Managing Partner – Operations Advisory — Cloud Platform

The mandate

A listed operations-advisory practice has built a strong reputation for diagnosis but has not consistently converted recommendations into realised client outcomes. As cloud-platform clients shift from licences to subscriptions, operating change now spans commercial models, service delivery, technology, customer success and finance. The investment committee has paused expansion until the practice proves it can own transformation beyond the report.

The Managing Partner – Operations Advisory will influence client work connected to approximately €2,050 million in annual recurring revenue and lead around 700 employees and material partners. Scope covers proposition, board origination, transformation design, delivery governance, benefit realisation, account portfolio, partner economics, intellectual property and talent. Formal accountability runs to the Global Managing Partner, with the regional partner council governing performance and investment choices.

The proposition must begin with consequential decisions. Subscription transformation may require redesigning quote-to-cash, product operations, customer success, service reliability, incentives and reporting. The leader will define where the practice can combine strategic judgement with execution depth and decline assignments that seek only a reassuring diagnostic.

Outcome-linked work needs a controlled baseline. Client and engagement teams should agree the operating mechanism, data owner, timing and external factors behind each benefit. Revenue, cash, retention, capacity and service outcomes cannot be claimed through activity proxies. Where evidence is uncertain, the mandate should include a test before a large implementation commitment.

Commercial terms must reflect shared accountability without accepting risks the practice cannot control. Fees, milestones and outcome components should connect to decisions and evidence within the engagement’s influence. Client responsibilities, data quality and governance need explicit treatment. The firm should not discount core work in exchange for an undefined success fee.

Transformation delivery requires multidisciplinary authority. Partners from operations, product, technology, finance and people should work to one client outcome, not protect internal economics. The Managing Partner will clarify who owns the client decision, integration and benefit evidence. Escalations must reach the sponsor before local workarounds change scope or value.

Scalable intellectual property should capture reusable logic while preserving judgement. Subscription economics, operating-model patterns, service baselines and benefit controls can speed delivery, but they should not become a generic playbook applied regardless of client facts. Assets need owners, adoption measures and continuing evidence from completed work.

Partner leverage is essential. The practice cannot depend on one senior partner to originate, shape and rescue every engagement. The leader will develop partners who can hold board relationships and run outcome-linked programmes, supported by apprenticeship and review. Economics should reward institutional client value, not only individual billings.

The shift to subscription also affects the practice’s own forecast. Pipeline stages, scope confidence, delivery capacity, fee risk and cash should reconcile by engagement. A large unsigned opportunity cannot justify hiring or partner commitments without a clear decision path and downside case.

Why this seat is open

This planned replacement allows four to six months for candidate assessment and a structured incumbent handover. The confidential succession protects client relationships and active work while the practice changes its delivery model. Authority will transfer fully after appointment.

What you will own

• Define an operations proposition built around outcome-linked transformation.
• Steward client work connected to approximately €2,050 million of annual recurring revenue.
• Establish controlled baselines and benefit evidence with client sponsors.
• Align commercial terms with influence, milestones and shared responsibilities.
• Lead approximately 700 employees and material partners.
• Integrate multidisciplinary teams around one transformation outcome.
• Create scalable delivery IP grounded in completed engagements.
• Build partner origination, delivery authority and succession beyond personal billings.

The first 12 months

During the first 90 days, review the proposition and engagement portfolio, meet the 30 stakeholders most consequential to the operating-model shift and assess partners. Protect active clients, reconcile benefit claims and agree investment gates with the regional council.

Months four to nine should convert selected board opportunities, implement common benefit governance and stop low-conviction offerings. Develop partners through real sponsor and delivery responsibility. Early evidence may include verified client cash, retention, capacity or service improvement alongside stronger engagement economics.

At year end, executive sponsorship, realised benefits and adopted delivery IP should justify further expansion. Performance must remain within 10% of approval, with three forecasts reconciling pipeline, fees, cash, delivery capacity and people. Material engagement issues need independently accepted resolution within 30 days.

What the board will measure

• Board-sponsored mandates addressing explicit subscription operating decisions.
• Benefits verified against agreed baselines after implementation.
• Engagement margin and cash aligned with delivery and outcome risk.
• Delivery IP used successfully beyond its originating client team.
• Retention over 90% for pivotal talent and ready successors for 70% of direct reports.
• Partners independently originating and governing complex transformation work.

The person

You are a Managing Partner, Operations Practice Leader or Operating Partner with more than 28 years in technology or adjacent advisory work. You have trusted board relationships and have built practice economics beyond personal billings.

Your accountable P&L, book, budget or portfolio has been at least €1,200 million, and you have led 500 or more people. Equivalent client-value ownership and multidisciplinary leadership are required, with outcomes sustained for two reporting periods.

You understand cloud and subscription operations, transformation governance and evidence-based benefits. You can challenge a client’s preferred answer, price shared accountability sensibly and develop other partners to carry consequential relationships.

Compensation and terms

Base compensation is €475,000–650,000 plus annual incentive and LTI. This advisory appointment is onsite in Berlin and supports international relocation. The firm can agree a client handover and conflicts-clearance period lasting as long as six months.

Confidentiality

The firm, incumbent, clients and engagement economics remain private. Identity and supporting evidence will follow mutual fit, conflicts review and execution of confidentiality terms; facts are blended.