Magic Consultants

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28/03/2023

Adam Shaw peeks behind the curtain of the consultancy industry.

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Magic Consultants: The History

The History

BBC Radio 4 - Magic Consultants, The History

The consultancy industry is worth billions. Should we be in awe of their wizardry?

Consultants miraculously turn around businesses and conjure up ideas. Adam Shaw charts the rise and rise of the industry from the factory floor to the multi-national boardroom

Adam Shaw peeks behind the curtain of the consultancy industry.

Worth hundreds of billions of pounds, consultants stretch across almost every industry, government department and international border.

Since the pandemic there’s been an unprecedented demand for their services and many believe our future is determined by what they think and do. Yet little is known about these largely hidden influencers. They are magnetic and mesmerizing yet, to many of us, shrouded in mystery.

Adam asks who are these wizards, what do they do and how much do they influence our lives.

On the one hand, they're talked of as genius solvers of the world’s greatest problems and masters of the machinery of management. On other, some think of them in more shadowy terms, whispering their guidance into the ears of the rich and powerful. Adam sets off with missionary zeal to detangle two very different stereotypes.

Across the series he hunts for the first ever consultant, finds out how they shape our language and politics and discovers how they bounce back from appalling scandals. He joins a consultancy fair to meet aspirant consultants, hears stories from the glass towers of late nights and rewards, explores FOMO and addition, turnarounds and triumphs.

In this episode he charts the history of the industry from its early pioneers: scientific time managers on the factory floors of industrializing America, in pursuit of greater efficiency. He hears how the industry evolved on both sides of the Atlantic and how governments and businesses alike began relying on them for advice.

With contributions from: Andrew Sturdy, Professor in Management at The University of Bristol, Dr Chris McKenna, Reader in Business History and Strategy at the Said Business School,  public services consultant and historian Dr Antonio Weiss and Rosie Collington, co-author of The Big Con,

Produced by Neil McCarthy

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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