Consulting and technology are converging. As digital transformation accelerates, strategic firms are forming cross-industry alliances to bring speed, scale, and executional depth to their clients. Evan Berta, an associate at Hunt Scanlon Ventures, explores what the new AlixPartners–Endava partnership reveals about the future of service delivery, and what it means for executive talent.
AlixPartners and Endava have announced a global strategic partnership that will combine operational consulting expertise with next-generation technology delivery. The alliance positions the two firms to tackle complex transformation challenges across industries like private equity, financial services, energy, and telecom, where clients increasingly demand faster, integrated solutions.
“Digital innovation, AI and automation are the biggest disruptive opportunities facing businesses today,” said Paul Kelly, Global Co-Leader of the Technology Practice Group at AlixPartners. “While business leaders are embracing technology as they have never done before, they also recognise the challenges that persist.”
Paul Kelly’s comments point to a new urgency in the C-suite. Many organizations have started their AI and digital transformation journeys but remain stalled at the execution level. This partnership aims to fill that gap by combining strategy, delivery, and systems integration into one seamless offering.
Strategic Alignment is the New Differentiator
John Cotterell, CEO of Endava, framed the partnership as a solution to a common failure point: the disconnect between bold digital goals and technical execution.
“The key to successful digital transformation is alignment – aligning technology with business strategy,” he said. “By teaming up with AlixPartners, we can offer clients a comprehensive, hands-on approach that drives innovation and helps them build long-term, sustainable success.”
“Firms are looking for leaders who can serve as connective tissue between board-level ambition and cross-functional delivery. That hybrid skill set is becoming the new gold standard in executive search.”
This alignment is particularly vital for clients who need to rapidly modernize systems, respond to market shifts, and embed automation, all without disrupting business continuity.
Talent Implication
Clients pursuing this level of transformation are no longer hiring executives just to lead departments; they need leaders who can synchronize strategy with scalable execution. This means increased demand for roles like Chief Digital Officer, Chief Transformation Officer, and AI-focused operating partners.
According to Evan Berta, an associate at Hunt Scanlon Ventures, “Firms are looking for leaders who can serve as connective tissue between board-level ambition and cross-functional delivery. That hybrid skill set is becoming the new gold standard in executive search.”
From Siloed Services to Embedded Partnerships
The AlixPartners–Endava alliance reflects a broader market trend: professional services firms are shifting away from siloed engagements and toward embedded partnerships with technology providers. The goal is to fast-track transformation while providing clients with flexible, scalable service models that can evolve with their business.
This shift also addresses a key market pain point, clients don’t want to manage multiple vendors across disconnected workstreams. They want integrated solutions from firms that can move from insight to implementation without friction.
Talent Implication
This trend is influencing how human capital leaders assess executive talent.
“The executive of tomorrow is a systems thinker, and partnerships like this are accelerating that shift.”
“We’re now vetting candidates not only on their functional expertise but on their ability to operate in multi-party, ecosystem-driven environments,” said Mr. Berta. Leaders must be fluent in collaborative delivery, governance coordination, and partner alignment, skills that weren’t always top of mind even a few years ago. Executive search firms, he noted, will need to update competency frameworks to match these evolving requirements.
Speed, Scale, and Market Advantage
At the heart of the partnership is speed, something both firms see as a competitive necessity. By aligning tech implementation with strategic insight, the firms believe they can compress transformation timelines while creating measurable business outcomes.
“By bringing our two organisations closer together, we’re building on a proven partnership—one that helps clients navigate disruption and unlock the full value of complementary capabilities we’ve delivered successfully over many years,” said Mr. Kelly.
This isn’t about adding services, it’s about reconfiguring how value is delivered.
Talent Implication
Executive teams are under pressure to show results faster. This is shifting hiring priorities toward transformation-tested talent, executives who have successfully driven change under compressed timelines. Mr. Berta noted, “We’re seeing firms prioritize candidates who’ve shipped, scaled, and systemized. Having a resume full of innovation strategy decks isn’t enough anymore, clients want proof of operational speed and resilience.”
The Future Is Integrated
This partnership reflects where the broader industry is heading: toward unified models where strategy and technology move in lockstep. With automation, AI, and enterprise transformation now core to how companies compete, firms like AlixPartners and Endava are signaling that it takes more than internal capability, it takes the right ecosystem.
The message is clear, digital transformation isn’t a one-team job anymore. And neither is leadership.
Talent Implication
The C-suite will need to adapt quickly. Human capital partners will need to help clients evaluate not only who’s qualified, but who is ready to lead in new models of partnership, delivery, and execution. “This is about finding enterprise leaders who can thrive in ambiguity, influence across boundaries, and activate transformation without waiting for perfect conditions,” said Mr. Berta. “The executive of tomorrow is a systems thinker, and partnerships like this are accelerating that shift.”
Article By
Evan Berta
Evan Berta is an Associate at Hunt Scanlon Ventures, specializing in data analysis, market mapping, and target list preparation. He plays a critical role in identifying and building out groups of firms in sectors of interest, including preparing strategic overviews of top potential targets for acquisitions. Evan’s analytical expertise supports the firm’s sourcing initiatives, particularly in identifying niche and emerging market opportunities, and delivering actionable insights on tight timelines.
