By Business & Finance 
Ken McAndrew is the Founder and Managing Partner of Camigo Consulting, a Growth and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) advisory firm for professional service companies in Ireland.
By Héloïse Chaudot
What inspired you to start your company?
I’ve always enjoyed working with business owners, particularly in the SME space. I noticed that most advisory firms in Ireland focus on larger corporate clients, consequently leaving the SME market underserved when it comes to high-quality business advice. This inspired me to establish Camigo Consulting, a firm dedicated to providing expert, professional guidance to SME owners, helping them grow and ultimately sell their business.
What is your core product/service offering, and what gap in the market are you trying to address?
We offer growth and M&A advisory to professional services firms in Ireland. Too often, I’ve seen scenarios where business owners sell their company without taking the time to prepare for the sale properly. As a result, they can end up leaving money on the table or selling to a buyer who just isn’t the right strategic fit for the next phase of their business.
Through our growth advisory, we ensure that a business is well-prepared and its value is maximised before going to market. In our M&A service, we focus on finding the buyer that offers the best strategic fit for the future of the business – not just the one with the deepest pockets.
What are your main priorities and goals in your role?
One of our core values is to love our clients’ businesses as if they were our own. My role centres on that value – building trust with clients and providing advice that shows I’m genuinely as invested in the success of their business as they are.
What are your biggest challenges as CEO?
My business ultimately is a people business, so finding and retaining the right people to work with our clients is a priority for me, but it’s also a challenge. The market for talented advisors is extremely competitive, and it’s not just about technical expertise – it’s about finding individuals who share our values and genuinely care about helping clients succeed.
When I find someone who combines strong professional skills with the right attitude and empathy for business owners, that’s when the magic happens. Referrals from people I trust are always invaluable, but I also focus on building a culture where great people want to stay, grow, and do their best work for our clients.
What have been your highlights in business over the past year?
It’s hard to narrow it down as there have been so many, but one of my biggest highlights has been seeing one of my smallest clients achieve a bumper year after a project we’ve been working on together for the last number of years. Their strong performance has set the business up to do some really special things in the coming years.
Sitting alongside the CEO on that journey and witnessing what success meant to him, both personally and commercially, has been incredibly rewarding. It’s moments like this which remind me why I started this business in the first place.
Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?
Our plan for next year is to continue expanding the team so we can support even more SME owners in successfully growing and selling their businesses. The demand for our services is very high, and the results we are delivering are starting to build real recognition for our brand in the market.
By this time next year, I would like Camigo Consulting to not just be known for our expertise, but for the lasting value and trust we bring to every single client relationship. Growing the team and strengthening our presence will allow us to make an even bigger impact across the SME sector.
What new trends are emerging in your industry?
Owning and running a small business today, especially in professional services, is a very different landscape – even compared to five years ago. The technology landscape is evolving rapidly, and the way firms operate and compete will look significantly different within the next couple of years.
AI is a major emerging trend across industries and is expected to have a transformative impact on the professional services sector, changing everything from how firms deliver advice to how they manage operations and client relationships. At the same time, the growing presence of private equity in Ireland is reshaping the market. The combination of technological disruption and investment activity means that professional services firms are now working to shorter timelines for growth and exit strategies than ever before.
What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?
Staying ahead of the curve with AI – and applying the right tools to genuinely drive value – will be one of the biggest challenges for professional services firms in the coming years. With so much market noise around AI, it can be difficult to see the wood for the trees. There’s a real risk that firms will overinvest and underlever in their technology strategies in a rush to adopt the newest ‘shiny’ tool.
The firms that will drive are those that take a more measured approach – applying technology strategically to unlock genuine cost or revenue synergies. Those who can successfully integrate the right innovations into their operations will not only survive this phase of disruption but also emerge stronger and more competitive because of it.
As an employer, are you finding any skill gaps in the market?
In my world, it’s all about people and effective communication. Emotional intelligence is one of the skills I value most, but it is also one of the hardest to find and, unfortunately, it’s not something that can be easily taught or measured through exams.
In advisory work, the ability to listen, empathise and truly understand a client’s goals is just as important as technical ability. Developing that emotional intelligence is what separates a good advisor from a great one.
How do you keep your team motivated?
Doing interesting and purposeful work is the strongest intrinsic motivator for any employee. For that reason, we constantly remind ourselves how privileged we are to work alongside SME owners and help them achieve their goals and dreams for their businesses.
When the team understands the real impact of what we do, helping clients realise the value of years of hard work, it creates a powerful sense of purpose that keeps us all motivated and engaged
What is the best advice you have been given, or would give, in business?
“Brick by brick.” Focus on doing what is right in front of you well, placing each brick carefully for your business. Before you know it, those consistent efforts add up, and you’ve built something substantial – a strong, sustainable business that can stand the test of time.
What advice would you give to others starting out in business?
Follow your energy and your passion. If it’s only about making money, it’s hard to sustain the drive – you’ll get bored or burnt out before long.
And be resilient. Business is never a straight line, and there will always be twists, setbacks, and unexpected challenges along the way. As long as you’re moving in the right direction and staying committed, those challenges become stepping stones, and eventually, you’ll reach your goals.
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