Professional firms at the crossroads between autonomy and aggregation

The speed of change - regulatory, technological, social - leaves no room for immobility. Traditional models creak under the weight of new demands, and the professional, alone, risks failing. In this scenario, aggregation is no longer a strategic choice: it is a necessity. But how to reconcile efficiency and identity? How to preserve one's autonomy in a context that is increasingly oriented towards financial logic? The regulations, while trying to intervene, often chase a reality that evolves faster than the rules, trying to offer tools and solutions that can accompany this transformation.

Associated firms, STPs, networks and multidisciplinary models are not new, but they are becoming essential tools for meeting the challenges of today. However, joining together is not easy. Lawyers and accountants often have strong egos and building a shared organisation requires a common vision, balance and shared professional style. It is therefore useful to ask what are the conditions for an effective aggregation and how can an organisational culture capable of valuing differences be built.

One of the central nodes in aggregate forms is management capacity. Schools that train managers for professional firms are still few and poorly structured. Often the role is assumed by the most charismatic professional or the one who wields the most influence, but this is an informal leadership, lacking in tools and above all specific training. The management of an 'aggregated' firm requires managerial, organisational and strategic skills, specifically tailored to each area. From the Managing Partner to the Office Manager, via the Practice Manager and the HR Manager, each figure contributes actively to the growth and overall efficiency of the firm.

In this context, greater inclusion of women, who are still under-represented in key roles in governance, is essential. Yet, experience shows that women offer solid managerial skills, characterised by a collaborative, mediation-oriented and consensus-building approach, a now indispensable element and value of effective leadership.

Another fundamental asset of human capital, young people: invest not only to ensure the necessary generational transition, but to foster their inclusion and to prevent the profession from losing innovation. Their more current vision and their naturally more vital mindset are indispensable levers for the professional tradition to evolve in a current sense.