Adam Gates joins Interim Consulting arm of Odgers Berndtson
Odgers Interim, the interim management arm of executive search business Odgers Berndtson, has added Adam Gates to its ranks. Gates joins as a Principal in the firm’s independent consulting division, and will focus on the retail, consumer goods and private equity sectors.
Launched roughly a year ago, Odgers Interim Consulting specialises in the placement of interim executives with a consulting background at senior levels and in various disciplines across the public and private sectors, including local and central government, health, manufacturing, education, financial services, private equity, retail, energy, life sciences and technology. Leveraging the footprint of its parent Odgers Berndtson, the provider of freelance advisers operates from its headquarters in Cannon Street, London, as well as seven other offices in the UK.
To meet growing demand for its independent consulting services, the firm has hired Adam Gates, a seasoned recruiter with over 10 years’ experience in headhunting and executive search. Chris Preston, Managing Partner at Odgers Interim Consulting, explains: “We have an extensive network of independent consultants. As businesses battle pressures on margins and require ever-more specialist advice, we expect business leaders to increasingly turn to that pool of talent, which provides an effective and efficient resource for consultancy support.”
Before joining Odgers Interim, Gates was a Director at executive search and market intelligence specialist eg.1 where he led its professional services practice. In the role, he has placed senior candidates into management consulting firms such as Deloitte, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Oliver Wyman on an international basis. Earlier in his career, he worked for Hudson Highland Group and London-based staffing agency Premier Group Recruitment.
At Odgers Interim, Gates has been appointed as Principal within the firm’s independent consulting division to lead its offering in the retail and consumer goods sectors. Gates will be responsible for placing expert independent consultants, with career track records at major consulting firms such as McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company and Strategy&, to advise on strategic and operational projects to support leadership teams.
Reflecting on his new challenge, Gates says, “My main focus is working with clients to source experts who have deep sector and functional experience having grown up in tier one consulting firms, to provide the support and advice needed to battle through an extremely competitive market. These consultants provide expertise in a range of areas from digital and omni-channel, pricing strategies, post-merger integration, supply chain to more general operational and transformational changes.”
Gates adds that through sourcing independent consultants, businesses can, compared to the hiring of consultants from traditional consulting firms, procure advice from experts with a similar wealth of experience, with the additional benefit of flexibility and a more cost effective, value-based model. At the other end of the spectrum, the executive search consultant says that he sees a growing demand from advisers in employment to freelance: “We are seeing a rise in senior consultants leaving the more traditional firms to work on an independent basis and thus gain a better work-life balance, freedom to choose projects and to work for themselves.”
With Gates on board, Preston expects that Odgers’ Interim Consulting unit will be better positioned to tap into the growing number of calls from the market. “The retail and consumer goods space is one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving parts of the economy. The pace of change is encouraging management teams to look externally for consultancy support that will help define their strategy and navigate what is now a complex trading landscape. Adam’s appointment will help us respond to that demand.”
