The Professional Services Pursuit

In this episode, Brent sits down with Tom Rodenhauser, Managing Partner at K2 Consulting Research, to discuss why AI is forcing consulting firms to rethink the way they create value. For decades, consulting firms have been paid for outputs — deliverables, implementations, and billable hours — with the assumption those outputs would drive meaningful business outcomes. But, that assumption is starti...

In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit , Brent sits down with Kantata CEO Michael Speranza and Chief Product Strategy Officer Sarah Edwards to explore a growing challenge facing professional services firms: AI sprawl. Michael and Sarah discuss why professional services require a different approach to AI — one built around business context, connected operations, and institutional know...

In this episode, we explore how professional services organizations can reduce project unpredictability by closing the gap between scoping, pricing, and delivery. Banoo sits down with Anish Udayakumar, Senior Vice President of Product Management and Customer Experience at Provus, for a thoughtful conversation on why projects that start with strong plans and healthy margins often end up facing scop...

In this episode, Brent sits down with Sarah Edwards, Kantata’s Chief Product Strategy Officer, for a practical look at why consulting firms can no longer rely on headcount-driven growth — and how AI is reshaping the traditional talent pyramid. Together, they break down the three critical shifts redefining consulting — and what leaders need to prioritize now to activate smarter resourcing, pricing,...

In this episode we share a conversation from a recent Leaders in Consulting podcast, where Kantata’s Chief Product Strategy Officer, Sarah Edwards, sits down with James Cawthorne, CEO of FOIL. At the center of the discussion is a shift every services leader is starting to feel: clients no longer want dependency — they want independence. James makes the case for “autonomic consulting” — a model foc...

AI isn’t just disrupting SaaS, it’s forcing a fundamental rethink of what software is actually worth. In this episode, Brent sits down with Kantata CEO Michael Speranza to unpack the growing tension across the market: buyers questioning why they should pay for software they think AI can build, and boards pushing leaders to prove long-term, defensible value. The conversation goes beyond the hype to...

In honor of Women’s History Month, this episode features three very accomplished female leaders — Jennifer Schutz, Lauren Langston, and Melissa Korzun — sharing candid insights on their career journeys, pivotal moments, and the mindset shifts behind their success. The conversation highlights how growth comes not from linear paths, but from embracing opportunity, building confidence, and leading wi...

AI is no longer a futuristic add-on for consulting firms, it’s reshaping how firms operate, price, hire, and deliver outcomes. In this episode Brent sits down with Tom Rodenhauser of K2 Consulting Research (formerly Kennedy Intelligence) to unpack what’s actually happening inside consulting firms as they operationalize AI. From boutique firms building knowledge engines that rival global players, t...

In this special compilation episode, Brent revisits three powerful conversations with leaders who have fundamentally reimagined how agencies price, position, and deliver value. As AI accelerates productivity, procurement squeezes margins, and time-based billing becomes increasingly commoditized, one thing is clear: the traditional agency model is under pressure. The firms that redefine themselves...

In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, Brent is joined once again by Ramone Param, Managing Director at Kennedy M&A, to kick off a new series focused on mergers and acquisitions in professional services. Together, they reflect on the 2025 M&A landscape and look ahead to what 2026 holds for consulting firms navigating economic uncertainty, AI-driven disruption, and shifting b...

AI is rewriting the rules of professional services. As delivery time compresses and impact accelerates, traditional pricing models — T&M, fixed-fee, retainers — are starting to break. In this episode, Banoo is joined by Melissa Korzun, Kantata’s VP of Industry Solutions to explore what outcome-driven delivery really looks like in an AI-powered services world. When utilization is no longer the...

In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit, host Brent sits down with Shawn Windle, Founder and Managing Principal of ERP Advisors Group, to unpack a challenge nearly every professional services firm is grappling with: how to choose technology that delivers relief today and provides support for the needs of tomorrow. Drawing on hundreds of ERP and PSA implementations, Shawn shares candid...

In this episode of The Pursuit Power Half Hour , Brent sits down with two seasoned CFOs, Steve DeSantis and Dave Ristow, to explore how the role of finance leadership has rapidly expanded across professional services. They discuss how CFOs are now expected to shape strategic direction, unify systems and data, strengthen delivery operations, and build tech stacks that can sustain long-term growth.&...

In this episode of the Professional Services Pursuit podcast, host Banoo sits down with industry analyst and longtime consulting leader Brian Sommer to break down the five critical “anti-trends” professional services firms must confront heading into 2026. Instead of following the overhyped AI narratives dominating the market, Brian challenges firms to rethink how they present expertise, differenti...

What if the billable hour is hiding the real health of your delivery organization? In this episode, we talk with Kyle Sandine, Associate Director of PMO and Delivery Center of Excellence at Adage Technologies, about why utilization and chargeability no longer tell the full story of project success. Kyle shares how Adage is shifting from time-and-materials to value-driven delivery, how project sent...

Professional services leaders are constantly balancing growth, delivery, and profitability, but what if the biggest opportunities are hiding in plain sight? In this episode, Charles Gustine, Director of Customer and Market Insights at Kantata, and Connor Budden, Global Director at Service Performance Insight (SPI), explore how benchmarking helps firms uncover hidden inefficiencies, strengthen lead...

In this episode, Banoo sits down with Julie Grove, Senior Manager of Resource Management at Anthology, to unpack how to centralize resource management without losing flexibility or local autonomy. Julie shares her five-step blueprint for building trust, conducting maturity assessments, and designing scalable governance models that prevent burnout and keep teams aligned. You’ll learn: Why trust and...

Resource forecasting has never been trickier. With shifting client expectations, unpredictable markets, and outdated tools, even the most sophisticated services organizations struggle to see what’s coming next. In this episode, Brent sits down with Greg Hensley of the Resource Management Institute and RTM Consulting to unpack why traditional forecasting falls short, and how data, process, and AI c...

The professional services industry is evolving at record speed — is your firm ready to keep pace? In this special episode, we bring you the recording of an expert-led discussion with Bo DiMuccio, VP of Professional Services Research at TSIA, and Fortuné Alexander, VP of Product Marketing at Kantata. Together, they share forward-looking insights and practical guidance on what firms must do today to...

In this final installment of our Kennedy Intelligence Series, host Brent is joined once again by Alex Klein and Ramone Param to unpack the “unsexy” but mission-critical side of growth: your back office. From pricing and cash flow to governance and quality control, they reveal how operational discipline determines whether a services firm can scale past $30M, or stalls out. Drawing on decades of con...

To celebrate a major milestone — our 100th episode of the Professional Services Pursuit — we flipped the script. Guest host Dominique steps out from behind the scenes to put Brent and Banoo in the hot seats. This time, instead of asking the questions, they’re answering them, sharing candid insights drawn from years of conversations with professional services leaders and customers. From the rise of...

In the fourth installment of our series with Kennedy Intelligence, Brent is joined again by Alex Klein and Tom Rodenhauser to explore one of the most persistent myths in the professional services industry: the belief that hiring a few “star” performers will unlock growth. Together, they unpack why overreliance on rainmakers can be a dangerous blind spot, the cultural risks of high-profile hires, a...

In this third episode of our series with Kennedy Intelligence, host Brent reunites with Alex Klein and Tom Rodenhauser to break down why “Client Love” alone won’t scale your consulting firm past $30M. They share hard-won insights and practical strategies for shifting from founder-driven relationships to scalable, value-based client engagement. Key topics covered include: The limitations of client...

How are today’s IT leaders adapting to the breakneck pace of AI and cybersecurity evolution? In this episode of The Professional Services Pursuit , host Banoo welcomes Taison Kearney, Chief Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer at Kantata. With over two decades of experience, Taison shares how IT teams are shifting from traditional support roles to become strategic drivers in AI...

In this episode Banoo welcomes back Andrew Cohen, EVP of Innovation & Ai at Netsurit, to explore how artificial intelligence, automation, and real-time data visibility are transforming the IT services and professional services industries. Building on their previous conversation from 2023, Andrew shares powerful insights into how the rapid evolution of AI is reshaping business agility, decision...