New research confirms what many organisations learn too late: leadership transitions fail not because of capability gaps, but because of culture, politics and people. With 40–60% of executives struggling or failing within 18 months, and the majority reporting they felt unprepared stepping into a new role, the cost of getting this wrong is significant – and measurable. In this whitepaper, Sheffield Haworth and Barber Carter explore why the first 90–180 days are make-or-break, where organisations are currently under-investing, and how purpose-built executive coaching changes the odds.

Defence is being rewritten in digital services. As governments and primes accelerate digital transformation, the consultancies that win will be defined less by technology or funding than by the calibre of the people leading them. In our 2026 report, Sheffield Haworth examines the leadership trends shaping defence digital services, and what it takes to build teams that can bridge digital innovation, defence credibility and operational execution.
Drawing on our CxO and board-level networks across technology, defence and adjacent markets, we set out where leadership demand is heading, the shifts every scaling business should plan for, and the practical moves that separate the firms that scale from those that stall.

Four shifts that will shape leadership demand. One clear view on how to get ahead of them.

The ESG and Responsible Investment hiring market has turned. Q1 2026 has already generated more mandates than we saw in the whole of 2025. Teams have run lean enough that every departure now triggers a replacement, and the pipeline is filling across the asset classes we cover.

Activity is most visible at the analyst-to-VP end for now, but the foundations are forming for a busier leadership cycle later in the year. Across public markets, real estate, infrastructure, private credit and private equity, our Q1 review covers:

– Why the false economy of „good-enough“ senior hires is starting to bite
– How energy disruption from the latest Gulf War is reshaping infrastructure mandates
– The widening US–European divergence in private credit ESG strategy
– Why a growing share of sustainability leaders in PE are now being rewarded with carry

Q1 selected people moves are inside. Access the full review via the button.

The consulting industry is shifting. Partner-level hiring held steady in 2025, but beneath the headline numbers, the distribution of demand is changing fast; with Financial Advisory firms growing, European-based hires reducing and AI-focused hires up 143% year-on-year. Sheffield Haworth’s 2026 Global Consulting Market Insight Report analyses senior moves across 17 firms and four subsectors, revealing where the talent is flowing and what it means for 2026. Download the full report below.

Our latest Asset Servicing Market Insight Report (Q4 2025) highlights a market recalibrating for scale, digital integration and PE-backed expansion.

🔹 ~75+ senior people moves across EMEA, Americas & APAC, despite a c.40% slowdown in EMEA vs Q3 – signalling more targeted, strategic leadership hires going into FY26.

🔹 10+ M&A transactions in Q4 alone, with TMF Group completing multiple acquisitions (Baltics, India, Italy) and IQ-EQ, Ocorian and Linnovate Partners expanding into new jurisdictions.

🔹 £2.7bn public-to-private acquisition of JTC by Permira – a landmark PE deal underscoring continued consolidation across trust, fund and corporate services.

🔹 Accelerating tokenisation, blockchain and AI partnerships, from Deutsche Börse’s stablecoin integration to AI-powered Annex IV reporting and fully digitalised fund administration models.

As firms double down on global service delivery models, digital infrastructure and scalable operating platforms, leadership capability remains a critical differentiator.

Read the full Q4 report at the link below.

Connect with Frances Denny to discuss the leadership dynamics shaping asset servicing into 2026.