What does it take to build a consulting firm that lasts 25 years and successfully exits to a Big Four firm?
Adrian Moorhouse, Olympic gold medallist and former world number one swimmer, shares the story of how he transitioned from elite sport to building Lane4, one of the UK’s most respected leadership development consultancies. After retiring from swimming, Moorhouse moved into talent development in British Swimming before co-founding Lane4 in 1995 with academics and a sales partner, applying principles from sport—such as improving inputs to drive better outputs—to leadership development and consulting.
Over the next 25 years, Lane4 grew into a multi-million-pound consultancy before joining EY in 2021. In this conversation, Adrian explains the strategic choices that shaped that journey: building a team with distinct roles for sales, delivery, and account management; overcoming growth plateaus; and navigating the realities of selling a consulting firm. He also reflects on leadership, learning, and the mindset shift required to move from individual performance to leading a team-based business.
In this episode you will learn
How Adrian Moorhouse transitioned from Olympic athlete to consulting entrepreneur
Why separating sales, delivery, and account management can unlock consultancy growth
The importance of “better inputs lead to better outputs” in building consulting capability
How Lane4 broke through a revenue plateau by redesigning roles and investing in new business development
Why understanding the difference between the customer and the consumer matters in consulting
What founders should expect when selling a consulting firm and navigating an earn-out
How leadership mindset shifts from individual performance to building a high-performing team
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