Duncan Maud
- Over 10 years at OC&C in London, delivering projects internationally
- Deep expertise in Strategy, Commercial Optimisation, Value Creation, and M&A
- Sector experience spanning Media & Entertainment, Sport, Digital, and Technology
- Currently leading a pan-European strategy and implementation project with Eden McCallum
Duncan’s decision to leave his traditional consulting firm centred on a reckoning with what he wanted from the next phase of his career.
As an experienced Associate Partner, his next step would be full commitment to the Partner track: more business development, more selling, less delivery. The more Duncan reflected on it, the more he realised that the delivery itself was what he wanted to be close to.
“What I really liked about consulting was the variety, the intellectual problem solving, working with clients to support them through a process and guide them to an answer. It’s all the delivery aspects of the job I really enjoyed.”
Duncan also knew he wanted to achieve greater balance and control in his working life than the traditional Partner track would have offered. Independent consulting is enabling him to refocus on delivery and gain control, with benefits both practical and psychological.
“I have a more balanced relationship with work now. I have chosen to do this particular piece of work, and when it ends, I have the freedom to do something completely different.”
Duncan’s first independent project came quickly, with Eden McCallum. A call on a Saturday, a flight to Amsterdam on Tuesday, and a client engagement that has extended into subsequent phases over the past six months and beyond – working with a company’s European management teams across strategy and implementation.
“The most obvious difference is that it feels like I’m really tightly embedded within the organisation, and doing work where I can see clearly impact and outcome. I’ve developed a strategy in collaboration with all of their management teams, I can see how useful it’s been for them, I can see the end product, and I can see what they’re now starting to do as a result.”
This kind of live, tangible impact comes in sharp contrast to the more traditional model of delivering a pack at the end of the project.
“I still have all the things I love about consulting – the intellectual challenge, the joy of getting to grips with a new topic, solving a problem – but now I can see how what I’m doing is having meaningful impact in real time.”
From the client’s perspective, Duncan believes this way of working creates something qualitatively different from a traditional consulting engagement.
“We can get to what is needed really quickly by working closely together and working iteratively, versus working more at arms’ length and coming back with a polished end product. It’s a quick and efficient way for the client to get what they need.”
He also highlights the value of Eden McCallum’s combination of partner support and analyst resource, which distinguishes it from other routes to independent work, including sourcing projects solo.
“There’s a team around me. Having analyst support has been really useful in multiplying my impact and enabling me to play more of an advisory role. And the Eden McCallum partner has helped me to navigate internal client dynamics and keep the work on track.”
Now, as Duncan looks to his next moves, it seems independent consulting will be his choice for some time to come.
“Having initially thought of this as an interim move, I wouldn’t be surprised if I do this long term – because it’s just a great way to work.”