Movemeon’s General Manager

Movemeon’s US GM on his career journey and how the firm is redefining hiring in the consulting and PE market.

Movemeon
3 Oct
2025

Can you tell us a bit about your own career journey and what led you to take on the role of General Manager for Movemeon in the US?

I began my career working in the experiential marketing world, delivering experiences for some of the worlds largest brands and sports properties. We aimed to deliver best in class experiences for fans, consumers, and clients. I was very fortunate to work with many leading marketeers, whose attention to detail and client handling skills have been a strong foundation throughout my career. Since then, I have been leading and scaling disruptive teams and businesses, predominantly at the intersection of HR and technology, often working alongside first class ex-consulting minds. 

Prior to Movemeon, I relocated to the US to launch and scale a high performance team at a fast growing UK tech company. I knew of Movemeon as they sourced some incredible candidates and placed some pivotal roles for the firm. When I heard they were hiring a GM, and looking to expand into the US, it felt like the perfect opportunity to draw upon so much of my experience and skillset as well as provide some cultural translation.


What was the vision behind bringing Movemeon (with its specialist hiring, consulting & interim services) to the US market?

I’m very lucky - Movemeon has an incredible track record, candidate network, list of clients and brand recognition in Europe. The team had already spent a few years laying the groundwork in the US by building out our candidates and getting global referrals to clients. Given the success of the business in Europe, expanding into the largest and most mature consulting market was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’.


In your experience, what does Movemeon do differently or better than traditional hiring / consulting firms in the US?

What sets Movemeon apart is our engaged network of over 100,000 candidates globally in a very specialist area - current and former strategy consultants. On top of that, our tech driven delivery model means we can engage with better candidates faster than traditional methods.


Can you share some case studies or stories from US companies that illustrate how Movemeon solved a tough hiring or consulting problem?

On a recent call with the Head of Talent for a well known large cap PE firm, they mentioned they were currently hiring for a very specific role on the operating team and gave a one line description of a candidate they were looking for. Within 72 hours we had surfaced the perfect candidate whose background and resume literally “wrote the job description”.

In another recent scenario, a client rang us to say they’d been struggling with a very important role for almost a year, whilst it was slightly outside of our wheelhouse, we were able to agree a model that worked for both sides, and through our network, pull together a very strong shortlist within two weeks. We currently have a candidate in the final round for the role.


If you had to sum up in one sentence what companies in the US should expect if they work with Movemeon, what would that be?

A refreshing approach to a traditionally antiquated industry, through a high-touch and personal service, driven by a tech delivery model.


Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for Movemeon in the US over the next few years - whether that’s new services, industries, or ways of working with clients?

The US is Movemeon’s fastest growing market globally, both on the candidate and client side, and it’s only going to continue accelerating. We’re particularly seeing huge growth in the Private Equity vertical and we’re already growing the team to support, watch this space!

Looking for the best talent in the US? Let us help.

5 min read
The new age of consulting - how client demands are changing

Consulting disrupted: Clients demand flexibility, execution expertise, and lower fees as traditional firms face competition from interim executives and agile consulting teams.

Greg Caterer
1 Oct
2025

Consulting is going through a seismic shift. After years of double-digit growth, the combination of a tough macro-economic climate and more alternatives in the form of independent consultants and in-house ex-consulting talent is challenging the very foundations consulting is built on.

In this article, we talk through how we’re seeing client demands for consulting and advisory support shifting, and what this means in terms of a new landscape of advisory support.

If you’d like to know any more about how you’d deploy either model, or would like to see some example projects get in touch with our team here.

Is consulting no longer recession-proof?

The old adage explains that you need consultants in the good times and the bad. As such the industry had historically been seen as largely recession-proof. This "professional services” resilience has resulted in an interest from private capital markets over the last few years, but is this being challenged in the consulting market?

Ten years ago, HBR first referenced “consulting on the cusp of disruption”. The post-COVID boom resulted in pay rises, over-hiring and an increasing reliance on non-core strategy work. This meant few in the industry were prepared for the correction in 2022-23. 

We highlighted what we saw in the industry, both from a client perspective and in the consulting firms:

On the client side:

  • There’s increased need for deep industry experience
  • Fees have reached unsustainable levels and typical delivery models are too rigid
  • Quality isn’t what it used to be

Which has started to have knock-on effects to the consulting industry:

  • Top performing partners leaving to launch boutiques
  • Rise of quality in the freelancer market
  • Change from AI on the horizon

How is the market now responding?

The growth of consulting firms in the post-COVID era was driven by providing more advice outside of the core of strategy. Clients had found returns on bringing in expertise to help drive implementation, analytics and new products/ services. By January 2023, the Kennedy Research Reports found that strategic advisory had fallen to just 10% of the consulting industry’s revenue - from 17% just five years earlier.

The 10% of strategy work, which grew very little over the last five years, is seeing less disruption: Large Cap PE funds are still turning to McKinsey, BCG and Bain for due diligence, and development of the Value Creation Plan; the Boards of large corporates and enterprises are still choosing to get the assurance of one of these firms on the once in a decade decisions. 

However, for longer-term implementation, transformation projects and new market entry projects, we’re seeing a shift away from the traditional firms. PE and Enterprise clients are conscious they don’t have the capability or capacity to deliver these in-house. They are also aware that experts who have overseen similar projects countless times will help them avoid the pitfalls and maximise ROI. However, they are unwilling to spend the fees commanded by the traditional firms - especially when the delivery models designed around strategy projects (Partner only part-time; EM+2 team) are so rarely flexible, and the Partners at these firms often don’t have real operating experience.

This has meant that very few believe MBB defend their cost when implementing large change programs - 84% of executives saying that MBB were “no help at all” in a recent Emergn survey about change projects:

A new breed of competition and the risk of marketing myopia

Theodore Levit is often quoted by consultants. They’ve explained to many clients that focusing on delivering value must always usurp the pressures of continuing to sell current products and services. Kodak and Blockbuster are often cited as examples of not doing so.

It’s definitely time the consultants heed their own advice. Consulting for many years has been able to defend its price point through exceptional solutions and effective communication of these. There’s almost a bit of magic about how they get there. However, it is fundamentally a people business. And we’re increasingly seeing clients shifting towards other ways to access these people.

Twenty years ago the consulting alumni world was still pretty small. The firms were growing but not many had been through their intense training and coaching. As they’ve continued to grow, the alumni networks and number of “consulting trained” experts has grown exponentially. We’ve seen rapid growth for two types of advice: interim experts and agile consulting teams.

Interim experts - embedded senior executives with deep operating experience

Typical roles and cost: The majority of the demand we find for interim executives are either roles responsible for overseeing a change (Chief Transformation Officers / Head of PMO) or are bringing in deep expertise (Chief Procurement Officer, Head of Pricing / Sales Excellence). The transformation roles tend to be 6-18 months in length; the experts normally 3-5 months. 

Typical profiles: A combination of ex-top tier consulting (ensures they can effectively work alongside the executive team) and deep operating experience. They’ve typically worked in industry in a senior or executive role for 5-10 years. This means they know what it takes to deliver real change. Day rates will vary a lot on profile and length of project, but are typically £1.5k - £4k.

What they offer that a consulting firm can’t: There are two main drivers: time and “operating experience”. For time, interim executives are the equivalent of a “Partner” on a consulting project. Typically with Partners, they are spread between multiple projects and as such you likely only get 1-2 days of their time a week. With an interim executive, you get them 100% of the time. Secondly, they all bring deep “operating” experience. Many consulting Partners have worked their way up through consulting, without having held senior roles in PE or Industry.

Agile consulting teams: flexible, specialist, end-to-end

As part of our own consulting offering, we’re seeing client demand and ex-MBB Senior Partner supply converge across a number of specialism areas as outlined below.

Typical projects and cost: Complex decisions that need deep expertise. They are typically the main 2-3 initiatives post strategy development, and include new market entry, operational improvement, organisational design, procurement review, pricing strategy etc. They are high-impact projects that often have a big bottom-line impact. Cost varies on team composition, but typically ranges between £20-50k per week.

Typical profiles: Agile consulting firms are often led by an ex- senior Partner from McKinsey, BCG, Bain or equivalent, who leverages deep functional expertise from interims (as above). 

What they offer that a consulting firm can’t: While the ex-MBB Partners ensure the same level of assurance that you’d see with one of the large consulting firms, they are able to offer much more flexible models and deeper industry / operating experience. The flexibility starts with themselves, with potential to be anywhere between 100% staffed on a project to hardly involved - and they will flex up and down the team over the project lifetime. They also offer deep industry expertise, and are able to assemble an exceptional team of interims with backgrounds spanning a plethora of consulting firms and with the requisite functional / industry operating experience.

If you’d like to know any more about how you’d deploy either model, or would like to see some example projects get in touch with our team here.

Agile consulting delivering value in practice

To expand on this with some concrete examples from our own work, we’ve summarised some key challenges we’ve recently seen from clients and outlined why the agile consulting approach worked below: 

Operational improvement for a PE-backed manufacturing business

A nationwide UK manufacturer, owned by a £50bn AUM PE fund, needed rapid EBITDA uplift across its product portfolio. An agile consulting team was assembled by Movemeon Consulting to deliver impact within 2 months, with a team comprising:

  • Partner: Ex-McKinsey Senior Partner with over 20 years’ experience in operational improvement and manufacturing diagnostics;
  • Engagement Manager: 5 years at McKinsey, followed by senior strategy and PE-backed operational roles;
  • Associate: Ex-Bain Manager with deep regulated manufacturing experience;
  • Analysts: Ex-LEK and Bain, both with operating experience and strong financial modelling / PE exposure. 

The challenge: Performance varied widely across sites, with underperformance dragging on overall profitability. The client needed a clear diagnostic and pragmatic turnaround roadmap, executed at speed.

The outcome: The team’s diagnostic identified 7 underperforming sites, developed tailored turnaround plans, and began embedding operational workstreams. The impact was so strong that the client permanently hired the EM from the agile team to continue the transformation.

Why agile consulting worked: This bespoke mix of ex-MBB consultants and operators, led by a senior industry expert, gave the client tier-one insight at pace and cost-efficiency, without the overhead of a traditional consulting firm. 

The result: Sustainable operational improvement, delivered by a right-sized, high-calibre team.

Commercial strategy and PMI for a global consumer business

A $5bn consumer business, carved out by a $100bn+ AUM PE fund, required a new commercial strategy and seamless post-merger integration to set up the business for growth. A lean, agile consulting team was assembled to deliver across 12 months, consisting of:

  • Sales Excellence & Transformation Director: 20 years’ operating experience at Expedia and Whitbread, with deep expertise in sales excellence, transformation, and commercial operations.
  • Senior Consultant: Former BCG Senior Consultant with 5 years’ operating experience in high-growth tech businesses, notably having led PMI for consumer-focused businesses in 20+ countries.

The challenge: The carve-out created a need to stand up commercial functions from scratch, while simultaneously implementing a robust sales excellence strategy to accelerate performance across global markets.

The outcome: The agile team successfully established commercial functions, delivered a scalable sales excellence strategy, and ensured seamless integration across units. The impact was lasting - the client made a permanent hire of the Sales Excellence & Transformation Director to continue driving results post-project.

Why agile consulting worked: By combining a former BCG strategist with a seasoned transformation operator, the client gained a tailored, high-impact team able to deliver both strategic clarity and operational execution - faster and more effectively than a traditional consultancy.

The bottom line

Transformation isn’t just about ideas - it’s about embedding change. Strategy may set the direction, but execution decides whether the journey is completed.

Consulting firms are built around making the key and critical strategic decisions. And they are extremely effective at doing so. However, when it comes to driving the change and transformation, the operational expertise and flexibility offered by interim talent and agile consulting teams is increasingly out-competing the consultancies. 

If you’d like to know any more about how you’d deploy either model, or would like to see some example projects get in touch with our team here.

5 min read
Value creation series, episode 1

Join Joe and Tobias exploring the intersect between Private Equity value creation & AI strategy.

Movemeon
23 Sep
2025

In this 20-minute conversation, Tobias Haefele and Joe Siantonas share their perspectives on how artificial intelligence is transforming private equity. From the early days of data-heavy machine learning projects to today’s practical GenAI applications, Tobias outlines where funds can unlock real value, from back-office automation and customer support to product innovation and portfolio growth.

They also explore the role of strategy consultants in AI transformation, the skills funds need to build effective AI squads, and what the next five years could look like as the hype fades and adoption matures.

5 min read
An AI-driven boom for advisory firms? What’s going on

Advisory hiring is surging despite AI’s disruption: large firms and boutiques see rising demand, while clients seek guidance on integrating AI and redefining workforces.

Clarrie Hollingworth
19 Sep
2025

The death of consulting? Not according to the hiring data

It’s clear that AI poses existential threats to the current consulting operating model. At the core of the consulting proposition is synthesising complex data, market intelligence and driving to clear recommendations. All things that AI will be able to do better than humans. It’s not an if; it’s a when.


Our quarterly market index highlights how hiring trends are evolving, with a particular focus on the near-term outlook for advisory roles.”


In our September analysis, we were very surprised to see that Advisory businesses hiring demand is outstripping that we’re seeing in Large Enterprises. Interestingly, it is also outstripping the demand we’re seeing in scale-ups (a market you’d expect to be seeing a boom from AI).

So what’s going on?

The risks posed to consulting by AI are widely discussed, and for good reason: At the heart of the consulting proposition lies the ability to synthesise complex data, interpret market intelligence and drive towards clear, actionable recommendations, precisely the areas where AI is advancing fastest. It’s not a question of if AI can outperform humans in these tasks, but when.

This advancement raises existential questions about the industry’s current operating model, particularly for leaders thinking about project staffing, protecting margins, and developing the next generation of partners. The immediate concern for many is how this is impacting talent in, or looking to join consulting firms- why hire more people if AI can do the same things more cheaply?

But this isn’t what we’re seeing. In fact, hiring demand is up within consulting. 

Despite the noise around disruption, our data shows a very different short-term story. Hiring demand across the advisory sector has been rising sharply compared to last year. Initially, we hypothesised that this growth was concentrated in boutique firms, smaller, more agile players pivoting to build AI-focused propositions. If true, this would suggest not a real increase in overall demand, but rather a talent migration away from large consulting firms into specialist boutiques.

However, the numbers told a different story. Hiring demand has risen by 21 percentage points in large firms, and by a more modest but still significant 9 percentage points in boutiques. In other words, demand is not confined to specialists, it’s happening across the board.

Why? Clients are grappling with the same questions about the impact of AI

This trend points to a critical dynamic: The immediate impact of AI on consulting has been overstated. For many firms, the boom is being fuelled by client demand for guidance on exactly the issues senior leaders are worrying about themselves:

• How to integrate AI into core operations.

• What it means for workforce design and resourcing.

• Where value creation opportunities lie in an AI-enabled world.

Implications for consulting leaders

This raises three important considerations for leaders in the consulting industry:

1. Delivery models are shifting, but they’re not collapsing

While AI will automate traditional “analyst tasks,” the near-term demand is for advisory capacity, client guidance, and operating model design. This creates space for firms to rethink the shape and scale of delivery teams, rather than fearing their wholesale replacement.

2. Margins are still defensible, but only when value add is clear

Clients are willing to invest in external expertise, but expectations are shifting. Firms must be ready to demonstrate the distinctive value of human insight alongside AI-driven efficiency, ensuring pricing models reflect both. We see this playing out in the mandates we see from consulting clients, most of whom are looking for deep expertise in a specific functional or industry area, not general capacity augmentation. 

3. Talent development cannot be an afterthought

If the AI evolution continues as expected, the real long-term risk is not staffing cuts, it’s a potential skills gap. If AI erodes the traditional training ground of junior consultants, firms will need to ensure the next generation develops judgement, nuanced thinking, client relationship development skills and leadership capability.

Is this a temporary uptick, or a longer term hiring trend?

The jury’s still out on whether this demand surge is a short-lived reaction to AI uncertainty or the beginning of a new growth curve for consulting. But one thing is clear, in the short term, the consulting sector is experiencing a boom, not a bust.

Consulting leaders should resist the temptation to over-correct. Instead, they should focus on building hybrid models, protecting margins through clear value articulation, and reimagining training for future leaders.

What’s certain is that AI will reshape consulting, but for now it’s fuelling demand, not reducing it.

5 min read
Redefining networking: How to build lasting career momentum

In this article, ou co-founder Rich breaks down 8 simple, practical tips to reconnect with your network, build trust, and stay front of mind for opportunities, all while giving as much as you gain.

Rich Rosser
18 Sep
2025

Most of us dread “networking”, the awkward small talk, the forced introductions, the feeling of wanting to disappear under the canapé table. But Movemeon’s co-founder, Rich, argues that this isn’t networking at all. Find his advice below!

Picture the scene.

You've just arrived at a corporate venue. You've picked up your name badge. You're thrust into a room full of people you don't know.

You feel obliged to try & scurry around introducing yourself to folks you'll probably never see again. If you're honest with yourself, you're tempted to hide under the canapé table. And you'll definitely find an excuse for an early exit.

This is what most people picture when we use the term "networking". And it understandably makes most of us want to run a mile.

What's more, it's almost totally ineffective. These aren't people who know you. So how can they trust you or advocate for you?

So what is a better definition?

"Keeping in touch with people who know your capabilities & will advocate for you."

Typically these are people you've worked or partnered with in the past. Probably peers or former bosses. People who know you & like you. Or they might be people that those people have introduced you to with their backing.

When you reframe networking like this, your shoulders relax. In fact, you can picture that re-connecting with these people might actually be quite enjoyable.

It's the network of their network where most opportunity lies.

Don't get me wrong. If you keep up with this group, it's not uncommon that one of them will give you a call at some point and ask you to join their team. (The timing might not be right. The opportunity might not be right. But it's always great to be asked).

Much more likely is that they'll think of you when someone in their network is chatting to them. It could be that their friend wants an expert point of view. Or a supplier recommendation. Or that they're building a new team and asking for suggestions. Either way, you'll be front of mind for an introduction.


So what are my 8 tips for re-booting your networking and making it both sustainable & impactful?

  1. Write a short list. 15-30 people who know your capabilities (ideally peers or seniors).
  2. Put them in a spreadsheet / Trello board / other type of simple tracker.
  3. Don't be scared to get back in touch with people you've lost touch with - you'll be surprised just how many are happy to hear from you.
  4. Make a simple, realistic goal. E.g, meet 1 person per month (assuming you're in a full time job; stretch this target if you're actively job seeking).
  5. Don't be transactional. This is about building trusted relationships.
  6. Do be intentional. People who know & trust you are happy advise or support you.
  7. Be resilient & systematic. If they didn't reply to your first message, follow up 1 week later (it's not because they dislike you; it's because they're busy & forgot to email back).
  8. Give as well as take. Make thoughtful connections for these people. And lean into people trying to network with you. Remember how you feel about that person who is only in touch with you when they want something (we all know one). Don't be that person. Instead, "pay it forward" - good karma quickly comes around.

Implement these 8 simple tactics to make networking easy, enjoyable & accelerate your career.

About Rich and how you can work together

Rich started his career at McKinsey before working as a freelance consultant alongside co-founding Movemeon. Over 15 years he's helped over 5,000 organisations to hire - organisations of all sizes in all industries, globally - and developed a unique overview of what works to build successful, happy careers right up to CEO level.

He has always given advice via LinkedIn message to anyone who's asked for it. And in 2025 - encouraged by his network - he formalised this through the creation of OnUpBeyond .

The 2025 pilot of his career advisory sessions was massively oversubscribed, despite a price point in the thousands 000's. Those who managed to grab a place consistently reviewed the experience as 5*.

In July 2025, he relaunched his support in a truly accessible way via The Career Momentum Hour.

  • Ask your questions for expert advice tailored to you.
  • Weekly advisory sessions - listen in live or catchup in your own time via recordings.
  • Regular senior guest speakers from CEOs, to Investment Directors to startup Founders to Exec Search bosses.
  • Peer mentorship - your champion & trusted sounding board.

5 min read
The job market heats up: Hiring demand hits an 18-month peak

Hiring demand surges, talent supply shrinks: Inside Q2’s shifting job market where Private Equity booms, advisory hiring accelerates, scale-ups rebound, and corporates face mounting pressure to compete

Nick Patterson
4 Sep
2025


Q2 market index reveals shifting dynamics in talent demand

Hiring demand for permanent roles is at its highest we’ve seen for 18 months. We saw an initial strengthening in the market last quarter, but expected this to have dropped given the macroeconomic environment and the impact of tariffs.

However, after a small initial dip in May, the hiring market has continued to grow, reaching its 18-month peak in Q2 2025. As the hiring market has strengthened, the talent index (measuring the supply of great talent on the market) has started to drop. Between Q1 2024 and Q2 2025, the market index averaged at an all time high of 90, before dropping to 75 in July 2025. This is only slightly above the average for 2023 (70), when companies were still struggling to hire post COVID and the Great Resignation.

In this article we look at how different types of companies are being affected by these broader trends. We find that Private Equity is seeing a boom in demand for talent, driven by an increase in deals and an increased focus on operational improvement across ever larger portfolios. We were also surprised to see, despite the coverage that AI is already disrupting the advisory market, that there has been strong growth in hiring across consulting firms

Finally, we look at the different dynamics of the freelance and permanent markets: Whilst the permanent market has definitely tightened, with visibly less supply, freelance is still a high supply market for talent. We hypothesise that this is more driven by the broader freelance revolution, and a sharp increase in freelancers/ interims available who have chosen to freelance for more control over their work life (which projects they do; hours worked etc.). This might also be contributing to the righter permanent market.

The Movemeon talent index

The Index is designed to give employers a read on the talent market: is it competitive? Are candidates open to new roles? Are certain industries or job types seeing more traction than others?

Below is how the index has changed over the last five years. For context, it's worth understanding the Movemeon community:

  • It’s global: our 90k members are based across the world, with our main hubs in the UK, France, DACH, the Middle East, APAC and the US
  • Everyone has worked in a leading consulting or accounting firm: 45% are ex-McKinsey, BCG and Bain; 30% are leading strategy firms; the remainder are the Big4
  • They are future leaders and Board members: consultancies make up six of the top eight "CEO factories" (companies whose alumni become CEOs of the largest businesses). And this isn't constrained to just large businesses, with a disproportionate number of unicorns founded by consulting alumni

In terms of interpreting the numbers: 

  • 0-25: a very hard market to hire in. Focus on retention, as replacing people is going to be hard.
  • 25-50: a hard market to hire in. Be proactive and start talent pipelining for key positions.
  • 50-75: a good market to hire in. Start looking to take advantage of the market, and strengthen key positions.
  • 75-100: an exceptional market to hire in. Look to bring in exceptional talent that you’ll only get a few chances to snap up.

The Talent Index has dropped from 80% last quarter to 77% this quarter. This is considerably below the average over the preceding 12 months of 90, and suggests it is getting harder for companies to hire the talent they need - in other words, demand is increasing as supply decreases. For a point of comparison, it is now at the average level of 2023, where a number of companies were still struggling to hire post COVID and the Great Resignation.

To understand the drivers of this, we are looking into the changes to hiring demand across different company types.

We’ve seen a real strengthening of the hiring market

There has been a very clear strengthening in the hiring market since January 2025. We’ve seen hiring activity broadly double over the past 6 months, although this has been very varied by company type.

Whilst Private Equity, Advisory and Scale-ups are fuelling demand in the hiring market, Corporates and Large Enterprises are continue to lag. When we compare the current hiring market with the previous 12 months an even clearer picture emerges: Private Equity funds and portfolio companies have seen sustained growth, whilst hiring across Corporates and Large Enterprises has declined.

Sharp increase in hiring demand for PE-backed companies

There are two primary drivers for hiring demand for PE-backed businesses - the number of new deals and the requirement for portfolio operations support. 

New deal activity: There’s been a modest increase in PE deal activity in H1 of this year. This can be shown by EY’s market pulse: there were 275 deals over $100mn vs. 200 in H1 2024. However, this is a long way short of the 400 that were averaged in 2021, and analysing the amount of dry powder in the market, it feels like these are still depressed numbers. Interestingly, based on conversations with funds over the summer period, we’ve noticed a large uptick in deals which we are confident will carry on into H2, so are expecting PE deal activity becoming an increasingly strong driver of hiring demand. This is further supported by EY’s pulse survey, with an overwhelming majority (68%) expecting an uptick in deployment.

Portfolio operations support: The requirement of portfolio operations support is driven by the size of the portfolio and the transformation requirement to achieve the VCP. We believe the increased requirement of support has been the main driver of the increased demand in H1. As funds have held onto portfolio companies for longer, there has been a multiplier effect on the support required. Not only are there more portfolio companies to support, longer holding periods require more frequent chnage to VCPs, often with more hands-on transformation/ operational support. This is against a backdrop of an increased focus on operational improvement, as interest rates have risen and financial leverage has become less effective.

An AI-driven boom for advisory firms? What’s going on

The risks posed by AI to consulting have been widely written about. 

It’s clear that AI poses existential threats to the current consulting operating model. At the core of the consulting proposition is synthesising complex data, market intelligence and driving to clear recommendations. All things that AI will be able to do better than humans. It’s not an if; it’s a when.

However, we’ve seen strong growth in hiring for advisory firms. So what’s going on?

Our initial hypothesis was that boutique advisory firms pivoting to focus on AI were growing fast and therefore needing to hire. This would suggest that rather than the advisory segment growing, that it was more a case of people moving from large consulting firms to smaller ones. However, when we ran the numbers, it became clear that hiring demand was coming from both both boutique and large advisory firms.

What this suggests is that the short-term impact of AI on consulting talent has been over-played. It might also indicate another trend at play: Consultancies going through a period of growth as their clients invest in getting to grips with what AI means for them and their operating model. What remains to be seen is if this is a temporary blip, or the future of consulting.

Return of scale-up hiring - AI driven uptick, or return to normal levels?

The scale-up market has been depressed since the 2020-21 VC-driven bubble. The focus has increasingly been on the bottom line, and for many this has meant going into survival mode to elongate runways or drive towards cash-flow positive business models. 

There has understandably been a big focus on AI scale-ups, and there is an increasing concern among many that there may be a new bubble forming around AI. But when we look at the hiring demand we’ve seen, it’s been broad and feels like more a return to normal levels.

When we look at the increase in hiring demand, alongside the change in the Talent Index, it’s interesting to see that despite the growth in hiring there is still a lot of supply; the Talent Index remains stubbornly at 94%, well above average in the market. This suggests that this is still a market where there is a lot of talent looking - driven by 2-3 years of depressed hiring.

In Large Enterprises, hiring levels are still low, but for those hiring, it’s hard to find the very best talent

Large Enterprise hiring is trailing well below the growth we’re seeing across Private Equity, Advisory and Scale-ups. Not only is it below the average demand it’s seen over the last 18 months, it’s also reduced in growth over the last three months. 

What’s interesting is that this doesn’t mean there’s oversupply in the market. We were expecting to see a very high Talent Index - indicating there’s a lot of talent in the market looking for new roles. However, at just 58%, Large Enterprises and Corporates have the lowest value of any of our different company types. This suggests there is a real attraction challenge - the growth of PE, and to some extent scale-ups, is taking talent away from more traditional routes like joining the Strategy team of a well-recognised, large, global business. 

If Private Equity and Scale-ups continue their growth - we foresee this being a hard part of the market to hire in for the foreseeable future. It’s for this reason that we’re starting to see an increase in freelance and interim demand across Large Enterprises.

Is the Freelance Revolution driving more supply in the freelance/ interim market

Whilst the Talent Index has tightened for permanent roles, it appears to be more resilient in the freelance market, where a continued over-supply of talent persists.

We’ve seen broadly consistent demand across freelance and permanent roles on the hiring side, so it feels like there is something a bit more fundamental at play on the supply side. We have written extensively on the freelance revolution that we are witnessing in the market - some of the very best talent choosing to enter the freelance market to have more control over the work they do, and their lifestyle. The more resilient talent index suggests that very strong supply on this side of the market could be the main driver. It might also help explain why we’re seeing the dip in the permanent market.

To find out more about hiring with Movemeon get in touch with our team here.

5 min read
From the US to Australia: Michael's Journey from Bain to BC Strategy

Michael’s move wasn’t just about crossing continents—it was a transformative step toward a more fulfilling lifestyle. He discovered a better work-life balance, embracing the perfect mix of beachside living and vibrant city life.

Movemeon
22 Apr
2025

We spoke with Michael, an ex-Bain consultant who recently made the move to Australia from the US to join BC Strategy, a boutique consulting firm based in Sydney that’s exclusively composed of MBB alumni. In this interview, Michael shares his experience of relocating from the US, the transition to a new professional landscape, and the unique culture and work environment at BC Strategy.

Can you tell us about your career before joining BC Strategy?

Before joining BC Strategy, I worked in the generalist consulting practice at Bain & Company, where I gained valuable experience across a range of industries, including tech, higher education, retail, and the public sector.
Beyond my consulting experience, I’ve worked with nonprofits, supported investment research for Indigenous-led startups, held roles in early-stage companies, hospitality, engineering, and environmental services, and even worked as a backcountry snowboard guide and avalanche educator.

What stands out about working at BC Strategy compared to your previous firm?

What I’ve appreciated most is the chance to have a real seat at the table early on. From the beginning, I was involved in shaping pitches, contributing to internal initiatives, and engaging directly with both clients and senior team members. The structure is lean, which means you have more ownership and visibility.


Compared to larger firms, it’s much flatter and less about layers of process and more about practical impact. It’s still fast-paced, but there’s more room for open discussion and shared decision-making. That dynamic has made the work feel more personal and more satisfying.

On the work-life balance front, the team genuinely respects boundaries. There’s also flexibility in how the work gets done, particularly when project timelines allow for it. I typically work from 9 to 6, with occasional longer days when a new client or project is kicking off. Most weeks, I spend three days at the client site, one day working from home, and one day in the office with the team - a great balance of face time, flexibility, and collaboration. The pace is fast but sustainable, and expectations are clear.

How would you describe the culture and work environment at BC Strategy?

It’s a thoughtful and collaborative environment. People are smart and motivated, but they’re also grounded and humble. There’s a shared respect for the work and for each other, which makes it easier to speak up, share ideas, ask for input, and collaborate.


What stands out is that people value being direct, supportive, and focused on outcomes. That makes working here feel constructive and challenging, which is a combination I’ve come to really value.

How does BC Strategy support career progression for consultants?

Progression is driven by impact. If you contribute clear thinking, support your team, and create value for clients, you’ll earn more responsibility - whether that’s leading a stream, owning part of the problem-solving, or shaping how we approach a project.

There’s also space to influence where we play - identifying new opportunities with existing partners or bringing a commercial lens to internal initiatives.

"The proximity to the ocean has genuinely impacted how grounded I feel day-to-day. Sydney’s lived up to expectations"

What motivated your move to Australia and how has the lifestyle in Australia compared to your expectations?

I had been looking for international experience for a while, and Australia offered a compelling mix: a strong consulting market, an interesting client landscape, and a lifestyle that values balance. It felt like a good place to challenge myself professionally without stepping away from the things I enjoy outside of work.


Since moving to Sydney, the transition has been both energising and grounding. The city strikes a great balance - offering strong career opportunities while making space for life beyond work. The high quality of life, paired with easy access to both urban energy and nature, has made it a great fit.


I’m now based in Bondi, just minutes from the beach, and the proximity to the ocean has genuinely impacted how grounded I feel day-to-day. Sydney’s lived up to expectations - and then some.

How has your consulting experience been different in Australia compared to the US?

The work itself is very similar - structured thinking, collaboration, client impact - but the tone feels more agreeable. Clients here tend to be more open, and there’s often a quicker path to building trust that is driven by getting to know the people you're working with directly.


That openness allows for a more direct working relationship, which can make decision-making and progress feel smoother. There’s still urgency and pace, but less formality, which I’ve found refreshing.

Any tips or insights for someone considering a similar move?

Get clear on what matters most to you, both professionally and personally, and make decisions that support both. One of the most impactful things you can do early on is to build a routine and a sense of community outside of work, even if it is just a small start. For me, having a few anchors like surfing or doing yoga before work created balance and brought a sense of familiarity amid the change.

What support did BC Strategy offer to make your move easier?

BC Strategy helped sponsor my visa and provided guidance throughout the relocation process. They also supported me during the first few weeks as I got settled, connecting me with teammates who had gone through similar moves. That made it easier to navigate both the logistics and the little things that come up when relocating internationally. Having that backing really helped the transition.

Your experience with Movemeon and how consultants can leverage the platform for relocating internationally.

Movemeon was a great resource in my transition and their team was responsive and thoughtful throughout the process.

For anyone considering a move, it’s a platform worth exploring. It made the international search feel more manageable, and helped me find a role and firm that aligned with both my skills and goals.

Thinking about making the move too? Good news! BC Strategy is actively hiring across various levels. Apply through the link below, and we’ll be in touch with you soon!

Application link: https://app.movemeon.com/candidate/jobs/17528

5 min read
The return of the “war for talent”? It depends where…

Talent tightens, demand returns: How shifting market dynamics are creating new opportunities — and pressures — across hiring landscapes

Nick Patterson
16 Apr
2025

This report marks the second instalment of Movemeon’s Quarterly Hiring Analysis — a regular update designed to help hiring managers and candidates stay ahead of the market across Private Equity, VC-backed scale-ups and large Enterprise businesses. Our insights are powered by over 1.8 million data points from the Movemeon platform, giving you a clear picture of how candidate interest and hiring demand are shifting.

At the heart of this analysis is the Movemeon Hiring Index — a scale from 0 to 100 that reflects how attractive the job market is for employers. In short: a higher index means higher candidate interest per role. When the economy slows, candidate supply tends to rise, pushing the index up. When hiring demand picks up and candidate availability falls, the index drops.

To find out more about hiring with Movemeon get in touch with our team here.

This quarter, we’ve seen a strengthening in the hiring market.

After 6 months in the second half of last year with a value between 90 and 100 (the highest values we’d seen, indicating high interest in new roles), the index dropped to 75 in January and 80 in February. 

We look at the drivers of this change, highlighting how a drop in the freelance market index pre-empted a drop in the permanent market index. We then look at how these trends have varied depending upon industry, finding that Private Equity is starting to lose it’s talent edge, just as there has been increased demand for hiring in the market. 

We conclude that all the drivers are there for a war for talent, but that this is likely to be localised initially to Private Equity backed-companies where we’re seeing both higher hiring demand coupled with a slight decrease in candidate supply. We forecast this to further expand into consulting and potentially corporates, driven by increased demand and reduced supply respectively.

The Movemeon talent index

The Index is designed to give employers a read on the talent market: is it competitive? Are candidates open to new roles? Are certain industries or job types seeing more traction than others?

Below is how the index has changed over the last five years. For context, it's worth understanding who the Movemeon community are:

  • It’s global: our 90k members are based across the world, with our main hubs in the UK, France, DACH, the Middle East, APAC and the US
  • Everyone has worked in a leading consulting or accounting firm: 45% are ex-McKinsey, BCG and Bain; 30% are leading strategy firms; the remainder are the Big4
  • They are future leaders and Board members: consultancies make up six of the top eight "CEO factories" (companies whose alumni become CEOs of the largest businesses. And this isn't constrained to just large businesses, with a disproportionate number of unicorns founded by consulting alumni

The freelance and permanent markets have broadly mirrored one another, although freelance has moved first and seen more rapid fluctuations

The freelance and interim market has broadly mirrored the permanent one, but tends to shift first — reacting more quickly to changes in business needs and macroeconomic signals. This can be seen by the permanent having a slight lag from the freelance index, as well as often slightly dampened highs and lows.

When we look at the index at a company level, we can see hiring is the hardest it has been for the past year, especially in consulting and corporates

Candidate interest in consulting and corporate roles is now at a one-year low. These sectors are beginning to feel the effects of tightening supply. In contrast, PE-backed companies — where hiring demand remains strong — are still benefiting from relatively high candidate availability, but that gap is closing thanks to slight increases in interest in start-ups/scale-ups as well as consulting. 

Is the war for top talent about to heat up again?

The phrase “war for talent” was first coined by McKinsey in the late ’90s and resurfaced in 2022 during the Great Resignation and post-COVID hiring boom. Are we seeing a resurgence?

The answer lies in the balance between:

  1. Candidate supply (captured by our Hiring Index captures)

  2. Employer demand (based on volume and growth of roles posted)

What we’re seeing is clear: Q1 2025 was the busiest hiring quarter since early 2022. This suggests that overall demand is returning — and it’s being led by Private Equity.

In fact, PE’s share of total hiring demand has grown significantly over the past two years. As deal volume picks up and portfolio businesses push ahead with transformation plans, the ‘war for talent’ is likely to intensify, albeit localised at first.

Whilst we expect this war for talent to be highly localised to Private Equity initially, we are forecasting that it will expand into consulting and corporates over the course of the next year. The expansion into consulting will predominantly be demand led: increased deal flow will result in more consulting work, which will mean more hiring in a slightly dampened market. For corporates the challenge will be supply led: their historic disadvantage in hiring ex-consulting talent compared with PE or consulting has further widened, meaning a small increase in demand will have a big impact.

To find out more about hiring with Movemeon get in touch with our team here.

     
5 min read
Why ex-consultants thrive at Agoda: A Senior Manager’s perspective

From McKinsey to Agoda: Lex’s bold move to Bangkok unlocked fast growth, impact-driven work & an unbeatable lifestyle. Here’s why he loves it and why you will too!

Movemeon
20 Feb
2025

At Movemeon, we love sharing firsthand insights from professionals who have made exciting career transitions. In this feature, we spoke with Lex Razoux Schultz, a former McKinsey Engagement Manager who successfully moved to Agoda, now working as a Senior Manager in the company’s HQ in Bangkok. Lex shares his relocation journey, career growth opportunities, and what makes Agoda a great choice for ex-consultants.

From McKinsey to Agoda: A Career Evolution

With an engineering background, I began my consulting career at McKinsey in Amsterdam as a Business Analyst in 2018. Over the 6 years I worked at McKinsey, I gained great experience working across multiple industries and developed a lot of useful managing skills working as Engagement Manager. Around this time I began feeling like it was time for a new challenge, specifically I was looking to pursue a long standing dream to live and work in Southeast Asia. That’s when I made the move to Agoda last year, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding and exciting transition so far.

Why Agoda is an Exciting Workplace for Ex-consultants

One of the standout aspects of Agoda is its ever-evolving, fast-paced nature. The online travel space is really dynamic, presenting opportunities to build and test new business models that make an immediate impact. The decisions I make today drive real, measurable results tomorrow. I feel like my role within the Strategy team at Agoda gives me the opportunity to truly make a difference.

Accelerated Career Growth at Agoda

For high performers, career growth at Agoda is limitless. There are no fixed hierarchies or rigid promotion timelines - advancement is based purely on impact and performance. This means ambitious professionals can progress quickly, without being held back by structural constraints often found in traditional corporate environments.

Relocating to Bangkok: A Seamless Experience

Moving to a new country can seem daunting, especially when it comes to work permits and bureaucracy. But Agoda’s dedicated team handled everything, so what initially seemed like a major challenge turned out to be an incredibly smooth and hassle-free experience. The level of support I received made my transition much easier than I had anticipated.

"Every meal (in Bangkok) is an affordable yet delicious culinary adventure"

The Bangkok Lifestyle: A Major Upgrade

Living in Bangkok offers an exceptional quality of life. One of the biggest draws is the food scene - every meal is an affordable yet delicious culinary adventure. Coming from the Netherlands, where gloomy weather is the norm, stepping outside into Bangkok’s sunshine still feels like being on holiday. The perfect blend of incredible cuisine, year-round warmth, and the city’s dynamic energy makes everyday life in Bangkok both exciting and enriching. Plus there’s the opportunity to explore Thailand and SE Asia right on the doorstep. 

Addressing Salary Concerns: Cost of Living & Take-Home Pay

I know salary comparisons are often top of mind for candidates, and it’s crucial to factor in marginal income tax rates and the overall cost of living. Bangkok offers a high quality of life at a much lower cost compared to many Western and even Asian cities. The combination of a competitive salary, lower taxes and affordable living means that I can enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle.

Final Thoughts: Why Consider Agoda?

Beyond the professional opportunities, the culture at Agoda is a huge draw for consultants looking to pivot to client-side. The team is young, dynamic, multinational and intellectually curious - mirroring the stimulating environment of consulting firms. If you’re looking for a career move that offers impact, rapid growth potential, and a fantastic lifestyle, I recommend you check out opportunities with Agoda! 

Movemeon is actively working with Agoda on an exciting Senior Manager role based in Bangkok within the Group Strategy team. Click here to view and apply on Movemeon now!

Interested in other opportunities with Agoda? Get in touch with Mel at melinda@movemeon.com and we'll see where we can help.

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