COGENT Expands to Meet the Demands of a World in Transformation
Geared for speed, focused on outcomes, and grounded in human potential – COGENT 2.0 is built for today’s businesses.
London, UK – 17th July 2025 – COGENT, the fast-rising consultancy founded to challenge the traditional model, has today launched COGENT 2.0 – a bold evolution of its offer, structure, and leadership, aimed at addressing a simple truth: Consulting, as most clients experience it, is broken.
The pace of change in business has accelerated beyond what most consultancies were built for. Clients are asking for smaller teams, faster starts, and partners who stay through execution. Traditional firms are struggling to deliver.
COGENT 2.0 is the answer to that shift.
A Model Built for Now
Founded in 2020 by CEO John McLaughlin, COGENT offered a different way of working from the beginning: Lean, senior-led teams. Commercial outcomes. No theatre. No bloat.
In just four years, the firm has delivered more than 200 business-critical projects, across industries and functions – always with a sharp focus on delivery and outcomes.
“COGENT 2.0 is not a rebrand. It’s a reset,” said McLaughlin. “Clients want more breadth, more behavioural depth, and more partners who take ownership all the way through. That’s what this next chapter delivers.”
Why It Matters for Clients
The world has changed. Business leaders are facing faster cycles, higher expectations, and more internal fatigue. The old consulting playbook – long diagnostics, bloated teams, slide-first culture – is no longer fit for the purposes of today’s transformative initiatives.
Clients want traction, not theory. They want fewer handoffs, and more skin in the game. They want teams that show up, stay involved, and actually make change happen.
COGENT 2.0 answers that call.
“We’re fusing strategic discipline with creative problem solving and behavioural insight,” said Paul English, newly appointed Managing Director, formerly of Ogilvy Consulting. “And it delivers that thinking through experienced people who care about the outcome. That’s rare. I knew I wanted to help build it.”
Five Practices. One Integrated Model.
COGENT now delivers transformation through five integrated practice areas, designed to take clients from strategy through to execution – with the commercial focus and human insight to make it stick:
· Business Transformation & Innovation
· Operational Excellence & Performance
· Technology & Digital Transformation
· Engagement & Change Management
· Applied Behavioural Science
Strengthening the Leadership Team
The COGENT 2.0 leadership team brings deep experience across strategy, transformation, technology, and change. Joining founder John McLaughlin are three new senior leaders:
- Managing Director Paul English, formerly of Ogilvy Consulting, Sapient, and Prophet, brings decades of experience in business transformation and growth.
- David McGregor, a seasoned technology and delivery executive, joins from IBM and Chiltern Technologies to lead digital and enterprise initiatives.
- Lisa Hills, former HR lead at ITV and Merlin Entertainments, brings a sharp focus on cultural alignment, employee engagement, and organisational change.
Bringing Behavioural Change to the Core
A key part of COGENT’s evolution is its new partnership with David Taylor, best-selling author and founder of Naked Leader – known for embedding belief-led behavioural change into organisations at pace.
“This isn’t soft consulting,” said Taylor. “It’s the fastest way to unlock performance from within.”
The partnership helps COGENT deliver not just strategy and systems, but belief, alignment, and action at every level of an organisation.
Why COGENT, Why Now
Three things have converged to make this the right time for COGENT 2.0:
1. The business landscape has accelerated. Organisations need partners who can keep up.
2. Client expectations have changed. They want less fluff and more action.
3. Traditional consulting has fallen behind. Slow, expensive, and siloed doesn’t work anymore.
“COGENT was built to respond to all of that,” said English. “It’s independent. It’s outcome-obsessed. It’s fast. And we’re willing to put our fees on the line.”
About COGENT
COGENT is a next-generation consultancy delivering business transformation with commercial precision and behavioural depth. With more than 200 successful projects and a 280-strong network of senior experts, COGENT is setting a new standard for how consulting gets done – with outcomes that are faster, stickier, and more human.
Media Enquiries: press@cogentexecutive.com
Your business moves at the speed of now.
Your consulting should too.
The greatest drag on pace isn’t a lack of process; it’s a lack of alignment. That’s why we created COGENT 2.0. Our approach creates momentum by connecting your strategy directly to the culture and behaviours that drive it.
COGENT 2.0
Operations, technology, and culture don’t work in silos. Neither do we.
Our model connects every aspect of transformation, ensuring your ambition is matched by your ability to execute and bring your people with you.
Our model was designed by people who have led businesses, not just advised them. They knew the traditional approach was missing a single, trusted partner who could both shape the ambition and deliver the outcome. That’s why we’re different. Senior-led, outcome-obsessed, and built for the entire journey.
Not Our Words — Theirs
“COGENT’s ability to adapt to the evolving needs of our business was invaluable. They didn’t just follow a rigid plan; they adjusted as we went along, ensuring we remained on track and achieved sustainable growth.”
CTrO – Global Manufacturer
“What stood out with COGENT was their understanding of our culture and the tailored approach they developed. The solution wasn’t generic—it was specific to our needs, which allowed us to achieve the outcomes we required.”
COO – Financial Services
“COGENT understood the technical aspects of what we needed, but they also made sure to work within the resources we had. They optimised what we had available, helping us achieve results with what we already had in place.”
CEO – Technology
“COGENT really understands that any transformation starts with people. Their tailored solutions ensured that our teams were empowered and able to perform at their best, driving success across the business.”
Chief People Officer – Retail
The Company We Keep.
COGENT 2.0
“We didn’t decide the old consulting model was failing. Our clients did.
That’s why COGENT was founded.
COGENT 2.0 is the evolution of that principle, built for a world where outcomes are the only metric that counts.
But our model’s true strength isn’t just in our team; it’s in the partnership we build with yours. Together, we don’t just deliver a result. We build a lasting capability that strengthens your business long after we’ve gone.”
John McLaughlin
CEO
Insights That Matter
Oh the irony… The big consultancies have finally said it out loud!
(But saying it doesn’t mean they know how to do it) You can always tell…
Who’s Switching The Lights On?
Most Businesses Would Rather Lose a Million Pound Quietly Than Spend Fifty Grand Loudly I…
Knowledge Is Not Power!
“Knowledge is power.” It’s one of those phrases that gets repeated so often it slips…
When none of the usual boxes fit…
“So what is it you actually do?” A fair question.Especially when you don’t fit neatly…
The Great Consulting Farce: Part Two
The Transformation Illusion Management consultancies have perfected the art of selling transformation. It’s a billion-pound…
The Great Consulting Farce:
How the Big Firms Sell Illusions and Bill for Failure For decades, the world’s largest…
Big decisions need the right partners.
Let’s talk.
If you need execution—not just advice—we’re ready when you are.