Consulting: Industry Trends Q2 2025

The Consulting industry in Q2 2025 is at a pivotal crossroads, with the march of generative AI continuing unabated, and a staggering 72% of organizations already adopting the technology, creating a massive new consulting frontier in everything from strategy to operational implementation.

At the same time, the fundamental nature of work and the global supply chain are being reshaped by a permanent shift to hybrid models and a new emphasis on nearshoring for resilience.

In this in-depth analysis of the Consulting Industry for Q2 2025, we cover:

•    Supply Chains Prioritize Nearshoring for Resilience
•    The Shift to a Value-Based and Agile Service Model
•    Generative to Agentic AI
•    ESG Spending Becomes More Targeted and Measurable
•    Hybrid Models - A cultural Shift in Talent Strategy
•    M&A Activity Rebounds with a Focus on Strategic Megadeals
•    Top Consulting Firms Expand Their Core Services with AI

Supply Chains Prioritize Nearshoring for Resilience

Supply chain volatility has pushed companies to shift their focus from cost efficiency to resilience, with a growing trend towards nearshoring. This shift ^[1] is no longer just reactive, but a proactive strategy to mitigate geopolitical and regulatory risks.

US government incentives, such as the CHIPS and Science Act, are encouraging regional investment, leading to a rise in nearshoring efforts. The impact of nearshoring on consulting projects has been largely focused on operational restructuring and technology implementation.

For instance, companies investing ^[2] heavily in AI for supply chain operations achieve 61% higher revenue growth. The global market for AI in supply chains is projected to reach $58.55 billion by 2031, underscoring the shift to technology-driven solutions for managing resilient and complex supply chains that are driven by on-demand market and regulatory changes.

The Shift to a Value-Based and Agile Service Model

In a period of heightened scrutiny, clients are demanding more from their consultants, leading to a shift away from traditional, long-term engagements.

The focus is now on shorter-term, agile projects that can demonstrate measurable value quickly.

Customers ^[3] are willing to pay an average of 9.7% more for services that are perceived as sustainably produced, a principle that also extends to consulting.

Clients are looking for tangible outcomes and are prioritizing consulting firms that provide a great "customer experience" in addition to strategic advice, pushing firms to adopt a "value-based" model, where success is measured by results rather than hours billed. This trend favors firms with specialized expertise and a track record of delivering rapid, impactful results.

Generative to Agentic AI

Generative AI has moved beyond the experimental stage and is now a core driver of corporate strategy, creating a massive new consulting market. A notable 72% of organizations have adopted generative AI in at least one business function, up more than 65% from the previous year.

End of 2025 – Agentic AI Pilots

Deloitte projects ^[4] that by the end of 2025, 25% of companies that use generative AI will launch agentic AI pilots, with that figure growing to 50% by 2027. This demand for sophisticated, autonomous AI solutions is driving the growth of the AI consulting market, which is projected to reach $371.71 billion in 2025 and expand at a CAGR of 30.6% through 2032 ^[5]

ESG Spending Becomes More Targeted and Measurable

While the broader ESG landscape faces political and economic pressures, corporate spending on environmental and social consulting is not only holding firm but growing in specific, high-impact areas.

17.1% Growth in ESG Consulting by 2032

The global environmental and social consulting market ^[6] will be valued at $9.49 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.1% through 2032. The focus is increasingly on the "E" and "S," with the energy and power sector leading in spending at 29.4% in 2025, driven by the transition to clean energy.

EU’s CSRD Regulation and Water Use Consulting

Similarly, the water sector accounts for the highest share of environmental consulting, at 28.8%. This trend is fueled by regulatory pushes like the EU’s CSRD, which requires detailed disclosures on biodiversity. This signals that clients are seeking measurable, compliance-driven consulting rather than broad-stroke sustainability strategies.

Hybrid Models - A cultural Shift in Talent Strategy

Hybrid work is no longer an experiment; it's the new standard for a majority of workers in "remote-capable" jobs.

A significant 51% of U.S. remote-capable workers ^[7] are now in hybrid roles in 2025, with that number holding steady for over two years. This shift has redefined talent expectations, with an overwhelming 83% of employees citing work-life balance as a top priority, even above compensation (82%) ^[8].

The cultural shift creates a dual challenge for consultants: first, helping clients design and implement effective hybrid models, and second, addressing the significant talent gap in AI-related skills.

A Net 200 Million Job Loss by 2030

Estimates show that ^[9] while AI is expected to displace 300 million jobs globally by 2030, it will also create 97 million new jobs by 2025, forcing companies to rely on consultants to navigate this workforce transformation.

M&A Activity Rebounds with a Focus on Strategic Megadeals

Global M&A ^[10] activity is showing signs of a cautious revival, but the trend is clearly in favor of larger, more strategic transactions.

America – Leads, Europe 2nd in M&A Consulting

Global deal ^[11] values hit $780 billion in Q2 2025, a 23% increase year-over-year. This was propelled by 14 deals exceeding $10 billion. The focus is on quality over quantity, as total deal count declined by 3.5% for the quarter. This flight to quality is most pronounced in North America, which accounted for $413 billion in aggregate deal value, representing 53% of all global activity. In contrast, Europe saw a 28% decline in deal value compared to the previous year, highlighting significant regional divergence.

Clients are hiring consultants for rigorous due diligence and post-merger integration to ensure value creation over exclusive due diligence projects.

Top Consulting Firms Expand Their Core Services with AI

The top consulting firms are strategically investing to maintain their market leadership, with a strong emphasis on AI and data.

McKinsey & Company: Pushing AI from Hype to Implementation

McKinsey & Company is positioning itself as the go-to partner for enterprises looking to scale AI beyond pilot projects.

Human-Machine Collaboration Models

The firm's focus was on using AI to drive tangible outcomes in core business functions. McKinsey’s push for "autonomous systems" and "new human–machine collaboration models," ^[12] signals a shift from simple AI tools to full-scale, integrated systems.

Personalized Pricing

A key development in Q2 was the importance of AI in giving companies a "360-degree view" of consumer behavior ^[13]. It provides a blueprint for how companies can use predictive AI to inform pricing decisions and personalize marketing, a strategy they are actively implementing with clients. This focus on AI-driven analytics demonstrates how McKinsey is connecting its deep research to actionable client solutions.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG): Investing in Internal Innovation and Key Partnerships

BCG’s Q2 2025 strategy focused on building a powerful internal AI ecosystem to enhance its own consulting services, which in turn offers a more robust client experience. The firm's innovation unit, BCG X, which is composed of 3,000 technologists, is at the heart of this effort. This unit, in collaboration with OpenAI, developed an in-house generative AI tool called Deckster.

Consultants to Save 70% of Due Diligence Hours

BCG estimates ^[14] that consultants can reinvest 70% of the hours saved by using Deckster into "higher-value client work," which frees up time for deeper analysis and strategic thinking. This development directly addresses the trend of value-based consulting by making internal processes leaner and more efficient.

BCG’s Partnership with Stockholm School of Economics

The firm also made a notable move in Q2 by strengthening its long-standing collaboration with the Stockholm School of Economics as a "Capital Partner." This partnership gives BCG a direct channel to top talent ^[15] and fresh perspectives on "critical topics like AI, climate transition, and innovation."

Bain & Company: Mastering Strategic M&A in a Volatile Market

Bain & Company has long been a leader in private equity and M&A, and its Q2 2025 activities reinforced this position.

Strategic M&A Consulting

Strategic M&A ^[16]was up 11% year-over-year through May 2025 despite market choppiness. The firm's advisory role in the creation of a $60 billion global chemicals player by combining subsidiaries of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Austria's OMV was one such implementation example.

In a challenging market, Bain is also demonstrating resilience through its financial operations. The Q2 2025 earnings report for Bain Capital Specialty Finance, a BDC within the Bain ecosystem, showed total loans of $530 million ^[17], representing a 73% year-over-year increase. Even as dealmaking becomes more difficult for the broader market, Bain’s network and expertise allow it to continue finding and executing significant investment opportunities.

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