What happens to a firm when a key person leaves? In the first episode of The Value Conversation, Jonathan Lancaster talks with David Whitson-Black of Groveworks about succession in professional services firms. David spent 12 years in insurance before moving to Campbell Dallas, then one of Scotland’s largest independent accountancy firms. There, he was brought in to create more development opportunities for the firm’s people. After Campbell Dallas joined the group that became Azets, his role grew to cover talent, performance and leadership development as the group expanded. Azets now employs 9,000 people across eight countries and ranks among the UK’s top 10 accountancy firms. In this conversation, David explains why succession is about business continuity rather than HR. He also covers what losing a partner costs a firm, and how to build a succession plan that stands up when buyers and investors ask about it. In this episode Why succession is a business continuity question, not an HR exerciseThe costs of losing people beyond salary, from recruitment and lost productivity to client relationshipsBuilding AI capability by starting with the work, not with what AI can doHow to build a succession map around critical roles, performance and potential, and emergency successorsWhy the value lies in the conversations after the map is drawnWhat buyers and investors want to seeDeveloping emerging leaders with intention, so firms are not training people to leaveChapters 00:00 Introduction: what creates value in a professional services firm 01:14 What firms overlook about succession 05:17 The hidden cost of losing people 09:40 David's journey from insurance to Campbell Dallas and Azets 15:32 Building AI capability: start with the work 23:28 How AI is changing the adviser's role 26:17 Building a succession plan around critical roles 30:23 Emergency successors and filling the gaps 32:06 Someone needs to own it: the value is in the conversation 34:12 Succession as part of strategy 36:41 Retirement, investment and what buyers will ask 38:45 Developing emerging leaders with intention 43:44 Measuring what leadership programmes achieve 47:07 Where to find David About David David Whitson-Black is a senior talent, leadership and organisational capability leader with more than 20 years’ experience across professional services and regulated financial services. His work has spanned talent and performance, leadership development, succession, strategic workforce planning, early careers, learning, and organisational capability, often in businesses undergoing significant growth or change. David spent 11 years with Campbell Dallas and the group that later became Azets. He joined to build the firm’s learning and development capability beyond technical training, then progressed through increasingly senior roles as the organisation grew through acquisition and integration. His remit expanded to include early careers, talent, performance, succession, leadership development, workforce capability and future skills, including AI capability. Earlier in his career, David spent 12 years with esure in learning and capability roles within a regulated insurance environment. He now undertakes selected interim, fractional and advisory work through Groveworks alongside his broader work in talent, leadership and organisational capability. Connect with David on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidblack79
