The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Internal Promotion (Performance Consulting Manager)
3-5 years as a ManagerSkills to master
- Mastering team leadership, portfolio management, executive stakeholder management, and consistently delivering multi-million-pound impact from your managed programmes.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led a major, cross-functional transformation programme end-to-end, delivering significant P&L impact.
- Consistently received top-tier feedback from executive sponsors on your strategic advice and leadership.
- Developed and mentored at least two Lead Consultants into Manager roles.
- Demonstrated ability to manage a budget of £500K-£2M and make sound resource allocation decisions.
- 2
External Management Consulting (Principal/Partner)
10-15 years in consulting, with 3-5 years at Principal/Partner levelSkills to master
- Client relationship management at the C-suite level, selling and delivering large-scale transformation engagements, deep industry expertise, and managing large consulting teams.
You're ready to move on when
- Managed client relationships for multi-million-pound engagements, consistently exceeding client expectations.
- Developed and sold new business opportunities, demonstrating commercial acumen.
- Led complex, multi-disciplinary consulting teams across various industries or functional areas.
- Proven ability to translate client challenges into structured problem-solving approaches and deliver tangible results.
- 3
Senior Operational Leadership (Head of Operations/Strategy)
10-15 years in operational roles, with 3-5 years at a senior leadership levelSkills to master
- Direct P&L ownership, large-scale team management, operational strategy development, and a proven track record of driving significant operational improvements within a business unit.
You're ready to move on when
- Managed a significant operational P&L, demonstrating strong financial performance.
- Led a large operational team (100+ people), fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Successfully initiated and delivered major operational efficiency programmes, resulting in measurable cost savings or revenue growth.
- Deep understanding of the specific business unit's operations and its strategic challenges.