Professional services outlook 2026: Insights from the InX Americas team
As 2025 draws to a close, the consulting landscape continues to evolve in ways that are reshaping where and how firms build their senior leadership teams. We asked our Americas team — Marc Lesner, Diya Badigar, Liam Nevin and Gabby Banzon — to reflect on the key trends that have influenced talent movement and firm strategy throughout 2025, examine what has motivated senior leaders to make their moves and look ahead to the priorities that will define success in 2026.
Whether you're a consulting professional considering your next career step or a firm planning your senior hiring strategy, understanding these dynamics will be critical to navigating the year ahead.
2025 in review: Defining trends
What was the most significant trend you observed in your practice area throughout 2025?
Marc: The rise of AI is directly reinforcing the trend toward vertical specialisation in strategy consulting. As clients race to embed AI within their industries, they expect consultants who not only understand strategic frameworks, but also the sector-specific economics, regulation and value-chain nuances that shape AI adoption.
Generic strategy models no longer suffice when AI’s impact differs radically between sectors such as healthcare, industrials or financial services. This has pushed firms to organise around industry verticals, deepen domain expertise and hire senior leaders with both strategic and industry fluency — allowing them to advise credibly on where and how AI will actually create competitive advantage.
Gabby: 2025 saw a shift toward precision and commercial intent in senior hiring. Firms became more selective, focusing on Partner and MD candidates who could open new revenue streams and strengthen niche capabilities. The priority was less about adding capacity and more about hiring leaders who bring both a differentiated market point of view and proven business development traction.
How did Partner and Managing Director hiring change this year?
Marc: We are noticing that whilst partner ranks remain bloated, with fewer new partner promotions, an increasing number of firms are turning to laterals and “lift-outs” to accelerate growth, especially when launching new geographies or capabilities. Firms are requesting that newly recruited partners show early results: new clients, revenue growth and capability build. Several of my clients are requesting to know where immediate revenue will come from, which can be challenging with restrictive covenants that might be in effect.
Beyond the traditional coastal hubs, where did you see interesting consulting hiring activity in 2025?
Liam: From a technology consulting perspective, it's hard to look past Texas, particularly Houston and Austin. While the region is renowned as the oil and gas capital, it has recently seen a substantial influx of tech firms and investment in the space, with consultants naturally following. The proof is evident — note the $500bn AI project, Stargate, which will call Texas, not Silicon Valley, home.
Pull factors: Talent movement and motivations
What were the primary motivators for Partner/MD-level candidates making moves this year?
Gabby: The most common motivator was the pursuit of greater ownership and flexibility. Senior leaders were increasingly drawn to firms that offered autonomy, transparent economics and meaningful equity opportunities. Many cited limitations in legacy firms, where growth potential and influence over practice direction felt constrained. Firms that combined entrepreneurial culture with credible infrastructure stood out, as did those actively investing in high-growth or emerging sectors.
Marc: Many Partner and MD-level moves in 2025 have been driven by a desire for greater scope and autonomy within firms that are expanding their service portfolios, but without abandoning deep expertise. As consulting firms build more integrated offerings that connect strategy, transformation and execution, senior leaders want platforms where they can lead cross-functional initiatives while still anchoring their identity in a clear area of specialisation.
The most successful firms are giving partners space to apply their subject-matter depth, whether in pre-deal diligence, pricing, transformation or sector strategy, while enabling them to collaborate across adjacent disciplines. Candidates are increasingly drawn to environments that reward both depth and range: expertise that remains distinct but is amplified by access to broader capabilities and a larger growth mandate.
Did you notice any patterns in where talent was moving from and to?
Liam: Moving from an MBB or a Big Four into a boutique has always been an attractive proposition for a lot of consultants, but that sentiment seems to have increased since the advent of AI tools, such as ChatGPT. Consulting firms are more evenly matched than ever before, in terms of the tools they have access to, and smaller firms can pivot, taking advantage of new opportunities a lot more quickly than the big firms. For example, QuantumBlack employees seem to be more open than ever to moves into specialist data and AI boutiques.
How consulting firms built capability
Were firms making individual hires or building entire teams/capabilities in 2025? What does the increase (or decrease) in team moves and lift-outs tell us about the market?
Gabby: Firms increasingly prioritised small team lift-outs or capability pods over one-off Partner hires. Building around a core team proved a faster and more cohesive way to establish new offerings or enter fresh sectors. This approach allowed firms to bring complementary skill sets, client relationships and delivery capability together from day one. It also reflected a broader market trend toward integrated growth plays rather than isolated senior additions.
Liam: It’s an interesting development, which I think signals two things: firstly, it points to an increased desire for firms to reduce risk, such as the risk of a Partner joining and struggling to integrate. Secondly, I think it shows that firms need to move quicker than ever — by hiring a team with a Partner, the hope is that they get up and running faster and can make an impact sooner.
2026 outlook: Predictions and priorities
What capability or specialism will be most in-demand for Partner/MD-level consulting leaders in 2026?
Marc: Within the strategy consulting market, I believe the need for value creation expertise will continue to grow. Clients and private equity firms are looking for consultants who don’t just perform diligence, but can articulate post-deal value creation paths, merging strategy and transformation.
Private equity firms and acquirers want strategy firms to support them on more than just "Is this a good deal?" — they're also seeking answers to "How will value be created and captured?" By combining commercial due diligence with post-deal strategic planning, consulting firms can deliver longer engagements whilst increasing client value.
Gabby: The most in-demand leaders will be those who drive growth through a blend of analytical precision, market understanding and commercial creativity. Additionally, firms will continue to prioritise Partner-minus-one candidates who already bring business development traction and the potential to scale into Partner roles, balancing entrepreneurial energy with executional depth.
What advice would you give to senior consulting professionals considering a move in 2026?
Liam: Whilst it’s fine to keep things broad when you first consider a change, following some exploratory conversations, you should be able to narrow down your ideal type of role. Often people make the mistake of saying they’ll consider anything, hoping that will provide more opportunities, however a more focused search tends to be more successful.
What advice would you give to consulting firms planning their senior hiring strategy for the year ahead?
Marc: The partner equation has changed. Firms that grew through 2025 did so not by adding more delivery capacity, but by hiring commercially minded leaders who built new revenue lines, opened white space markets and strengthened internal ecosystems. Across the industry, partner classes have shrunk while commercial expectations have risen. Each new hire is now expected to generate roughly 20-30% more client revenue than pre-2023. Yet our data shows that more than two thirds of lateral partner hires fail to meet those expectations when integration and accountability are unclear.
So how do firms get it right? By being disciplined in defining the logic behind every senior appointment. Before hiring, they ask three simple questions:
Will this person originate new work or simply redistribute existing relationships?
What new domain, sector or client segment will they unlock?
How will we measure impact within the first six months?
Those that answer honestly design onboarding, targets and internal sponsorship around those metrics — and the results show up quickly in revenue and retention.
Finally, we’re seeing a clear market pattern emerge. Firms that treat senior hiring as a growth lever rather than a replacement exercise are outperforming peers in both top line growth and lateral success rate. At InX, our vantage point across strategy and professional services search gives us real-time visibility into what’s working. We are advising clients on how to rebalance partner portfolios, tighten ramp up expectations and build leadership benches designed for measurable growth in 2026.
Stay ahead of the curve in 2026: How InX can support you
At InX, our Professional Services group combines deep sector insight with a specialist mindset to deliver tailored leadership solutions across consulting and advisory practices. Spanning the US, Canada and Latin America, our Americas team brings domain expertise, global reach and boutique precision.
Whether you’re a leader seeking your next move or an organisation looking to strengthen your leadership team, get in touch with us to find out how we can support you in 2026.