Q&A with Lawrence Owen on Selecting the Right Specialists

We speak to XpertiseNow’s Chief Client Officer, Lawrence Owen, about the importance of selecting the right specialist consultancies for our platform and network.

Q: Why does XpertiseNow carefully select the specialist consultancies who join the platform and network? 

A: The main reason is that businesses are looking for specialists who have a strong reputation in the marketplace. They are looking for those who are recognized as leaders in their particular area of specialization, those who unique experience and insights — that is the key thing, the key differentiator for XpertiseNow. Unlike bigger consultancies where you’ll get will be whoever’s available on the bench, with XpertiseNow, we’re bringing in true specialists who make their living out of consulting in a particular specialist area so businesses get a lot of expertise or experience just in that one area. Q: Why does XpertiseNow carefully select the specialist consultancies who join the platform and network?  

Q: What else apart from specialist knowledge is XpertiseNow looking for in its consultancies?  

A: We’re also looking for the right kind of attitude and temperament. XpertiseNow is all about collaboration, so we’re looking for consultants who are able to collaborate and willing to collaborate. They need to have an attitude that that that is going to allow them to collaborate in the marketplace. The strength of our model is to bringing together these different consultancies, to form an offering that can go there to the end client that pulls together the good skills in one place. Finally, we are looking for a commitment to growth and innovation and keeping their knowledge, fresh and relevant in the marketplace.  

Q: Why is it important to the brand? 

A: The process of selecting boutiques to join the network is important to the brand of XN because at the end of the day our brand is only as good as the boutiques that are part of XN. It’s also important to the brands of the individual boutiques who’ve joined XN, because they’re associated with those other boutiques, so it’s very important that we have a high standard of skill and capability within all of the boutiques that that join the network. It’s also important from our end clients’ point of view because they expect leading specialists in each area, not generalists, who can do pretty much anything and everything, but they’re looking for key skills, key specialists, to come together to solve their immediate business issues.