Hiring a Chief Business Development Officer can be a growth accelerator—or a costly mistake—depending on how the role is used. While consulting has traditionally relied on partners to win work through trusted relationships, tougher markets and less experienced partners are changing the equation. The right CBDO doesn’t replace partners or “do sales,” but opens doors, strengthens networks, and uplifts capability across the firm. When integrated properly, this role can unlock momentum and scale.
Key Takeaways
- Relationship-Based Consultancy: Business development should focus on helping clients and understanding the company’s offerings, traditionally handled by partners.
- System Over Individuals: Establishing a business development system as a company asset reduces reliance on key individuals and mitigates acquisition risks.
- Effective CBDOs: Successful CBDOs build extensive networks, invest heavily in relationships, and focus on opening doors and generating leads rather than completing sales.
- Integration and Coaching: CBDOs should integrate with marketing and sales processes and coach less experienced partners, enhancing their skills and networks.
- Investment Considerations: A CBDO should present the firm as a growth asset, integrate directly with its business development, and remain replaceable if necessary.
- Operational Focus: CBDOs excel at networking but often lack attention to detail for structuring sales processes.
- Mixed Outcomes: Success with senior business development roles varies, dependent on the partnership team’s capacity and the individual’s fit.
No….
The question of hiring a CBDO was one topic of discussion at our most recent Boutique Leaders’ Club. Most experts will answer ‘no’ to this question. Indeed, I used to.
The arguments against this type of individual are common:
- Consultancy is a relationship-based business requiring a deep understanding of your own offerings, how they deliver value, and how they can be tweaked for specific clients.
- Business development skills are ones that one learns through an apprenticeship in any consultancy, and, in any case, consultancies should focus less on ‘selling’ and more on ‘helping’. This is why business development lands squarely on the shoulders of partners.
- Consultancies should build a system for business development that is an asset of the company rather than relying on key individuals. The latter are perceived as a risk by potential acquirers and can hold the company to ransom.
But. But….
I, and several of the CEOs at the BLC, had all seen quite a few very successful examples of externally-hired senior business development ‘experts’. Indeed (shock horror!) a few of these didn’t even have a consultancy background!
Certainly anecdotally, the last two years have seen a significant uptick in these types of roles. Google Search Trends reveals global searches for ‘Chief Business Development Officer’ with consultancy rose 70%, indicating growing interest worldwide.
Perhaps this is not so surprising: the last few years have hardly been a boom time for the consulting industry as a whole and most boutiques rely on relatively inexperienced partners who perhaps don’t have the ‘trusted advisor’ skills so prized in traditional models of consultancy.
So, What Do Successful CBDOs Have in Common?
First, they actively build relationships and uphold a respected status in their target client industry. These resemble the Chair roles many managing partners assume after handing over leadership to a CEO focused on operations.
Second, they are not cheap. In fact, many are so expensive that generous payment-by-results terms are needed to ease the pressure on the consultancy’s cashflow (this also protects the consultancy against duds).
Third, they thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy the networking side of things and as a result, do not rely on the digital marketing funnel so beloved of internet ‘gurus’.
Fourth, they generally do not complete the sale but instead open doors, creating warm leads to handover to expert partners to follow-up.
So, How Should CBDOs Be Used?
Don’t replace traditional partner business development roles and processes with Chief Business Development Officers or any other senior executive positions.
This person is an aspirational role model for younger partners seeking to move beyond a transactional approach to consulting sales.
Where possible, the CBDO may coach less experienced partners, sharing best practices while developing their skills, networks, and overall expertise.
This role should integrate directly with your marketing and sales processes. Your team should enter leads into the CRM, and your marketing campaigns—guided by the CBDO’s advice—should support those leads.
Partners need clear visibility of BD activities, with follow-up processes ensuring all leads are tracked properly and none are lost.
For firms seeking investment or a sale, we should view the CBDO as a growth accelerator rather than a risk. When I conduct due diligence on your firm, I need reassurance that this person is (a) replaceable, (b) likely to remain after the transaction, and (c) integrated into the firm’s business-development IP.
Despite the name, the CBDO is often not the person that will structure the sales processes of the firm. In my experience, gregarious, extroverted people rarely focus on details, and spending time this way isn’t always financially effective.
However, they can help consultancies accelerate their growth, open doors that were previously closed, and upskill an inexperienced partnership team.
Summary
I’ve seen a LOT of ‘sales only’ senior roles go wrong. Usually due to poor performance, sometimes due to poor fit with owners, and occasionally for overreaching demands despite delivering results.
I’ve seen senior business development professionals boost growth, open new opportunities, and upskill junior partners, driving success and expanding business.
Success partly depends on the partnership team’s capacity, meeting difficulty, service complexity, and, most importantly, the individual’s abilities.
