The year 2023 was a busy one for TAG. Structural changes were made, overseas accounts were added, and the team expanded with 15 new consultants. What were the highlights? What are the challenges ahead? Director Mark Gutschoven and Managing Partner Peter Verboven look back on 2023 and unveil their ambitions and plans for the coming year.
Mark and Peter, how has TAG grown in 2023?
Peter: ‘In my view, TAG has grown both on an internal and external level. Externally, the scope of our activities has broadened in the last year. We successfully delivered some exciting projects in France and the USA, of which we’re very proud. Spreading our operations internationally wouldn’t have been possible a year ago. But we also made some big steps within the company.’
Mark: ‘Indeed. We reviewed our organogram, redefined roles and responsibilities within our team and finetuned our home-designed platform Nimbus. In 2024, we want to continue improving our internal structures so that TAG can continue to grow organically in the years to come.’
Peter: ‘Most importantly, we further developed our Bootcamp last year and, for the first time, launched our Reboot training for more experienced consultants.’
Mark: ‘We heavily invest in our onboarding and that pays off. The better we prepare and train our young graduates, the faster they deliver added value to our customers.’
Peter: ‘The fact that we put so much effort into our onboarding also attracts young graduates. The number of new consultants that started at TAG was doubled in 2023.’
2023 was clearly a milestone year. Are there any particular achievements or events that stood out for you?
Peter: ‘For me, it’s the Bootcamp and Reboot, without a doubt. Or to be more specific, the Pitch Night, which is the grand finale of our training week. We offered young graduates and young professionals the chance to pitch cases to an estimable jury of experts. To be able to do that at the very start of your career, is incredible. They will never forget it and neither will I. And then of course, there’s Mark becoming Director at TAG in 2023. It’s the well-deserved culmination of a career that began all the way in 2014. It’s been exciting and inspiring to see Mark grow from consultant to manager to director.’
Mark: ‘Thank you for that. For me, there’s of course my promotion but also the development of a career path from consultant to team manager of which I’m proud. It’s a scary next step to take for consultants. We wanted to develop a trajectory that allowed them to try out the role and see if it fits. It’s crazy, looking back at all these events, I realise just how incredibly busy and rewarding 2023 has been for TAG.’
Looking ahead to 2024, what changes in the consultancy landscape do you predict?
Peter: ‘AI was the buzzword of 2023. This year, I expect more and more companies to automate their processes using AI tools. But to ensure efficiency, you have to critically interpret the results. You really have to dig deep. Most people only scratch the surface with these tools. How will a starting consultant who hasn’t yet built up the expertise be able to do so? It’s a tough challenge I think many consultancy firms will be faced with.’
Mark: ‘Companies always had the tendency to overdevelop and over-research a solution. They want to develop a gold-mine answer that delivers long-term results. The harsh reality is that needs and demands evolve rapidly. Trying to anticipate that with a fixed solution is less efficient than creating one that can be adapted through testing. The agile approach already changed this mindset, but now more and more mature tools are available that allow rapid prototyping and low-code development, making it possible to set up a solution faster and adapt it with actual feedback without the need of an entire development team. That is why, I think, a partnership approach will become more important for consultancy firms in 2024. At TAG, we focus on close collaboration, continuously finetuning a solution until we’ve reached the desired results.’
Finally, do you have any New Year’s resolutions privately or professionally?
Mark: ‘Continuous improvement is what TAG is all about and that’s what I intend to do this year. I want to further develop the role of director, support the growth of our teams and continue to deliver quality results that strengthen our firm in the long run.’
Peter: ‘This might sound weird, but professionally, I want to do less myself and offer others more opportunity to learn. In my humble opinion, being a leader is about learning how to delegate tasks. That is why this year, I want to be more of a supportive coach and mentor for my colleagues. On a personal level, I want to learn something new every day. I used to be a voracious reader and want to strive to read more books again to gain new insights.’
Mark and Peter, thank you for giving us a peek behind the TAG curtain. 2024 certainly promises to be an interesting year. The best of luck with the challenges ahead!
The one achievement in 2024 we’re already proud of?
We just launched a brand-new career site. Are you an engineering student, graduate or experienced consultant? Take a look and discover the exciting career options at TAG.
