Why Talent Is Now a Core Value-Creation Lever in PE Advisory

By Neos Talent www.neostalent.com

 As private equity moves into 2026, the sentiment across our client base is clear: value creation is no longer driven by capital availability or strategy alone — it’s driven by execution capability.

Across the PE advisory and mid-market ecosystem, buyers are underwriting something different: not just market opportunity, but operating credibility. Leadership depth. Delivery capability. The ability to turn transformation plans into measurable outcomes.

The mid-market consulting and advisory sector is undergoing a profound shift. Talent once destined for the Big Four is increasingly moving toward boutique and mid-sized firms, while clients are reassessing the value of long-term relationships with challengers over global giants.

With Q1 2025 also at a close and with budgets set for the new financial year, anecdotally many of our key clients and partner in mid market finance transformation market will see demands shift. Macro economic factors are looking at a softening demand in the late stages on 2025 so caution persists. However shorter term business demands, tech advancements in AI and Data Analytics, and push for operational efficiencies are pushing staffing needs.

In 2024 we have seen Private Equity (PE) funds entering and disrupting the Professional Services sector, targeting inefficiencies in established firms like the BIG4, weighed down by costly management layers and complex decision-making. These issues are driving up overhead, reducing profitability and employee pay