Marketing and business development teams in professional services are undergoing a significant transformation. No longer simply responsible for delivering campaigns and supporting fee earners, they are increasingly becoming strategic partners, helping shape business direction, influence commercial decisions and drive sustainable growth.

This was the central theme of a panel discussion featuring Ed Fitzgerald (RPC), Jenni Montgomery (Stantec), Paul Seymour (Bishop Fleming) and Amelia Sterling (Burges Salmon).

The discussion explored how marketing and BD professionals can move beyond execution to become trusted advisers to firm leadership.

A recurring theme was the importance of commercial insight and data. With greater access to client intelligence, financial performance and pipeline analytics, marketing teams are better equipped to identify opportunities, anticipate challenges and demonstrate their contribution to growth. As Paul highlighted, the real value lies not simply in collecting data, but in using it to influence decisions.

The panel also emphasised that strategic influence isn't achieved through job titles alone. It requires confidence, collaboration, commercial understanding and the ability to connect marketing activity directly to wider business objectives.

Four key takeaways from the panel

• Ed Fitzgerald, RPC: Put your hand up. Proactively seek opportunities to contribute, build your commercial knowledge and develop relationships that give you greater influence across the business.
• Amelia Sterling, Burges Salmon: Build relationships beyond your own function. Understanding the priorities and pressures of colleagues in finance, HR and other teams creates opportunities for collaboration and strengthens your strategic influence.
• Jenni Montgomery, Stantec: "Find the strategy." Understand where your organisation is heading and ensure every marketing and BD initiative supports those objectives. Without that alignment, even excellent execution risks delivering little value.
• Paul Seymour, Bishop Fleming: Recruit people better than you. Build capable teams, trust them to deliver and delegate effectively, freeing up your time to focus on the bigger strategic picture.

The message was clear: marketing and BD's future lies not just in supporting growth, but in actively shaping it. Those who combine commercial understanding, strong relationships and strategic thinking will be best placed to earn their seat at the decision-making table.